Talk:Stephania

防己
I have added a bit about fang ji; inappropriate substitution has led to poisoning and renal failure in patients (see Aristolochia). But what does 防己 mean? 防 makes sense as "protector"/"herb that protects (against)". I cannot determine whether the 己 has something to do with snakes (probably most common use in folk medicine of "snakewort" and possibly the only one that works better than not taking Aristolochia...). It looks like a snake pictogram, and it seems to mean "Serpent" in ritual or tradition (calendrical sign?). Dysmorodrepanis 02:30, 13 November 2007 (UTC)