Latin Name
Panax notoginseng

General Description
Notoginseng root is used to stop bleeding, reduce swelling and alleviate pain from injuries. Unlike Western medications, the root seems to halt the bleeding without making the blood clot, and to stop the clotting or hematoma without causing bleeding. Western practitioners of sports medicine frequently use this herb as a tonic to improve stamina. The best variety is large, solid and dark brown, with thin skin. Also known as pseudoginseng root (Panax pseudoginseng), it is grown in several Chinese provinces and harvested in the fall or winter of the plant's third or seventh year, after the fruit is ripe. Chinese herbalists classify it as sweet, bitter and warm.

Target Ailments
Taken internally for:

• Internal bleeding such as nosebleeds and blood in the stool and urine, coughing up blood.

Taken both internally and externally for:

• Bleeding from injuries; swelling and pain of fractures; falls; contusions and sprains, cuts and gunshot wounds.

Preparations
Notoginseng root is available in bulk from Chinese pharmacies, Asian markets and Western health food stores, where it is sold as loose, dried roots or in the form of tablets.
Combinations: Notoginseng can be made into a liniment for swelling and pain and is included in many injury tonics. It is also taken internally to heal injuries, cuts and even gunshot wounds. A preparation containing notoginseng root and bletilla root is prescribed for vomiting, and for coughing up blood, nosebleeds and blood in the urine. A mixture with dragon bone and gallnut from the Chinese sumac makes a poultice for bleeding caused by trauma.
For information on appropriate preparations and doses, check with an herbal practitioner.

Special Information

• Pregnant women should avoid this herb.
  
• Powdered notoginseng has been used to treat individuals with coronary artery disease who complain primarily of chest pain. Many seemed to improve. Some also experienced reductions in blood pressure.
  
• In a small study, the herb appeared to reduce cholesterol levels.
  
• Notoginseng is sometimes used to treat acute attacks of Crohn's disease.