Naming
Xian He Cao (Agrimonia pilosa)——Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Shen Nong’s Herbal)
The Processing of Xian He Cao
Origin
The whole of perennial herbaceous plant Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. of family Rosaceae.
Location
Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan provinces in China.
Harvest
Collected in summer and autumn when stems and leaves are flourishing.
The actual smell and taste
Light smell and slightly bitter taste.
Best quality
With red brown stem, tender and flourish leaves and purified.
Processing
Purified and dried in the sun; unprocessed or .stir-baked to charcoal.
The Effect of Xian He Cao
Property
Bitter, astringent, neutral; heart and liver meridians entered.
Actions
Astringe and stop bleeding, check dysentery, tonify deficiency.
Indications
A. Bleeding
This herb is astringent in flavor with the action of astringing. It stops bleeding without retaining pathogenic factors and is widely indicated for various bleeding of all parts of body, whether it is due to cold, heat, deficiency and excess. For bleeding due to recklessly blood flow resulted from blood heat, it is combined with blood-cooling hemostatics such as Sheng Di Huang, Ce Bai Ye, Mu Dan Pi and so on. For bleeding due to deficiency cold, it is combined with herbs that can tonify qi and nourish blood, and warm meridians and stop bleeding, such as Dang Shen, Shu Di Huang, Pao Jiang, Ai Ye and so on.
B. Diarrhea and dysentery
This herb can astringe intestine to check diarrhea and dysentery because of its astringent property. Because of its mild property with combining actions of relieving toxicity and stopping bleeding, it is especially suitable for the bloody dysentery, chronic diarrhea and dysentery. It can be made decoction alone or combined with other herbs. This herb has mild actions of tonifying deficiency and reinforcing. For energy exhaustion and impairment caused by over-strain manifested by tiredness and lassitude, sallow complexion with normal appetite, it is combined with qi-tonifying and blood-nourishing herbs such as Da Zao. For deficiency of qi and blood, tiredness and lassitude, and vertigo and dizziness, it is combined with qi tonics and blood tonics such as Dang Shen, Shu Di Huang, Long Yan Rou and so on.Besides, it can relieve toxicity and kill worms. It is indicated for sore, furuncle, carbuncle and swelling, itchy perineum and abnormal leucorrhea.
Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 3~10 g and heavy dose of 30~60 g. Proper dose for external application.
