Gold coin grass (jin qian cao)

Lysimachia christinae (ook Desmodium styracifolium)

Traditionally attributed effects: helps pass kidney and gallstones and drains damp heat from the liver.

Safety notes

Always have stones with severe pain, fever or jaundice assessed medically. Traditional use is no proof of effectiveness; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor or pharmacist.

Preparation

Herb. Usually as a decoction, together with other herbs.

Use in traditions

Described in the classical Chinese materia medica, in the group 'herbs that drain dampness'. Jin qian cao, 'gold coin herb', after its round leaves. It is the best-known Chinese remedy for expelling gallstones and kidney stones, often drunk as tea in large amounts.

Applications

Use by tradition

How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.

Chinese materia medica

Nature and taste: sweet, bland, neutral
Meridians: heart, small intestine, bladder

Attributed effects

A main herb for kidney, bladder and gallstones, damp heat in the liver and externally for burns, abscesses and bites.

Preparation and amount

Traditional dosage: 15–30 g a day, usually in a decoction. Under the name jin qian cao ('gold coin herb') various plants with the same use are sold, such as ground ivy and moneywort-like species.

Combinations

With chicken gizzard lining (ji nei jin) for stones

Ways to prepare herbs: Decoction

Sources

All herbs from Asia →