Herb

Gromwell Root

紫草zi cao
1 sourceRadix Arnebiae

Cools and quickens the blood and resolves toxicity to express rashes such as measles and pox, and frees the stool.

Source

Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu)卷十二·草部·紫草·主治（《本经》）

References
  • functions_en self-translated from 本草纲目 traditional_functions (public domain; the Chinese tf carries verbatim excerpt_hash citations). No modern work consulted.
  • WHO IST-TCM terminology-aligned for the English rendering.
  • public pharmacopoeia & botanical facts (public-domain reference facts; no proprietary modern source).
Traditional functions

Classical source text (Chinese) — English summary above.

传统中医记载：《本经》载紫草主心腹邪气、五疸、补中益气、利九窍、通水道；《别录》疗腹肿胀满痛、疗小儿疮及面齇；甄权谓治恶疮病瘑癣；李时珍谓治斑疹痘毒、活血凉血、利大肠。

Nature, flavor & meridians

Nature & flavor: 苦，寒，无毒（《本经》根）；李时珍谓甘、咸、寒，入手、足厥阴经。·Meridians: 肝（足厥阴）, 心包（手厥阴）

Citations
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·山草类·紫草（《本经》中品）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its classification.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·紫草·释名（紫丹）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its alternate names.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·紫草·气味（《本经》根）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its nature & flavor.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·紫草·气味（时珍·入手足厥阴经）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its meridian tropism.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·紫草·主治（《本经》）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·紫草·主治（甄权）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·紫草·主治（时珍·凉血活血）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·紫草·发明（曾世荣·脾虚作泻）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its safety notes.