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Belamcanda chinensis, She Gan 射干

Blackberry Lily
She Gan (TCM)
Surajkanti (Ayurveda)
Houtte, L. van, Flore des serres et des jardin de l’Europe, vol. 16 (1845)
Botanical name:
Belamcanda chinensis (syn. B. flabellata, Iris domestica, Ixia chinensis, Moraea chinensis, Pardanthus sinensis)

Parts used:
Rhizome

Temperature & Taste:
Cold, dry. Bitter, Pungent

Classification:
1. B. Clear Heat and Toxin

Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Toxin:
-Sore Throat, Laryngitis, Pharyngitis, Tonsillitis from Phlegm-Heat or Toxic Heat (TCM, Ayurveda)
-it has been used as a single herb for acute Heat-type Sore Throat

2. Moves the Blood, Resolves Masses:
-Scrofula, Lumps, hardness of the Spleen
-Tumors and Cancers (including Breast, Prostate
-Triterpenoids and Flavonoids have shown anti-cancer and anti-tumor activity
-has also been used as an abortifacient

3. Clears Heat and Phlegm, Stops Cough:
-Cough and Wheezing from Heat-Toxin and Phlegm
-Pneumonia (Ayurveda)

4. Externally:
-topically to Rheumatism, Dermatitis
-skin infection with pus, (Mix powder with vinegar and apply)
-Tumors, Lymphadenitis, Goiter
-in India, it is applied to Snake Bite


DOSE:
Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams

PREPARATION:
Soak the durg in Rice rinse water overnight, then stew with Bamboo leaf (Zhu Ye). Remove, then dry in the sun.

Main Combinations:
1. Cough and Wheezing:
i. Cough, Sore Throat, from Lung Heat, Belamcanda with Scutellaria Huang Qin, Platycodon Jie Geng
ii. from Cold Phlegm, Belamcanda with Ephedra Ma Huang, Ginger (Gan Jiang), Asarum Xi Xin, Pinellia Ban Xia, Coltsfoot (Kuan Dong Hua), Licorice (as in She Gan Ma Huang Tang)
iii. from Hot Phlegm, Belamcanda with Scutellaria Huang Qin, Mulberry bark (Sang Bai Pi)
2. Sore Throat, Tonsillitis:
i. Belamcanda with Lonicera Jin Yin Hua, Lasiophaera Ma Bo (as in Yin Qiao Ma Bo San)
ii. Belamcanda with Forsythia Lian Qiao, Platycodon Jie Geng, Isatis Ban Lan Gen
iii. Belamcanda with Chrysanthemum Ju Hua, Peppermint (Bo He), Forsythia Lian Qiao, Platycodon Jie Geng, Licorice
iv. Tonsillitis, Belamcanda with Forsythia Lian Qiao, Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi), Figwort (Xuan Shen), Licorice
v. from Heat and Toxin, Belamcanda with Figwort (Xuan Shen), Cimifuga Sheng Ma
3. Tuberculosis, Belamcanda with Forsythia Lian Qiao, Self Heal (Xia Ku Cao)
4. Hard mass in the groin, stew a 3 inch piece of Belamcanda ropot with fresh Ginger. (Zhu Zhen Heng)

Major Formulas:
She Gan Ma Huang Tang
Yin Qiao Ma Bo San
Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan

Cautions:
1. Not used during Pregnancy.
2. Caution in people with loose stool.
3. 'Long-term use makes one debilitated' (Ming Yi Bie Lu)

Main Preparations used: