INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Hirudo
Common English:	Leech

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Salty Bitter	Neutral Slightly Toxic	Liver Bladder	1-6g Powders and Pills: 0.3-0.6g Cancers: 6-9g

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Breaks up and drives out Blood Stasis and reduces fixed masses	Amenorrhea and fixed abdominal masses due to Blood Stasis and traumatic injury

CONTRAINDICATIONS

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Use with caution for patients taking anticoagulants such as heparin, warfarin (Coumadin) and enoxaparin (Lovenox) or antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin, dipyridamole (Persantine) and clopidogrel (Plavix) as concurrent use may have an additive or synergistic effect.

Sm. Persicae Tao Ren Tabanus Meng Chong (Rx. et Rz. Rhei) (Da Huang)	Rz. Sparganii San Leng Rz. Curcumae E Zhu Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui	Rx. Notoginseng San Qi
Blood Stasis in the lower abdomen with amenorrhea and masses	Palpable, fixed abdominal masses	Trauma-induced pain, swelling and bruising
Sargassum Hai Zao	Natrii Sulfas Mang Xiao Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang	Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang Sm. Pharbitidis Qian Niu Zi
Palpable, fixed masses of the throat as in esophageal carcinoma	Fever, delirium, abdominal distention, urinary incontinence and, in severe cases, a dull dusky-yellow disco-loration of the skin from Blood Stasis due to Invasion of Heat	Pain and swelling from trauma
Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang	Tabanus Meng Chong	Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang
Regulates Yin and Yang to quickly attack and break up Blood Stasis	Resolves severe Blood Stasis with mania, and abdominal masses or severe Blood accumulation following trauma	Amenorrhea due to Blood Stasis in Deficiency
Sm. Persicae Tao Ren Tabanus Meng Chong
Abdominal pain and hardness with black tarry stools

Both Shui Zhi and Rz. Sparganii San Leng break up Blood Stasis and enter the Blood level of the Liver channel. San Leng is bitter, neutral and also enters the Spleen and the Qi Level. It is stronger at quickly attacking and breaking up accumulation, but it easily injures normal Qi. It also relieves Food Stagnation.
Both Shui Zhi and Tabanus Meng Chong enter the Blood level of the Liver to strongly break up Blood Stasis and accumulation. Shui Zhi is neutral, gradual, stable and consistent. Meng Chong is slightly cold and somewhat toxic. It sudden and strong. but short-lived.
Shui Zhi, Meng Chong and Eupolyphaga Tu Bie Chong are all very strong substances to break open severe Blood Stasis. They can easily injure Qi if not used properly. If necessary, tonic herbs should be added to prevent damage. Meng Chong is the strongest, followed by Shui Zhi and then Tu Bie Chong.
Talc-fried Leech Hua Shi Chao Shui Zhi is less toxic and more suitable for use in powders and pills.