Solidago virgaurea, Golden Rod

Saracens Woundwort
Consolida aurea, Consolida rubra, Consolida Saracenia, Colsolida Regalis, Calcatrippa, Virga Aurea
Liu Zhi Huang, Yi Zhi Huang Hua (TCM)
Picture Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578

Picture Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, Thomé, 1905

Picture Solidago virgaurea var. leiocarpa
(Photo by Alpsdake) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:


Solidago virgaurea
S. virgaurea var. leiocapa is used in TCM (rarely).
Related American and Canadian species are used similarly.

Parts used:


Herb

Temperature & Taste:


Cool, dry. Bitter

Classifications:


2D ATTENUATERS OF CONGEALED BLOOD
3F. LITHONTRIPTIC

Uses:


1. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine (West, TCM):
-acute Urinary Tract Infections with hot and burning Urine, with or without Pain; also for dark and turbid Urine.
-Strangury from Heat, Urinary retention, Prostatic Hypertrophy, Nephritis
-Arthritis, and Rheumatism
-Diabetes, Bright’s Disease, Phosphaturia
    
2. Clears Damp, Resolves Stones:
-Gravel and Stones, both to treat, and as irrigation therapy to avoid their return.
–Culpeper said ‘Arnoldus de villa nova, commends it much against the Stone in the Reins and Kidneys, and to provoke Urine in abundance, whereby also the Gravel or Stone may be avoided’.
-‘powerful to promote Urine, and break the Stone’ (Matthiolus)

3. Clears Heat and Damp from the Liver: (TCM, West)
-swelling and pain of the Liver or Spleen.
-Jaundice (TCM, West)
-chronic Eczema.
    
4. Clears Wind and Heat, Resists Poison: (TCM, West)
-Wind-Heat type Influenza, Common Cold, with Headache, Sore Throat and Fever. (TCM)
-Bronchial Asthma, Whooping Cough.
-welling Abscesses, Sores and Boils; Chronic Eczema
-Snake Bite (TCM)
    
5. Clears Heat, Moves the Blood, Stops Bleeding: (TCM, West)
-internal Bleeding from Trauma or Ulcers etc. Also applied to stop Bleeding.
-Uterine Bleeding, Excess Menstruation
-Diarrhea or Dysentery with Blood.
-‘inward Bruises’ and coagulated or stagnant Blood; unresolved old Trauma, Fixed Pain. (TCM, West)
-Ruptures and Hernias.
-Hemorrhoids
   
6. Externally:
-topically applied to both fresh and old, festering Wounds and Ulcers
-gargle for Sores, Ulcers and Inflammations of the Mouth and Throat, or of the Genitals
-gargled to fasten loose Teeth
-externally to stop Bleeding


Dose:


Powder: 1–3 grams
Decoction: 3–9 grams (up to 12 grams)

Main Combinations:


1. To promote Urine when obstructed:
i. Take a spoonful of Golden rod powder and put it in an Egg soft boiled taken in the morning and fasting after. This will promote Urine, and if continued 14 days, they will pass stones (if present) without pain. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1595)
ii. Golden Rod with roots of Fennel and Asparagus and Winter Cherries.
iii. Golden Rod with Rosehip, Horsetail, Myrtle leaf, Dead Nettle
2. To strengthen the Kidneys and promote Urine, Golden Rod with Marshmallow root, Licorice, Figs, Juniper berry, Parsley seed (as in Nephritic Decoction)
3. Incontinence:
i. Golden Rod, Raspberry leaf, Comfrey leaf
ii. Golden Rod, Agrimony, Horsetail
4. Kidney and Bladder stones, Golden Rod with Birch leaf, Restharrow (Wittlich)
5. Jaundice, Golden Rod with Artemisia scoparia Yin Chen Hao, Rhubarb (Da Huang) (TCM)
6. Influenza, Tonsillitis, Golden Rod, Isatis Radix Ban Lan Gen, Lonicera Lian Qiao. (TCM)
7. Arthritis, Rheumatism:
i. Golden Rod with Birch leaf, Dwarf Elder
ii. Golden Rod with Willow bark, Elder flower, Rosemary, Golden Rod, Coltsfoot (as in Decoction for Arthritis)
iii. Arthritis following Trauma, Golden Rod with Centipeda E Bu Shi Cao, Hyptis Mo Gu Xiao, Moghania Yi Tiao Gen
8. All types of Ruptures and Hernias:
i. Golden Rod with Ladies Mantle, Comfrey, Madder, Tormentil, St. Johns wort and Agrimony
ii. Golden Rod with Plantain, Fennel, Sanicle and Betony make a plaster and apply (Wirtzung)
9. Trauma, Bruising:
i. Golden Rod with Sanicle, Soloman’s Seal, Plantain, Sage, Pennyroyal, Century (as in Vulnerary Decoction)
ii. Golden Rod with Frankincense (Ru Xiang), Myrrh (Mo Yao), Paeonia Bai Shao

Major Formulas:


Decoction for Arthritis
Vulnerary Decoction (Wirtzung)

Cautions:


Use cautiously in chronic Renal Disease (it has been used in Nephritis)

Main Preparations used:


Distilled Water of the Herb