Instead of water thistle, read water thistle; instead of milk thistle, read milk thistle. Milk thistle and water thistle are two names for the same plant, with no difference other than the name. The Chinese herb water thistle is the dried, mature fruit of the Asteraceae plant water thistle. Herbalists will choose the fall when the fruit is ripe, harvest the inflorescences and dry them in the sun, then beat the fruit, remove impurities, and dry them a second time. Silybum marianum has a bitter flavor and is cool in nature, and belongs to the liver and gallbladder meridians. It can clear heat and detoxify the body (removing heat and toxicity from the body), dredge the liver and benefit the gallbladder (dredging the qi of the liver and gallbladder), and is used as a main treatment for liver and gallbladder dampness-heat (dampness-heat evils deposited in the liver and gallbladder), dystocia (pain in the area of the coxa and ribs), and jaundice. Contraindications and adverse reactions are not clear at the moment, it is recommended to use Chinese medicine Silybum marianum under the guidance of a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and it is not advisable to use the medicine on one’s own in order to avoid delaying the condition.