Nature: bitter, cold

Enters: Lung, Large Intestine

Actions: Benefits the throat; relieves swelling, alleviates pain; clears heat; eliminates toxicity.

Indications:
• Heat and toxicity: swollen, sore, painful throat; carbuncles, psoriasis. A key herb for sore throat due to heat and toxicity.
• Lung heat: cough.
• Damp-heat: jaundice.
• Topical: use the powder for pain, redness, and swelling of the oral cavity or cervix.
• Anti-neoplastic effects.
• Doses over 10g may cause nausea and/or vomiting.
Hsu: Anti-cancerous effects against malignant carcinomas; antimicrobial.
DY: Shan dou gen is the most efficient Chinese medicinal for treating throat inflammations due to heat-toxins or replete heat.
• With Ban lan gen for mutual reinforcement, to clear heat, eliminate toxicity, and strongly disinhibit the throat. For such indications as:
– 1. Painful, red, and swollen throat due to replete heat. This combination is usually sufficient to treat severe throat inflammations (including strep throat, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, etc.) due to heat-toxins or replete heat. However, when this combination needs further reinforcement, add She gan, Jin yin hua, Lian qiao, Xuan shen, and Gan cao.
– 2. Toothache and painful, swollen gums due to replete heat.
– 3. Oral ulcers due to replete heat.

Dose: 3-9g