Dan Shen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) is from the root amd rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, family Labiatae. The medicinal material is dug and collected in spring and winter, dried in the sun and is used either unprocessed or after being stir-baked with wine.
Category: Blood Regulating – Blood Invigorating.
Common Name: Salvia Root.
Channels Entered: Heart, Pericardium and Liver.
Properties and Functions: Dan Shen is bitter in flavour and slightly cold in nature. Its functions are:
- Promoting blood circulation to remove Blood stasis.
- Regulates menstruation to relieve pain.
- Cools the blood to reduce swelling, abscesses and sores.
- Clears Heat from the Heart to calm the mind and soothe irritability.
Indications: Dan Shen is used clinically in the treatment of:
- Blood stasis leading to irregular menstrutation, amenorrhoea, postpartum abdominal pain, abdominal masses and pain of the limbs. It is particularly good for syndromes of Blood stasis with Heat.
- Carbuncles and sores with swelling and pain due to Heat or toxic-Heat. Also for breast abscesses with swelling and pain.
- Febrile disease with restlessness, coma, palpitation and insomnia due to pathogenic factors invading the Ying (nutritive) and Xue (Blood) levels or due to the preponderance of Heart-Fire.
Dosage: 6 – 15g
Cautions and Contra-Indications: It is incompatible with Lilu.