Creeping euphorbia (DI JIN CAO)
Pharmaceutical Name:
Herba Euphorbiae Humifusae
Botanical Name:
Euphorbia humifusa Willd. or Euphorbia maculata L. (Fam. Euphorbiaceae)
Common Name:
Creeping euphorbia, wolf ’s milk
Part Used:
Whole plant
Herba Euphorbiae Humifusae is grown in all parts of China, but chiefly in the southeast. It is collected in summer and autumn, dried in sunlight, and cut into pieces.
Properties Taste & Meridians:
Bitter and pungent in flavor, neutral in property, acts on the Liver, Stomach, and Large Intestine channels.
Functions:
Clears Pathogenic Heat, arrests bleeding, promotes blood circulation, and is a diuretic.
Indications & Combinations:
1. For dysentery due to Pathogenic Heat with bloody stools, it is used alone or with Herba Portulacae (Ma Chi Xian).
2. For various kinds of carbuncles, boils, and snake bite, fresh Herba Euphorbiae Humifusae (Di Jin Cao) can be mashed for topical application.
3. For hematochezia, it is used alone or with Radix Sanguisorbae Officinalis (Di Yu).
4. For hematuria, it is used with Rhizoma Imperatae (Bai Mao Gen) and Herba Cirsii Segeti ( Xiao Ji).
5. For metrorrhagia, it is used with Radix Rubiae.
Dosage and administration:
15–30 g, decocted in water for an oral dose. Appropriate quantity for external application.
Precautions:
None noted.
