Solidago virgaurea, Golden Rod

Saracens Woundwort
Consolida aurea, Consolida rubra, Consolida Saracenia, Colsolida Regalis, Calcatrippa

Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578

Flora von Deutschland (29), Kohler, 1887

---

Botanical name:
Solidago virgaurea
It is known, though rarely used, in TCM (Yi Zhi Huang Hua)
Related American and Canadian species are used similarly.

Parts used:
Herb

Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Bitter

Classifications:
2D ATTENUATERS OF CONGEALED BLOOD
3F. LITHONTRIPTIC

Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine (West, TCM):
-acute Urinary Tract Infections with hot and burning Urine, with or without Pain; also for dark and turbid Urine.
-Strangury from Heat, Urinary retention, Prostatic Hypertrophy, Nephritis
-Arthritis, and Rheumatism
-Diabetes, Bright's Disease, Phosphaturia
    
2. Clears Damp, Resolves Stones:
-Gravel and Stones, both to treat, and as irrigation therapy to avoid their return.
-Culpeper said ‘Arnoldus de villa nova, commends it much against the Stone in the Reins and Kidneys, and to provoke Urine in abundance, whereby also the Gravel or Stone may be avoided’.
-'powerful to promote Urine, and break the Stone' (Matthiolus)

3. Clears Heat and Damp from the Liver:
-swelling and pain of the Liver or Spleen.
-chronic Eczema.
    
4. Clears Wind and Heat, Resists Poison:
-in China for Wind-Heat type Common Cold, with Headache, Sore Throat and Fever.
-Bronchial Asthma, Whooping Cough.
-welling Abscesses, Sores and Boils; Chronic Eczema
-Snake Bite (TCM)
    
5. Clears Heat, Moves the Blood, Stops Bleeding:
-internal Bleeding from Trauma or Ulcers etc. Also applied to stop Bleeding.
-Uterine Bleeding, Excess Menstruation
-Diarrhea or Dysentery with Blood.
-‘inward Bruises’ and coagulated or stagnant Blood; this includes unresolved old Trauma, Fixed Pain, Hemorrhoids, etc. (TCM, West)
-Ruptures and Hernias.
-Hemorrhoids
   
6. Externally:
-topically applied to both fresh and old, festering Wounds and Ulcers
-gargle for Sores, Ulcers and Inflammations of the Mouth and Throat, or of the Genitals
-gargled to fasten loose Teeth
-externally to stop Bleeding

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

Main Combinations:
1. To promote Urine:
i. Golden Rod with roots of Fennel and Asparagus and Winter Cherries.
ii. Golden Rod with Rosehip, Horsetail, Myrtle leaf, Dead Nettle
2. To strengthen the Kidneys and promote Urine, Golden Rod with Marshmallow root, Licorice, Figs, Juniper berry, Parsley seed (as in Nephritic Decoction)
3. Incontinence:
i. Golden Rod, Raspberry leaf, Comfrey leaf
ii. Golden Rod, Agrimony, Horsetail
4. Kidney and Bladder stones, Golden Rod with Birch leaf, Restharrow (Wittlich)
5. Arthritis, Rheumatism:
i. Golden Rod with Birch leaf, Dwarf Elder
ii. Golden Rod with Willow bark, Elder flower, Rosemary, Golden Rod, Coltsfoot (as in Decoction for Arthritis)
6. All types of Ruptures and Hernias:
i. Golden Rod with Ladies Mantle, Comfrey, Madder, Tormentil, St. Johns wort and Agrimony
ii. Golden Rod with, make a plaster with Plantain, Fennel, Sanicle and Betony and apply (Wirtzung)
7. Trauma, Bruising, Golden Rod with Sanicle, Soloman's Seal, Plantain, Sage, Pennyroyal, Century (as in Vulnerary Decoction)

Major Formulas:
Decoction for Arthritis
Vulnerary Decoction (Wirtzung)

Cautions:
Use cautiously in chronic Renal Disease (it has been used in Nephritis)

Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water of the Herb