Cirsium japonicum is the root and whole plant of the thistle from the Asteraceae family. It is produced throughout the country and is often used fresh or stir-fried. Cephalanoplos segetum is the underground stem and whole plant of the small thistle from the Asteraceae family. It is harvested during the flowering period in summer, dried in the sun, and used fresh, with fresh products being more effective for medicinal purposes. The Cirsium japonicum plant is relatively tall and produces blue capitulum flowers, resembling small sunflowers. Cephalanoplos segetum is much shorter than Cirsium japonicum but has a similar appearance. The effects of Cirsium japonicum and Cephalanoplos segetum are similar, and they are often used together in combination, collectively referred to as the "Two Thistles."
I. The Efficacy and Application of Cirsium japonicum
Great Thistle tastes sweet and bitter, cool. It belongs to the heart and liver meridians.
Efficacy It can cool blood to stop bleeding, disperse stasis and eliminate carbuncles. Its characteristic is to cool blood and clear heat without harming the healthy qi, and it is known as the essential medicine for cooling blood to stop bleeding.
Commonly used for the treatment of epistaxis, hematemesis, hematuria, hematochezia, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, traumatic bleeding, and carbuncles, sores, and ulcers.
Summary of Masterpieces by Renowned Authors:
Bie Lu: "It primarily treats women with red and white vaginal discharge, stabilizes the fetus, and stops vomiting of blood and nosebleeds."
Compendium of Materia Medica: "For dizziness and injuries from falls, grind fresh and take with wine or urine. Also for malignant sores, scabies, and ringworm, grind with salt."
Qian Jin Fang: "For itchy ringworm sores, crush the leaves of Cirsium japonicum to extract the juice and take it."
Compatibility and Application
1. Used for hemoptysis, epistaxis, metrorrhagia, hematuria, and other syndromes. Cirsium japonicum can cool the blood and stop bleeding, suitable for various bleeding syndromes caused by reckless movement of hot blood. It can be used alone or often combined with Cirsium setosum, Platycladus orientalis leaves, and other herbs that clear heat and cool the blood.
Sheng Hui Fang: For heart heat causing vomiting of blood and dry mouth, use the leaves and roots of Cirsium japonicum, pound and wring to extract the juice, take two small cups each time.
Puji Fang: "For a stiff tongue with unceasing bleeding, crush Cirsium japonicum to extract its juice, mix with wine, and take. For the dried form, grind into powder and take with cold water."
2. For sores, carbuncles, swellings, and toxins. Cirsium japonicum is cool in nature and bitter in taste, with the effects of breaking blood stasis, dispersing blood stasis, detoxifying, and eliminating carbuncles. Whether taken internally or applied externally, it has certain effects. It can also be used fresh for better results.
In addition, Cirsium japonicum can also be used to treat hypertension and hepatitis, with effects of lowering blood pressure and promoting bile secretion to reduce jaundice.
II. Efficacy and Application of Cirsium Setosum
Xiaoji tastes sweet and is cool in nature. It belongs to the heart and liver meridians.
Efficacy It can cool blood to stop bleeding, detoxify and eliminate carbuncles, and also has the effect of promoting urination. Its characteristic is particularly effective in treating damp-heat in the lower jiao with bloody urine.
Commonly used for the treatment of epistaxis, hematemesis, hematuria, strangury with blood, hematochezia, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, traumatic bleeding, and abscesses and sores.
Summary of Famous Works by Renowned Authors:
"Compendium of Materia Medica": "It breaks stagnant blood, generates new blood, treats sudden heavy bleeding, uterine bleeding, bleeding from metal wounds, vomiting blood, etc. Extract the juice and take it warm."
Jade Autumn Materia Medica: "Large thistle promotes blood circulation to remove blood stasis and astringes new blood, treating hematemesis, epistaxis, metrorrhagia, metrostaxis, carbuncles, falls, intestinal abscesses, blood accumulation, incised wounds, gu poisoning, and insect poisoning; small thistle has similar properties but weaker efficacy, unable to cure carbuncles and reduce swelling, only breaking blood stasis."
Compendium of Materia Medica: "Xiaoji (Cirsium setosum) has mild potency. It can break stasis and promote tissue regeneration, preserve essence and nourish blood, reduce fever and tonify deficiency, but it cannot eliminate abscesses and swelling like Daji (Cirsium japonicum). Danxi said: Xiaoji is used for lower jiao heat accumulation and heat strangury."
"Records of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Combination": Fresh Small Thistle Root has a slightly pungent taste, a faintly fishy odor, and a cool, moist nature. Because its fishy odor resembles that of blood, and it is cool and moist, it effectively enters the blood aspect, effectively clearing heat from the blood. For conditions such as coughing blood, vomiting blood, nosebleeds, or bleeding from the bowels and bladder due to heat, those who take it will experience immediate relief. It is also effective in treating pulmonary tuberculosis, regardless of the stage, and can be used alone with good results. Additionally, it treats all kinds of sores, ulcers, swelling, and pain, as well as venereal diseases, toxic strangury, and painful bleeding. Its nature not only cools the blood and stops bleeding but also activates blood circulation and detoxifies, hence it produces the various effects mentioned above.
Compatibility and Application
1. Used for hemoptysis, epistaxis, hematemesis, hematuria, and metrorrhagia caused by blood heat and reckless movement. Cirsium setosum can cool blood and drain heat to stop bleeding, and it also promotes diuresis, making it particularly effective for treating hematuria. For treating heat strangury and blood strangury, it is often combined with diuretic and strangury-relieving herbs such as Pollen Typhae, Akebia quinata, and Talcum, as seen in the formula Xiaoji Yinzi.
2. For heat-toxin sores and abscesses. It can be taken orally alone, or the fresh product can be mashed and applied externally.
Puji Fang: "For women with vaginal itching: Boil small thistle to make a decoction, wash three times a day."
Usage and Precautions
Both Cirsium japonicum and Cirsium setosum can cool blood and stop bleeding, treating various bleeding syndromes caused by blood heat, and are often used in combination. The difference lies in that Cirsium japonicum tends to be bitter and purgative, with slightly stronger ability to disperse blood stasis, while Cirsium setosum also has the effect of promoting diuresis and relieving stranguria, making it more suitable for treating stranguria with blood.
The two herbs are often used in decoctions and rarely in pills or powders. The usual dosage in decoctions ranges from over ten grams to several tens of grams. If fresh herbs are used, the dosage can be doubled. For external use, apply an appropriate amount.
