Taraxacum, Dandelion, Pu Gong Ying 蒲公英

Pu Gong Ying  (TCM)
Khur mong  ཁུར་མོང༌ (Tibetan)

New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563

Kohler's Medizinal Pflanzen, 1887

DANDELION ROOT
Squibb's Atlas of the Official Drugs, Mansfield, 1919

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Botanical name:
Taraxacum spp.
  1. T. officinale (Official Dandelion, used in Europe)
  2. T. sinicum, T. mongolicum are used in TCM
  3. T. tibetanum (Khur tshod) is used similarly in Tibetan Medicine
Other species used include T. centrasiaticum (XinJiang Dandelion), and T. platycarpum (Korean Dandelion)
Greater, Middle, Sharp-leaved and Blunt-leaved varieties were listed in old Herbals.

Parts used:
Root, whole herb

Temperature & Taste:
Cold, dry. Bitter

Classifications:
2A APERIENT.    2F. PURIFYING
4e. STOMACHIC.    4g. HEPATIC

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Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Toxin from the Liver (TCM, West):
-Liver heat, damp heat, or Toxic Heat conditions with sore, red eyes, headache, pain or discomfort over the Liver region, Nausea, and Fever
-Jaundice, Hypochondriac pain, swelling of the Liver, Hepatitis, Cirrhosis
-Gall Bladder inflammation, Cholecystitis etc.

2. Clears Heat and Toxins, Resolves Swellings (TCM, West):
-Abscesses, Boils, and Mastitis, as well as Ulcers; it can be used internally and topically.
-chronic Lymph Swellings and Lymphadenitis;
-internal abscesses of the Intestines or Breast.

3. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine (TCM, West):
-acute urinary tract infections
-in Europe it was boiled in vinegar for painful and difficult Urination;
-heat-type Edema or water retention (TCM, West)

4. Promotes Milk:
-In TCM it is used for insufficient lactation associated with heat.

5. Benefits the Kidneys:
-Diabetes (root); The fresh flower stems have also been used for Diabetes (Treben)
-Bohn used Dandelion for Diabetes mellitus related to the Liver

6. Externally:
-A drop of the milk was dropped into the eyes 3 times daily to heal spots, wounds and ulcers of them (Salmon)
-the fresh milk juice was painted in the eyes to remove corneal patches. (Künzle, Salvia 1921)
-the milky latex can be applied to remove freckles and warts.
-American Indians applied a paste of the leaves to fractures

Dose:
DECOCTION of the WHOLE HERB, ROOT or LEAF: 5–15 grams
ROOT in POWDER: 1–3 grams;

Substitute:
Endive and Chicory are both used similarly

Main Combinations:
Dandelion & Violet

1. Stimulate Liver function:
i. Dandelion with  ... available in PRO version
ii. Dandelion with ... available in PRO version
2. Cholagogue, Dandelion ... available in PRO version
3. Inflammation of the gall Bladder, Gall Stones, Dandelion with ... available in PRO version
4 Liver obstruction, Dandelion with  ... available in PRO version
5. Liver Heat, Dandelion with  ... available in PRO version
6. Jaundice:
i. Dandelion with  ... available in PRO version
ii. Dandelion with  ... available in PRO version
iii. Jaundice in children, Dandelion ... available in PRO version
7. Scrofula:
i. combine Dandelion ... available in PRO version
ii. Scrofula and Lymphadenitis Dandelion ... available in PRO version
8. Cleanse the Blood, Dandelion ... available in PRO version
9. Urinary Tract Infections, Dandelion ... available in PRO version
10. Fevers, including Intermittent Fever, Dandelion ... available in PRO version

Major Formulas:
Decoction of Dandelion
Decoction for Skin Disease
Decoction for Hepatitis
Hepatic Decoction (Hoffman)
Decoction to Purify
Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb (Nicholas)

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Cautions:
1. Not used in Cold and weak digestion

Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water of the whole plant with root and flower