Di Long

Botanical Name: Pheretima

Di Long

Category: Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors

Dosage: 4.5-15g

Key Characteristics:

• Drains heat
• Extinguishes wind
• Stops spasms and convulsions
• Calms wheezing
• Unblocks the collaterals
• Facilitates urination

Cautions & Contraindications:

• Contraindicated in those with weak Spleen and Stomach.
• Use with caution in those without heat from excess.

Actions & Indications:

• Drains heat, settles convulsions, extinguishes wind, and stops spasms: for extremely high fever leading to changes in consciousness, incoherent speech, convulsions, and seizures.  Can be used alone.  Recently also used for schizophrenia of the hot-manic type.
• Clears heat and unblocks and promotes movement in the channels and collaterals: for swollen and painful joints with reduced range of motion.  Most commonly used for hot painful obstruction, but can also be used for cold painful obstruction with the addition of other appropriate substances.  Also used for hemiplegia due to lack of flow in the channels, such as the sequelae of wind-stroke.
• Clears heat and calms wheezing: for wheezing, especially due to Lung heat.  Can be taken by itself for this purpose, either as a powder ingested directly (or in capsules) or the fresh product can be decocted with the addition of sugar to form a syrup.
• Clears heat and promotes urination: for hot painful urinary dribbling, and in severe cases, edema.  Especially useful for problems associated with heat clumping in the Bladder with urinary difficulty or inability to urinate.  Can be used by itself for this purpose.
• Also used recently for hypertension associated with ascendant Liver yang patterns.