Red Peony (Chishao)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Radix Paeoniae Rubra |
| Botanical Name: | Paeonia lactiflora pall. Paeonia veitchii Lynch |
| Common Name: | Red Peony Root |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Shennong Bencao Jing |
| Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The roots are dug in autumn. After the fibrous roots and rough bark have been removed, the roots are dried in the sun, soaked in water and cut into slices. |
| Properties and Taste: | Bitter and slightly cold |
| Meridian: | Liver |
| Functions: | To clear heat and cold blood To remove stagnant blood and reduce swelling |
| Indications and Combinations: | 1. Febrile diseases in which exogenous pathogenic heat enters into the nutritive and blood levels manifested as maculopapule, vomiting with blood, epistaxis, and deep red tongue proper. *Use with Fresh rehmannia root (Shengdihuang) and Moutan bark (Mudanpi). 2. Blood stagnation manifested as dysmenorrhea, acute inflammation with red swelling and pain from external injury. *Use with Chuanxiong rhizome (Chuanxiong), Chinese angelica root (Danggui), Peach seed (Taoren) and Safflower (Honghua). 3. Boils, carbuncles and furuncles. *Use with Honeysuckle flower (Jinyinhua) and Forsythia fruit (Lianqiao). |
| Dosage: | 3-10 g |
| Cautions: | This herb should not be combined with Black false bellebore (Lilu). |