zi cao

紫草·Arnebiae

arnebia root

About zi cao

Zi Cao (紫草) is the root of arnebia, a plant of the borage family, recorded as Radix Arnebiae. It is sweet in flavour and cold in temperature, entering the Heart and Liver channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that cool the Blood.

Names

Pinyin	zi cao
Chinese	紫草
Latin Name	Arnebiae·Radix Arnebiae·Radix Arnebiae Lithospermi
English Name	arnebia root·Lithospermum
Japanese	shiso·紫草·shisoyo
Korean	jacho·shiso

Classification

Category: Cools Blood
Channels: Heart, Liver
Flavour: Sweet
Temperature: Cold
Part used: Root
Family: Boraginaceae
Species: Lithospermum erythrorhizon
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Clears Heat, cools and invigorates the Blood, resolves Fire toxin and vents rashes

Heat at the Blood (Xue) level, Blood Heat or toxic Heat with dark purple rashes, as in eczema, measles or chickenpox
Eruptive diseases such as mumps or chickenpox when the rash has stalled and will not come out
Amenorrhea and painful periods

Moistens the Intestines, unblocks the bowels and promotes urination

Blood Heat with mild constipation
Rashes together with constipation or difficult urination

Clears Damp-Heat from the skin and aids tissue healing (topical)

Skin lesions from Damp-Heat, eczema, dermatitis or vaginal itching, applied topically
Burns and wounds, applied topically

Combinations

lian qiao + chan tui + chi shao
Measles with a dark purple rash that fails to erupt fully
lian qiao + chan tui + chi shao + niu bang zi + shan dou gen
Measles with a dark purple rash that fails to erupt fully and a severe sore throat
shui niu jiao + sheng di huang + jin yin hua
Heat toxin with delirious speech and a deep purple rash
da qing ye
Severe Fire toxin with dense purpuric rashes
gua lou ren
Constipation with carbuncles from severe interior Fire toxin
sheng di huang + xiao ji + bai mao gen
Blood Heat with epistaxis or hematuria. Bleeding in general
gan cao
Measles prevention, as a decoction taken daily for three to seven days, started within five days of exposure
huang bai
Skin disorders from Heat such as eczema, boils and burns
dang gui + bai zhi
Burns or sores, as an ointment
lian qiao + shan dou gen
Swollen, painful sore throat
sheng di huang + bai guo + fu ling + ma men dong
Hematemesis or epistaxis.
che qian zi + lian qiao
Hematuria.
dang gui + xue jie + bai zhi
Abscesses, lesions or ulcerations, used internally or topically
dang gui
Burns with swelling, redness and pain, applied topically
dang gui + bai zhi + gan cao
Insect bites that itch and irritate, applied topically
da huang
Constipation.

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 3-20g; Tincture: 1-4ml	3-20 g	—	1-4 ml	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Deficient Spleen and Stomach with diarrhea or loose stools; its cold, moistening, laxative nature does not suit a weak digestion
contraindication Pox or sores in someone with Spleen deficiency
contraindication Measles once the rash has already erupted
caution Measles in general calls for caution; some sources confine its use to the stage before the rash appears
caution Keep it away from urine, horse manure and smoke, whether mixing or storing
caution High doses over a long period may cause liver cancer