Hong Gu She
English Name: kadsura
Literal Translation: “red bone snake”
Pharmaceutical Name: Radix Kadsura Japonicae
Medica Category: Wind Damp Dispelling Herbs – Pain Relieving Herbs
Properties: Hong Gu She enters the Lung, Liver, and Stomach channels; it is acrid and bitter in nature and cool in temperature.
What is Hong Gu She?:
The Chinese Herb Hong Gu She is the dried roots of Kadsura Japonica (Kadsura japonica Dun), an evergreen climber with glossy green leaves, scarlet berries, and small white flowers that grows in shady woodlands in Southeastern China and Taiwan (and of course its native Japan).
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Therapeutic Actions of Hong Gu She:
Hong Gu She opens the peripheral channels and collaterals to relax tendons and ligature in the joints and relieve muscle spasms and cramping. It also combines with other herbs to address a variety of issues stemming from wind (see Chen and Chen pp 319).
