Nature: bitter, cold
Enters: Heart, Pericardium
Actions: Drains heart fire; stops bleeding, binds Jing
Indications:
• Warm-febrile disease: heat collapse into the pericardium channel causing mental confusion, delirium, mania.
• Heart fire: insomnia or irritability.
• Used as a powder for hematemesis, spermatorrhea.
• Lowers blood pressure, primarily by vasodilation.
Hsu: Dilates the coronary arteries; relaxes uterine smooth muscle.
Dose: 1.5-6g