☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat and eliminates toxicity; Promotes diuresis and disperses swelling; Invigorates the Blood
Traditional Chinese Uses
Gang Ban Gui is the aerial parts of Persicaria perfoliata (syn. Polygonum perfoliatum), a barbed climbing knotweed. In traditional Chinese medicine it is a cooling, sour-bitter herb that clears Heat and relieves Fire toxicity, promotes urination to reduce swelling, and invigorates the Blood. It is used for damp-heat and toxic-heat patterns: sore, swollen throat and lung-heat cough (including whooping cough), edema with scanty urination, damp-heat diarrhea and dysentery, and bleeding hemorrhoids. Externally the fresh herb is crushed and applied for eczema, weeping sores, boils, and snake or insect bites.
It is typically decocted, with larger amounts of the fresh plant used for topical washes and poultices, and combined with other heat-clearing, toxin-resolving herbs for throat and skin complaints.
Botanical Description
Gang Ban Gui is a regional folk-medicine name without a confirmed botanical identification in standard Chinese Materia Medica references. The name translates roughly as "steel-plank cassia" or similar, and may refer to a Cinnamomum-related bark or a Dalbergia-type wood in particular districts, but no authoritative source associates it with a single binomial. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Bensky and Gamble, and Flora of China do not list this name. Without a verified botanical referent, no reliable description of morphology, parts used or therapeutic actions can be given.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Gang Ban Gui.
No notes yet.