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Sophora, Ku Shen 苦参

Ku Shen (TCM)
Sophora japonica
Duhamel du Monceau, H.L., Traité des arbres et arbustes, Nouvelle édition, vol. 3 (1806)

Sophora flavescens
(Photo by Dalgial) (Wikimedia)

Sophora Ku Shen from the Chengdu Medicine Market (Adam 2023)

Botanical name:
Sophora flavescens (syn. S. alopecuroides, S. angustifoliola, S. chinensis, S. korolkowii)
Other synonyms include Anagyris chinensis, Macrotropis foetida, Ormosia esquirolii, Pongamia chinensis, Robinia mitis

Parts used:
Root

Temperature & Taste:
Cold, dry. Bitter

Classifications:
B. Clears Heat and Damp
Ku Shen in Bencao yuanshi (Origins of Materia Medica) by Li Zhongli, 1612) (Image from the WellcomeCollection)

Uses:
1. Clears Damp-Heat:
-acute Dysentery with blood in the stool
-purulent and blood-streaked Leukorrhea
-Vaginal itching and discharge; Genital Sores
-Alcoholism (Ming Yi Bie Lu)

2. Settles Wind, Clears Heat, Stops Itching:
-Eczema, Psoriasis, Leprosy
-Sores and Rashes with exudation, itchiness and bleeding
-itchy skin, Scabies

3. Clears Damp-Heat, Promotes Urine:
-painful, dribbling urine
-Edema from Damp-Heat
-'treats jaundice and urinary dripping' (Shen Nong Ben Cao)

4. Clears Damp, Resolves Masses:
-it has become an important herb for various Cancers
-available in injectable form in China

5. Clears Lung Heat, Stops Cough:
-occasionally used for Lung Heat Cough with yellow, sticky Phlegm

6. Kills Worms and Parasites:
-previously used for Worms and Parasites (Su Gong, Li Shi Zhen)

7. Externally:
-as a wash for itchy skin diseases and rashes
-douches and washes for Trichomonas vaginitis, Vaginal Itching, and Leukorrhea
-strong decoction is used as a wash for Lice


Dose:
The root was ordered to be infused in wine and taken for Scabies and Parasites (Tao Hong Jing)
Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams
Used externally in washes, enemas and douches; 30 grams decocted in 1 liter of water can be used as a wash.

Preparation:
1. Dry-Fried Sophora Ku Shen (Chao Ku Shen):
  Stir-fried or baked until yellowish, or fried with wine or bran. This lessens its Cold, Bitter nature and is more suited to those with Digestive weakness. It was also recommended for passage of blood from the intestines and Dysentery from Heat. (Da Ming)
2. Washed Sophora Ku Shen:
  The root can be steeped overnight in rice rinse water, then steamed and dried. This moderates its harshness but is not generally practiced today. (Li Gao)

Main Combinations:
1. Itchiness of the Skin, Rashes:
i. and weeping skin lesions, Sophora Ku Shen with Schizonepeta Jing Jie, Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Cicada shell (Chan Tui)
ii. Sophora Ku Shen with Gleditsia Zao Jiao, Schizonepeta Jing Jie (as in Shen Jiao Wan from Ji Feng Pu Ji Fang [Universal-Relief Prescriptions from Jifeng]).
iii. Damp-Heat sores and rashes, Sophora Ku Shen externally as a wash with Artemisia Yin Chen Hao
iv. weeping skin lesions, Sophora Ku Shen as a wash with Cnidium She Chuang Zi.
2. Eczema:
i. Sophora Ku Shen with Phellodendron Huang Bai
ii. Sophora Ku Shen with Paeonia Mu Dan Pi, Paeonia Chi Shao Yao, Licorice
3. Psoriasis, Sophora Ku Shen with Rehmannia Sheng Di, Paeonia Mu Dan Pi, Paeonia Chi Shao Yao, Dang Gui, Figwort (Xuan Shen), Burdock seed (Niu Ban Zi), White Dittany root (Bai Xian Pi), Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Cicada shell (Chan Tui) (as in Xiao Yin Pian of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
4. Scabies, Sophora Ku Shen with Sichuan Pepper (Hua Jiao) (as in Shen Jiao Tang from Wai Ke Zheng Zhi Quan Shu [Complete Treatise on Surgery]).
5. Genital itching and or Genital rashes from Damp-Heat, Sophora Ku Shen with Gentiana Long Dan Cao, Phellodendron Huang Bai, Plantain seed (Che Qian Zi)
6. Leukorrhea from Damp-Heat:
i. Sophora Ku Shen with Phellodendron Huang Bai and Cnidium She Chuang Zi
ii. Sophora Ku Shen with Phellodendron Huang Bai, Catechu (Er Cha), Alum (Bai Fan), Borneo Camphor (Bing Pian) as a vaginal suppository (as in Xiao Mi Shuan of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
7. Dysentery from Damp-Heat, Sophora Ku Shen with Costus (Mu Xiang)
8. Blood in the stool, Anal fistula, Sophora Ku Shen with Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang (as in Ku Shen Di Huang Wan from Wai Ke Da Cheng [Compendium of External Medicine]).
9. Bleeding from Heat, Sophora Ku Shen with Burnet (Di Yu)
10. Lung Heat Cough, Sophora Ku Shen with Scutellaria Huang Qin, Gardenia Zhi Zi, Anemarrhena Zhi Mu, Phellodendron Huang Bai, Platycodon Jie Geng, Rhubarb (as in Qing Fei Yi Huo Wan of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
11. Cancer:
i. Sophora Ku Shen and Smilax Tu Fu Ling
ii. Sophora, Astragalus Huang Qi, Ginseng
iii. Sophora Ku Shen, Paeonia Mu Dan Pi, Agrimony (Xian He Cao), Solanum nigrum Long Kui, Hedyotis Bai Hua She She Cao
12. As a wash for Lice, Sophora Ku Shen with Stemona Bai Bu

Major Formulas:
Xiao Feng San
Dang Gui Nian Tong Tang

Cautions:
1. Caution in cold and weakness of the Stomach.
2. Some people may experience dizziness, nausea, vomiting
3. Allergic reactions occasionally occur, primarily maculopapular rashes.

Drug Interactions:
1. Incompatible with Veratrum (Li Lu)
2. Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong counteracts Sophora Ku Shen
3. Sophora Ku Shen antagonizes Cuscuta Tu Si Zi (Dodder seed) and Fritillaria Bei Mu. (TCM)

Main Preparations used:

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