Pharmaceutical Name:

Radix Kansui

Botanical Name:

Euphorbia kansui T. N. Liou ex T. P. Wang

Common Name:

Kansui root

Source of Earliest Record:

Shennong Bencao Jing

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations:

The tuberous root is dug in late autumn or early spring.  The root bark is peeled off, and the root is dried in the sun.  Then it is soaked in vinegar.

Properties and Taste:

Bitter, sweet, cold and toxic

Meridian:

Lung, kidney and large intestine

Functions:

To transform water and reduce edema
To disperse nodules and relieve swelling

Indications and Combinations:

1.     Edema and full sensation in abdominal region.
*Use with Pharbitis seed (Qianniuzi) in the formula Erqi Tang.

2.      Ascites.
*Use with Peking spurge root (Daji) and Genkwa flower (Yuanhua) in the formula Shizao Tang .

3.     Retention of water or fluid in the chest.
*Use with Rhubarb (Dahuang) and Glauber's salt (Mangxiao) in the formula Da Xianxiong Tang.

4.      Boils, carbuncles and furuncles.
*Ground into powder and mix with water for external application.

Dosage:

0.5-1 g

Cautions:

This herb is best used in pill and powder form.  It should not be used with the herb Licorice root (Gancao) and is contraindicated during pregnancy.