Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) is the dried root and rhizome of the Lamiaceae plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.
Related Names
Honggen, Zi Dan Shen, Jiu Dan Shen, Chi Shen, Chi Gen, Da Hong Pao, Mu Yang Ru, Ben Ma Cao, Qie Chan Cao.
Source Textbook
Due to the unclear characteristics of Dan Shen in the textbook images, Lizhan provides the following three images:
Origin
Mainly produced in Sichuan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong provinces. The cultivated variety from Sichuan is the most abundant, commonly referred to as “Chuan Dan Shen”.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvested in spring and autumn, cleaned of soil, and dried.
Identification
The root and rhizome are short and thick, sometimes with remnants of the stem base. The roots are cylindrical, slightly curved, with some branching and fibrous roots, measuring 10-20 cm in length and 0.3-1 cm in diameter. The surface is reddish-brown or dark reddish-brown, rough, with longitudinal wrinkles. The outer skin of older roots is loose, often showing a purplish-brown color, and may flake off in scales. The texture is hard and brittle, with a loose fracture surface that may have cracks or be slightly smooth and dense. The bark is reddish-brown, while the wood is grayish-yellow or purplish-brown, with yellow-white vascular bundles arranged radially. The aroma is faint, and the taste is slightly bitter.
The cultivated variety is sturdier, with a diameter of 0.5-1.5 cm. The surface is reddish-brown, with longitudinal wrinkles, and the outer skin is tightly adhered and not easily peeled off. The texture is solid, with a relatively smooth fracture surface, slightly horn-like.
Dan Shen Slices
These are thick, round or oval slices. The outer skin is reddish-brown or dark reddish-brown, rough, with longitudinal wrinkles. The cut surface may have cracks or be slightly smooth and dense, with some appearing horn-like. The bark is reddish-brown, while the wood is grayish-yellow or purplish-brown, with yellow-white radial patterns. The aroma is faint, and the taste is slightly bitter.
Jiu Dan Shen
Resembles Dan Shen slices, with a reddish-brown surface and a slight wine aroma.
Taste and Properties
Bitter, slightly cold. Enters the Heart and Liver meridians.
Characteristics
This herb is bitter and can disperse, slightly cold and can clear heat, entering the Heart and Liver meridians. It promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, alleviates pain, clears the heart, cools the blood, alleviates restlessness, and resolves abscesses. It is indicated for blood stasis, blood heat, and heat disturbing the heart spirit.
It also treats heat toxin sores and swelling pain. As the ancients said, “One herb Dan Shen powder has the same effect as Si Wu Tang,” as it truly promotes blood circulation, generates new blood, cools the blood, and clears the heart.
Functions
Promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, alleviates pain, clears the heart, relieves restlessness, cools the blood, and resolves abscesses.
Memory Aid
vv289 mnemonic
Be sure to check the story at the bottom!
Notes:
1. I used a screenshot from a movie again; in fact, life is like this, dull yet with highlights, and we can find examples in life that help us remember useful herbs.
2. The name “Dan Shen” evolved from the phonetic similarity to “Dan Xin” (red heart). Thus, when I think of the heart, I think of its function related to blood, as the heart governs the spirit and is associated with the heart spirit.
3. Cooling the blood, regulating menstruation, promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, resolving abscesses, calming the spirit.
4. Cooling the blood, regulating menstruation, promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, resolving abscesses, clearing the heart, calming the spirit, relieving restlessness.
5. One herb Dan Shen powder has the same effect as Si Wu Tang; Dan Shen is a good herb, remember it!
Indications
(1) Irregular menstruation, blood stasis causing amenorrhea, postpartum blood stasis abdominal pain.
(2) Chest obstruction and heart pain, wrist and abdominal pain, masses and accumulations, liver and spleen enlargement, heat bi swelling pain.
(3) Heat illness with high fever and restlessness, internal heat causing irritability, rashes, palpitations, insomnia.
(4) Pain and swelling from sores.
Dosage and Administration
Internal use: decoction, 10-15 g; or in pills or powders. Stir-frying with wine can enhance its blood-promoting effects.
Precautions
This herb promotes blood circulation and regulates menstruation, so it should be used cautiously in cases of excessive menstruation and in pregnant women. Contraindicated with Li Lu (Veratrum).
Pharmacology
This herb can dilate coronary arteries, increase blood flow, counteract myocardial ischemia, improve microcirculation, reduce myocardial oxygen consumption, improve heart function, enhance myocardial contractility, lower blood pressure, reduce blood lipids, have anticoagulant and antithrombotic effects, protect the liver, have anti-allergic properties, regulate immune function, have anti-inflammatory effects, sedative effects, and antibacterial properties.
Story
The root of Dan Shen is purplish-red, and it is popularly known as “Dan Xin” (red heart), which is related to a touching story.
It is said that a long time ago, in a fishing village by the East China Sea, there lived a young man named “A Ming”. A Ming lost his father at a young age and relied on his mother for support. Growing up amidst storms, he developed excellent swimming skills and was known as “Little Dragon”. One year, A Ming’s mother suffered from a gynecological disease, often bleeding, and despite consulting many doctors, she was not cured, leaving A Ming in despair. At that time, someone mentioned an unnamed island in the East Sea, where a certain herb grew, with purple-blue flowers and red roots, which could cure his mother’s illness if brewed into a decoction. Hearing this, A Ming was overjoyed and decided to go to the unnamed island to gather the herb. The villagers were worried for him, as the sea route to the unnamed island was fraught with hidden reefs and turbulent waters, with nine out of ten who attempted to go there perishing, akin to passing through the “Gates of Hell”. However, time was of the essence, and A Ming, eager to save his mother, resolutely set out to sea.
The next day, A Ming sailed out. Using his superb sailing skills and swimming ability, he navigated through hidden reefs and turbulent rapids, finally passing through the “Gates of Hell” and safely landing on the unnamed island. Once ashore, he searched for the herb with purple-blue flowers and red roots. Each time he found one, he quickly dug up its roots, and soon he had gathered a large bundle. Upon returning to the fishing village, A Ming diligently administered the medicine to his mother, and she quickly recovered.
The villagers greatly admired A Ming for risking his life to gather medicine for his mother. They said this herb embodied A Ming’s sincere heart, and thus named this red-rooted herb “Dan Xin”. Later, through the process of transmission, it phonetically transformed into “Dan Shen”.
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