Chinese medicine "Chishang San" is a plant of the Polygonaceae family, also known as snakehead Polygonum, blood angelica, waistless leaf Polygonum, red Ze Lan, flower butterfly, red soap medicine, and scattered blood dan.
Picture of Chishang San
Chishang San is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Polygonaceae family, forming clusters with head-shaped inflorescences. It prefers light and shade, and can withstand cold and poor soil conditions.
Chishang San is not only used as ground cover, but also used in many modern Chinese-style gardens to enhance the Chinese flavor.
The flowers and leaves of Chishang San have some unique markings. The young branches, leaf stalks, and leaf veins are purple-red in spring, and the mature leaves are green in summer with rusty red spots in the center and pale purple-red edges.
In addition to its color, Chishang San has a distinctive feature: a pair of round ears at the base of the leaves, with purple-black markings on top.
Chishang San is often considered a wild plant, similar to another plant of the Polygonaceae family called "Huotan Mu". However, Chishang San has been used more in gardens in recent years.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Chishang San has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting blood circulation, and reducing swelling. It is used to treat dysentery, leukorrhea, headaches caused by blood heat, irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, breast abscesses, and injuries.
1. "Practical Selection of Chinese Herbal Medicines in Guangxi": "Relieves swelling and detoxifies. Used for snake bites, abscesses, unknown swelling, and mastitis."
2. "Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines in Sichuan": "Clears heat and promotes blood circulation. Used for internal injuries, headaches caused by blood heat, excessive menstruation, amenorrhea, cough due to deficiency fire, dysentery, and carbuncles."
3. Treatment of mastitis: Mash the whole Chishang San plant or potatoes and wild buckwheat, and apply externally with wine lees.
Chishang San is indeed recorded in Chinese herbal medicine compilations as having analgesic, anti-inflammatory, blood circulation-promoting effects. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the alcoholic extract of Chishang San has a significant effect on a certain type of dysentery bacillus and also has strong antioxidant activity.
Contraindications: Avoid use in individuals with weak qi and deficiency syndrome; those with stagnation of qi should consume in moderation, excessive consumption may cause menstrual irregularities in women; pregnant women should use with caution, as it may cause fetal malformation.
