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Swallowwort rhizome (Baiqian)
Pharmaceutical Name: Radix et Rhizome Stauntoni
Botanical Name: 1. Cynanchum stauntoni (Decne.) Schltr. ex Levl.. 2. Dynanchum glaucescens Hand.-Mazz.
Common Name: Cynanchum root, Swallowwort rhizome
Source of Earliest Record: Mingyi Bielu
Part Used: The roots are dug in autumn, cleaned and dried in the sun and cut into pieces.
Natural Properties & Taste: Pungent, sweet and neutral
Meridians: Lung
Therapeutic Effects:
1. To resolve phlegm and stop cough.
2. To conduct qi downward
Indications:
1. Cough due to invasion by exogenous pathogenic factors. Swallowwort rhizome (Baiqian) is used with Schizonepeta (Jingjie) and Platycodon root (Jiegeng) in the formula Zhisuo San.
2. Turbid phlegm blocking the lungs: a) cold-phlegm coughSwallowwort rhizome (Baiqian) is used with Pinellia tuber (Banxia) and Perilla seed (Suzi). b) phlegm-heat coughSwallowwort rhizome (Baiqian) is used with Trichosanthes fruit (Gualou).
3. Cough, asthma, edema and rattling sound in the throat. Swallowwort rhizome (Baiqian) is used with Aster root (Ziwan) and Peking spurge root (Daji) in the formula Baiqian Tang.
Dosage: 3-10 g
