Between the cliffs of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, a boatman suddenly suffers from angina, his face and lips turning purple as if covered in frost. An old sailor quickly gathers Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) from the crevices of the rocks, chews it, and swallows it with liquor. In a moment, the patient’s fingertips warm up, and he sighs, saying: “This herb entering my throat feels like thousands of warm threads drilling into my blood vessels!” — This is the legendary account of Dan Shen demonstrating its power to dissolve blood stasis as recorded in the Pharmaceutical Records of the Gorges.
1. Dan Shen Enters the Blood to Break Millennia of Stagnation
Dan Shen belongs to the Heart and Liver meridians, and its nature is slightly cold, akin to spring streams breaking through ice. The Compendium of Materia Medica praises it: “It invigorates the blood and opens the heart, with effects similar to the Four Substance Decoction,” specifically treating conditions of qi and blood stagnation:
– Chest pain: like an ice pick blocking the heart vessels
– Menstrual obstruction: like silt blocking rivers
– Abdominal masses: like stubborn stones lodged in the belly
Famous Qing Dynasty physician Wang Qingren once treated a military officer who, after being injured on the battlefield, developed a hard lump under his ribs. Using 30 grams of Dan Shen combined with Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis) and Ru Xiang (Frankincense), the lump disappeared after three months. This exemplifies Dan Shen‘s nature of “invigorating blood without harming it,” akin to spring winds melting frost, allowing stasis to dissipate and new life to emerge.
2. The ‘Icebreaker’ in Ancient Formulas for Unblocking Meridians
Dan Shen Decoction can become the nemesis of blood stasis, all due to its harmonious combination of hard and soft elements:
– Main ingredient: 20 grams of Dan Shen: invigorates blood and breaks stasis (icebreaker)
– Assistant: 5 grams of Tan Xiang (Sandalwood): moves qi and alleviates pain (pushing waves)
– Envoy: 3 grams of Sha Ren (Amomum fruit): awakens the spleen and protects the stomach (harmonizing cold and warmth)
In 2016, a certain TCM hospital used this formula with modifications to treat coronary heart disease: patients had ST segment depression on their ECGs, akin to knife marks, and after adding 6 grams of San Qi (Notoginseng) powder, angina attacks were halved after two weeks. Modern research confirms that Dan Shen ketones can dilate coronary arteries, aligning with the ancient saying of “unblocking the heart vessels,” which intriguingly corresponds to hemodynamics.
3. Wisdom in Breaking Stagnation on the Battlefield of Millennia of Blood Stasis
The Qian Jin Fang from the Tang Dynasty records a perilous medical case: a postpartum woman suffers from severe hemorrhage and fainting, her body as cold as iron. Sun Simiao urgently used Dan Shen combined with children’s urine for oral administration, supplemented with moxibustion at the Guanyuan point. The next day, she expelled blood clots the size of eggs, and her complexion gradually returned to a healthy color. Modern practitioners use this method to treat endometriosis: Dan Shen injection is infused into the uterine cavity, combined with Tao Ren Cheng Qi Decoction, resulting in a reduction of masses after three months.
However, the Medical Forest’s Rules from the Ming Dynasty records a painful lesson: a patient with blood deficiency experienced palpitations and dizziness after prolonged use of Dan Shen. Zhang Jingyue commented: “Using it alone for a long time is like digging a well in a drought.” Thus, three iron rules were established:
1. Prohibited for those without stasis (depletes blood and stirs it)
2. Avoided by pregnant women (risk of disturbing the fetus)
3. Must be paired with blood-nourishing herbs (to protect the vital qi)
Next Issue Preview: Tomorrow we will reveal “Ban Xia (Pinellia)”. Have you used Dan Shen pills? Feel free to share your experiences; the highest likes in the comments will win an electronic copy of the “Blood Invigorating and Stasis Dissolving Atlas”.
(Tip at the end: 15 grams of Dan Shen + 10 grams of Shan Zha (Hawthorn) boiled in water as tea can lower blood lipids; combined with 5 grams of Mei Gui Hua (Rose) for foot baths can improve cold hands and feet.)
Three Dimensions of Dan Shen in Breaking Stasis:
Heart vessel stasis: combined with San Qi to unblock and relieve pain (melting ice) | made into pills for rapid heart rescue
Uterine blood stasis: combined with Yi Mu Cao (Leonurus) to regulate menstruation and relieve pain (dredging dark rivers) | ion therapy for fallopian tube obstruction
Skin stasis: combined with Ru Xiang for external application to dissolve masses (melting snow into spring) | microneedling for treatment of melasma
(Note: The formulas mentioned in the text should be used based on syndrome differentiation; those with bleeding tendencies and pregnant women should avoid them.)
Dialogue of Dan Shen Across Time and Space:
| Combination | Ancient Wisdom | Modern Expansion |
Dan Shen + Tan Xiang: invigorates qi and blood to treat stomach pain (qi stagnation and blood stasis type) | treats coronary heart disease angina (qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome) |
Dan Shen + Ge Gen (Pueraria): | unblocks vessels to treat stroke (stasis obstructing brain vessels) | improves blood supply insufficiency-related dizziness |
Dan Shen + Huang Qi (Astragalus): | tonifies qi, invigorates blood, and heals sores (promotes muscle regeneration) | treats diabetic foot (improves microcirculation) |