Pharmaceutical Name:

Radix Rhapontici seu Echinopsis

Botanical Name:

Rhaponticum uniflorum (L.) DC
Echinops latifolius Tausch.

Common Name:

Globethistle

Source of Earliest Record:

Shennong Bencao Jing

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations:

The roots are dug in autumn.  After the fibrous roots have been removed, the roots are cleaned, dried in the sun and cut into slices.

Properties and Taste:

Bitter and cold

Meridian:

Stomach

Functions:

To clear heat and release toxins
To reduce swelling
To promote lactation

Indications and Combinations:

1.     Boils, carbuncles and swelling or swelling and pain in the breast area.
*Use with Dandelion herb (Pugongying), Trichosanthes fruit (Gualou) and Forsythia fruit (Lianqiao).

2.      Postpartum galactostasis with distension in the breasts.
*Use with Vaccaria seed (Wangbuliuxing), Pangolin scales (Chuanshanjia) and Rice-paper pith (Tongcao).

Dosage:

3-12 g