Daily Herb: Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza)
Alias: Chi Shen (Red Sage), Shan Shen (Mountain Sage), Hong Shen (Red Ginseng), Xie Chan Cao (Qie Chan Grass), Mu Yang Ru (Wood Sheep Milk), Ben Ma Cao (Galloping Horse Grass), Huo Xue Gen (Blood Activating Root).
Source: This product is the dried root and rhizome of the Lamiaceae plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.
Habitat Distribution: Grows on slopes, under forest grasslands, or by ditches at altitudes of 120 to 1300 meters. Distributed in Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, and other regions.
Harvesting and Processing: Harvested in spring and autumn, cleaned of soil, and dried.
Taste and Properties: Bitter, slightly cold. Enters the Heart and Liver meridians.
Functions and Indications: Activates blood circulation and removes stasis, regulates menstruation and alleviates pain, clears the heart and relieves irritability, cools the blood and reduces abscesses. Indicated for chest obstruction and heart pain, abdominal pain, masses and accumulations, heat bi pain, irritability and insomnia, menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, and painful sores.
Dosage and Administration: 10-15 grams. For internal use: decocted in water.
Precautions: Should not be used in conjunction with Li Lu (Veratrum).
The above content is planned and produced by Beijing Yuedu Wuxian Cultural Development Co., Ltd. and is distributed for free.
Video and image sources: Zhou Chongjian, Wu Kuanqian, Xie Yu; some images are taken from the actual pharmacy of Pingxintang.