Pharmaceutical Name:

Radix Scrophulariae

Botanical Name:

Scrophularia ningpoensiis Hemsl.

Common Name:

Scrophularia root
Ningpo Figwort root

Source of Earliest Record:

Shennong Bencao Jing

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations:

The roots are dug in the period at the Beginning of winter (nineteenth solar term) and dried in the sun until they are black on the inside, then they are cut into slices.

Properties and Taste:

Bitter, sweet-salty and cold

Meridian:

Lung, stomach and kidney

Functions:

To clear heat and nourish yin
To release toxins and nodules

Indications and Combinations:

1.     Sore throat caused by exogenous pathogenic wind.
*Use with Arctium fruit (Niubangzi), Platycodon root (Jiegeng) and Mentha (Bohe).

2.      Sore throat caused by excessive interior heat.
*Use with Ophiopogon root (Maidong), Platycodon root (Jiegeng) and raw Licorice root (Gancao).

3.     Boils, carbuncles and furuncles.
*Use with Honeysuckle flower (Jinyinhua) and raw Licorice root (Gancao).

4.      Scrofula, goiter and subcutaneous nodules.
*Use with Tendrilled fritillary bulb (Chuanbeimu) and Oyster shell (Muli).

5.     Febrile disease in which pathogenic factors attack the nutritive and blood levels:

a)       Thirst, fever, insomnia and deep red tongue proper with scanty coating.
*Use with Fresh rehmannia root (Shengdihuang) and Ophiopogon root (Maidong).

b)       High fever, unconsciousness and maculopapule.
*Use with Anemarrhena rhizome (Zhimu), Gypsum (Shigao) and Rhinoceros horn (Xijiao).

6.     Constipation due to dryness in the intestines.
*Use with Fresh rehmannia root (Shengdihuang) and Ophiopogon root (Maidong).

Dosage:

10-15 g

Cautions:

Scrophularia (Xuanshen) is contraindicated in cases with weakness of the spleen and stomach and should not be combined with Black false bellebore (Lilu).