Arnebia (Zi Cao)

Arnebia (Zi Cao)

Pharmaceutical Name: Radix Lithospermi seu Arnebiae
Botanical Name: Lithospermun erythrorhizon sieb. et zucc
Arnebia euchroma (Royle Johnst)
Macrotomia euchroma
Common Name:Lithospermun root
Arnebia root
Groomwell root
Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing
art Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The roots are dug in spring or autumn, dried in the sun, soaked in water and cut into slices.
Properties and Taste: Bitter, pungent, cold
Meridian: Heart and liver
Functions: To cool blood and invigorate blood
To release toxins and bring the rash to the surface
To promote bowel movement and moisten the intestines
Indications and Combinations: 1.     Incomplete expression of rash in measles due to toxic heat in the blood.
*Use with Cicada slough (Chan tui), Arctium fruit (Niu ban gzi).

2.  Maculopapule in febrile disease.
*Use with Red peony (Chi shao), Moutan bark (Mu dan pi), Honeysuckle flower (Jin yin hua) and Forsythia fruit (Lian qiao).

3.   Prevention of measles.
*Use with Licorice root (Gan cao).

4.      Boils, carbuncles, burns and injury due to cold.
*Use with Chinese angelica root (Dang gui) Dahurian angelica root (Bai zhi) and Dragon’s blood (Xue jie) as an external application in the formula Shengji Yuhong Gao.
Dosage: 3-10 g
Cautions: This herb is contraindicated during weakness of the spleen accompanied by diarrhea.