Liang Tou Jian

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Anemone raddeana Regel

Pinyin: Liang Tou Jian
Anemenone

☯ TCM Properties

Category: wind-damp dispelling
Temperature: hot
Taste: pungent
Meridians: spleen
Functions:

Removes Wind-Dampness; Disperses swelling, dispels abdominal lumps and resolves Phlegm

Traditional Chinese Uses

Liang Tou Jian, the dried rhizome of Anemone raddeana (Rhizoma Anemones Raddeanae), is acrid, hot and toxic. As a wind-damp-dispelling herb it dispels wind-dampness, reduces swelling and disperses abdominal lumps and phlegm accumulations, and stops pain. It is used for wind-damp painful obstruction with rheumatic and arthritic joint pain, muscular constriction and spasm, and applied to sores, boils and abscesses. Because of its warm, pungent, dispersing nature it is also employed for cold-damp patterns and localized swellings.

Safety: this herb is genuinely toxic, with documented hemolytic effects, so it is used in small internal doses (roughly 1–3 g), often preferentially by external application, and it is contraindicated in pregnancy. It should only be used under qualified supervision.

Western Herbalism Properties

Actions:
analgesicantispasmodicanti-inflammatory

Botanical Description

Liang Tou Jian (两头尖) is the dried rhizome of Anemone raddeana Regel (Ranunculaceae), a small perennial wildflower native to woodlands of northeastern China, Korea, the Russian Far East, and Japan. The plant arises from a slender, fusiform rhizome 1–3 cm long, pointed at both ends — the form that gives rise to the Chinese name meaning "both ends pointed." Above ground it produces a single ternately divided basal leaf and a slender flowering stalk 10–25 cm tall topped by a solitary white-petaled flower 2–4 cm across in early spring. Rhizomes are dug in late spring, washed, and sun-dried. The substance contains anemonin-type lactones and is considered toxic in excess; it is used cautiously for wind-damp painful obstruction (rheumatic and arthritic pain).

Dosage

FormAmount 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.

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