 Red
sage root (Danshen)
Pharmaceutical Name : Radix Salviae militiorrhizae
Botanical Name : Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.
Common Name : Salvia root, Red sage root
Source of Earliest Record : Shennong Bencao
Jing
Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical
Preparations : The roots are dug in autumn,
and then cleaned, soaked, cut into slices
and dried in the sun. They can also be fried
with wine.
 Properties & Taste : Bitter and slightly
cold
Meridians: Heart, pericardium and liver
Functions:
1. To invigorate blood and move stagnation;
2. To cool blood and reduce carbuncles;
3. To clear heat in the heart and soothe irritability
Indications & Combinations:
1. Internal blood stagnation manifested as
irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, abdominal
pain or postpartum abdominal pain. Red sage
root (Danshen) is used with Motherwort (Yimucao),
Peach seed (Taoren), Safflower (Honghua) and
Chinese angelica root (Danggui).
2. Qi and blood stagnation manifested as
cardiac pain, abdominal pain or epigastric
pain. Red sage root (Danshen) is used with
Amomum fruit (Sharen) and Sandalwood (Tanxiang)
in the formula Danshen Yin.
3. Blood stagnation manifested as general
pain or joint pain. Red sage root (Danshen)
is used with Chinese angelica root (Danggui),
Chuanxiong rhizome (Chuanxiong) and Safflower
(Honghua).
4. Carbuncles, furuncles and swellings. Red
sage root (Danshen) is used with Honeysuckle
flower (Jinyinhua), Forsythia fruit (Lianqiao)
and Frankincense (Ruxiang) in the formula
Xiaoru Tang.
5. Febrile disease with pathogenic wind invading
the nutritive level manifested as high fever,
irritability, dull maculopapule and a red
or deep red tongue proper with scanty coating.
Red sage root (Danshen) is used with Fresh
rehmannia root (Shengdihuang), Scrophularia
(Xuanshen) and Bamboo leaf (Zhuye).
6. Deficiency of nutritive blood with internal
heat manifested as palpitations, irritability
and insomnia. Red sage root (Danshen) is used
with Wild jujube seed (Suanzaoren) and Multiflower
knotweed (Yejiaoteng).
Dosage: 5-15 g
Cautions & Contraindications:
Blood invigoration is enhanced by frying with
wine. Do not combine with the herb Black false
bellebore (Lilu). |
