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Pu Huang蒲黄

Typhae Pollen · Cattail Pollen · Typha Pollen

Herbs that Stop Bleeding 止血药《神农本草经》

Overview

The golden pollen shaken from cattail spikes. Sweet and neutral, entering the Liver and Pericardium, it holds an uncommon double role: raw it moves blood and breaks up stasis pain, charred it turns astringent and stops bleeding. Being a fine powder it must be wrapped in cloth for decoction, and its most famous appearance is beside Wu Ling Zhi 五灵脂 in Shi Xiao San 失笑散 for stabbing stasis pain.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet · Neutral

Channels

Liver · Pericardium

Typical Dosage

3–10 g in decoction
蒲黄Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

4 core actions

  • Stops bleedingBleeding of many kinds — coughed or vomited blood, nosebleed, blood in the urine, uterine bleeding and traumatic bleeding; the charred form is preferred when bleeding dominates.
  • Invigorates blood, dispels stasis, relieves painFixed stabbing pain of blood stasis — postpartum abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, chest and epigastric pain; classically with Wu Ling Zhi 五灵脂.
  • Frees painful urinary dribblingPainful, dribbling urination, especially with blood in the urine.
  • How the processed forms differThe raw pollen moves blood; dry-fried Pu Huang (Chao) Pu Huang and charred Pu Huang Tan are astringent and used to stop bleeding; vinegar-fried Pu Huang is directed more sharply at Liver-blood stasis pain, and wine-fried Pu Huang pushes the moving action harder.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Pu Huang

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Bleeding from many sites, internal and traumatic
    - Postpartum abdominal pain and dysmenorrhea from blood stasis
    - Fixed stabbing chest or epigastric pain
    - Painful urination with blood

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Abnormal uterine bleedingDysmenorrheaHematuriaAngina

Contraindications

Cautions

It moves blood, so it is not the right choice at higher doses where bleeding occurs without any stasis. As a pollen it can provoke a reaction in people who are sensitive to pollens — stop it if that happens. Not classed as toxic.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Use with caution in pregnancy, and generally avoided — its blood-moving action can stimulate the uterus. Only a treating practitioner should decide otherwise

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.