Clear Heat / Relieve Toxicity: Bai Hua She She Cao

Bai Hua She She Cao:

I think it looks something like ephedra, but it was named for its leaves looking like a snake's tongue. "She" means both tongue and snake. And funny thing is that it is also famous for treating snake bites due to its heat clearing and resolution of fire toxicity functions--snake bites form a toxic heat, and Bai Hua She She Cao is cold and also bitter (liver) and sweet (stomach).

The herb will also clear toxic heat from various cancers and will reduce abscesses. It works both in the interior and exterior (meaning, I believe, topically).

Besides heavy duty toxins like snake bites and cancer, Bai Hua She She Cao also clears heat and helps get rid of dampness by promoting urination if you have "hot painful dribbling." It goes to both the small and large intestine, as well as the stomach and liver.

I like Bensky's phrase "it is used for toxic accumulation." The functions all make sense to me with that phrase-- working on cancer ("toxic accumulation") and clearing the accumulation through urination.

Above: Bai Hua She She Cao -- White Flower Snake's Tongue. It does look like a snake's tongue an will relieve you of the toxic heat from being being bit by a snake (or by the cancer!)