Chinese Herbalism
Indian pokeweed
Phytolacca acinosa
Also known as Asian pokeweed, Chinese pokeweed, shang lu, poke root (Asian), shāng lù.
Shang lu is the thick, fleshy root of Phytolacca acinosa, a tall perennial pokeweed native from northern Pakistan across the Himalaya to China, Korea and Japan, with erect spikes of greenish-white flowers and dark purple berries. Both this species and the American Phytolacca americana are accepted sources of the drug in the Chinese pharmacopoeia, but this monograph covers the Asian plant; the American species has its own separate Western tradition of low-dose lymphatic use and is treated elsewhere. The root is sliced, dried and usually stir-fried with vinegar before dispensing. It has been recorded since the earliest Chinese materia medica as a toxic, cold, water-expelling drug reserved for severe fluid retention, and as an external remedy for abscesses.
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Indications what the tradition reached for it in
- Severe edema with abdominal distension and constipation
- Ascites of excess type with scanty urine
- Pleural effusion with fullness of the chest (in formula)
- Anasarca in a robust patient unresponsive to gentler diuretics
- Urinary retention with constipation from fluid accumulation
- Chronic bronchitis with copious phlegm (historical, in formula)
- Boils, abscesses and carbuncles (topical)
- Mastitis and breast lumps (topical)
- Scrofula and firm swellings (topical)
- Psoriasis and stubborn skin lesions (topical, traditional)
Specific indications
A strong, well-nourished patient with tight abdominal swelling, scanty dark urine and no bowel movement for days, where fluid must be moved out through both channels at once
A hot, hard, painful abscess or breast lump, treated with the pounded fresh root laid over the swelling to bring it to a head or disperse it
Safety
Recognised toxicity. This plant carries a toxicity flag in the record; it is for trained practitioners only.
Low dose botanical. Used in drop doses in the classical practice; not a plant to dose freely.
The record lists 14 contraindications; open the plate in the library to read them in full.
In practice
This is a restricted, drastic herb and not a routine diuretic. Its place is severe excess-type edema, ascites or effusion in a patient strong enough to tolerate purging, when milder water-moving herbs such as poria, alisma and plantain seed have failed.
In Chinese medicine
Temperature: cold, toxic. Taste: bitter. Channels: Lung, Spleen, Kidney, Large Intestine. Actions: Drives out water downward and reduces swelling; Opens both the bowels and the urine when fluid is trapped; Applied externally, resolves toxin and disperses hard swellings.
Dosing as the sources wrote it
| Preparation | As written | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Decoction (vinegar-processed root, short course) | 3-9 g dried root daily | 3000-9000 mg |
| External paste (fresh root, pounded) | 10-30 g fresh root applied over the lesion once daily | 10000-30000 mg |
Doses are reproduced from the sources for practitioners and are not a recommendation for any person.
From the sources
Overview. Shang lu is the thick, fleshy root of Phytolacca acinosa, a tall perennial pokeweed native from northern Pakistan across the Himalaya to China, Korea and Japan, with erect spikes of greenish-white flowers and dark purple berries.
Clinical Notes. This is a restricted, drastic herb and not a routine diuretic. Its place is severe excess-type edema, ascites or effusion in a patient strong enough to tolerate purging, when milder water-moving herbs such as poria, alisma and plantain seed have failed.
Chinese Medicine Profile. Temperature: cold, toxic. Taste: bitter. Channels: Lung, Spleen, Kidney, Large Intestine. Actions: Drives out water downward and reduces swelling; Opens both the bowels and the urine when fluid is trapped; Applied externally, resolves toxin and disperses hard swellings.
In formulas
Indian pokeweed stands in 1 documented formula in the library, among them shù záo yin zi.
Often paired with
GingerZingiber officinale
large-leaf gentianGentiana macrophylla
rice beanVigna umbellata
cutch treeAcacia catechu
Water PlantainAlisma plantago-aquatica
AkebiaAkebia quinataNearby on the shelf
Indian madderRubia cordifolia
Indian mallowAbutilon avicenna
Indian nightshadeSolanum indicum
Indian PhysicGillenia
Indian rosewoodDalbergia sissoo
Indian sarsaparillaHemidesmus indicus
Indian snakerootRauvolfia serpentina
Indian spurge treeEuphorbia neriifoliaThe whole plate is in the library. The compass, Compare, the Sky of eleven hundred plants and the formulary open with an email address and a password, free, with the formula builder and its safety engine. Herbert without limit, his formulating, clients, the handouts and the labels are the paid room.
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