She Chuang Zi蛇床子
Cnidii Fructus · Cnidium Fruit
Overview
The small ribbed fruit of Cnidium monnieri, acrid, bitter, warm — and slightly toxic, which shapes how it is used. Most of its work is external: as a wash, sitz bath, fumigation or ointment for damp, itching skin — eczema, scabies, ringworm, weeping rashes — and for vaginal itching with discharge. Taken internally, in small prescribed amounts, it warms the Kidney and strengthens yang for impotence and for cold, damp vaginal discharge and infertility. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia records it as slightly toxic, so internal use is always a practitioner's prescription rather than a self-directed remedy.
Nature & Flavor
Acrid, bitter · Warm · Slightly toxicChannels
KidneyTypical Dosage
3–9 gActions
4 core actions
- Kills parasites and stops itchingApplied externally for scabies, ringworm and tinea, weeping eczema and itchy damp rashes of the groin and legs, and for vulval or vaginal itching — most often as a wash or sitz bath.
- Dries damp and dispels windDamp, oozing, intensely itchy lesions rather than dry scaly ones; the wind element accounts for the way the itch moves and worsens at night.
- Warms the Kidney and strengthens yangTaken internally, in small amounts, for impotence with cold, and for copious clear vaginal discharge and infertility with a cold lower burner.
- External and internal use differThe external wash uses a much larger quantity of herb than the internal dose, and it is never drunk. Do not convert one into the other.
In Formulas
Formulas containing She Chuang Zi
No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Itchy damp skin conditions: eczema, scabies, tinea (external)
- Vulval and vaginal itching with discharge (external wash or sitz bath)
- Impotence with cold signs (internal, on prescription)
- Clear copious vaginal discharge and infertility from cold-damp (internal, on prescription)
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
This herb is toxic. Internal use must stay strictly within the prescribed dose and course — larger amounts have caused nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations and a dry, hot, restless feeling — and it is never self-medicated. Being acrid, warm and drying, it is the wrong herb for damp-heat patterns and for yin deficiency with fire. External preparations can irritate: test on a small area first, keep the wash away from the eyes, do not apply it to broken, ulcerated or widely raw skin, and stop if the rash burns or spreads. Persistent vaginal itching or discharge and a rash that will not settle need a diagnosis — thrush, bacterial infection and skin disease are all treated differently — rather than repeated washes.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: Contraindicated in pregnancy, internally and as a vaginal wash. Do not use it while pregnant.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
2. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
3. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
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.