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. |