1. Aliases
Da Tong Cao, Tong Hua, Fang Tong Cao, Kou Tuo, Bai Tong Cao, Wu Jia Feng.
2. Plant morphology
Shrubs or small trees, young branches, leaf backs, and inflorescences covered with white or brown star shaped hairs. Marrow large, white, paper. The leaves are large, clustered at the top of the stem, with a diameter of 50-70 centimeters. They divide into 5 to 11 palmate lobes, with each lobe having 2 to 3 lobes. The base is heart-shaped and may have coarse teeth along the entire margin; The petiole is thick and long; The stipules are membranous, conical, and connate at the base. Most spherical umbels integrate into large compound cone inflorescences; The flowers are small, and the sepals are not obvious; Petals 4, white; 4 stamens, ovary inferior, 2-loculed, style 2, free. Drupe shaped berries are flattened spherical and purple black in color. The flowering period is from October to December.
3. Origin distribution
Born on sunny slopes, houses, roadsides, and mixed forests. Distributed in Hunan, Hubei, Fujian, Taiwan and other places.
4. Harvesting and processing
Cut the stem in autumn, cut it into sections, take out the pulp while it is fresh, straighten it, and dry it in the sun. Processing the stem marrow into square thin slices is called "Fangtongcao". The cut edges are called "silk thread grass".
5. Characteristics of medicinal herbs
Cylindrical, 20-40 centimeters long, with a diameter of 1-2.5 centimeters. The surface is white or light yellow with light vertical grooves. Lightweight, slightly elastic, easily broken, with a flat cross-section and a silver white luster. There is a hollow or semi transparent thin film with a diameter of 0.3-1.5 centimeters in the middle, arranged in a ladder like manner in the longitudinal section, and solid ones are rare. Slight breath, light taste.
6. Nature, taste, and meridian tropism
Mildly cold in nature, sweet and mild in taste. Return to the lung meridian and stomach meridian.
7. Effect and function
Clear heat, diuretic, and ventilate milk. Diuretic and gonorrhea drugs belonging to the subcategory of diuretic and diuretic drugs.
8. Clinical applications
Dosage 3-5 grams, decoct in water. Used to treat damp heat, red urine, painful gonorrhea, edema, urinary incontinence, and milk retention.
9. Pharmacological research
Has diuretic and potassium excretion effects.
10. Chemical composition
Contains inositol. In addition, it contains about 14.3% polypentose, about 3% polymethylpentose, arabinose, glucose, fructose, lactose, pectin, galacturonic acid, ash, fat, pentosan, and uronic acid, as well as 13 amino acids such as aspartic acid, threonine, glutamic acid, phenylalanine, and 18 trace elements such as calcium, barium, magnesium, iron, and lignin.
11. Taboos for use
Qi and Yin deficiency, moderate cold, no dampness or heat inside, and pregnant women should take it with caution.
12. Compatibility prescription
① To treat Qi heat and gonorrhea, urgency and pain in urination, and fullness of the lower abdomen: Tongcao decoction. Eat it with scallions. (Puji Fang)
② Treatment for edema, poor urination, and cloudy discharge: 9 grams each of Tongcao, Poria cocos skin, talcum, Zexie, and Baizhu. Boiled in water. (Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual)
③ Treatment for bladder heat accumulation and urinary obstruction: 9 grams of Tongcao, 9 grams of Plantago asiatica, 9 grams of Gentiana, and 9 grams of Qumai. Boiled in water. (Chinese Herbal Medicine in Qujing Special Zone)
④ Treatment for acute nephritis: 6g of Tongcao, 12g of Poria cocos skin, and 9g of Dafu skin. Boiled in water. (Zhejiang Medicinal Flora)
⑤ Due to the retention of dampness and heat during urination, it is difficult to urinate: 3g of Tongcao and white cardamom kernels, 9g of honeysuckle and coix seed kernels, 12g of talcum, and 6g of bitter almonds. Jianfu. (Anhui Chinese Herbal Medicine)
⑥ Postpartum milk obstruction treatment: Take 9 grams of Tongcao together with pig trotters stewed soup, or 9 grams of Tongcao, 4.5 grams of Wangbuliuxing, and decoct in water. Add 12g of roasted Astragalus membranaceus to weak body and decoct together. (Qingdao Chinese Herbal Medicine Handbook)
⑦ Treating menstrual disorders: 6g of Tongcao, 3g of Guiwei, 12g of Taoren, and 6g of Honghua. Jianfu. (Selected Chinese Herbal Medicine from Yunnan)
⑧ Treatment of vaginal discharge: 30-60 grams of Tongcao stem marrow. Stew meat to eat. (Enshi Chinese Herbal Medicine Handbook)
The content of the article is for clinical reference only. Non professionals in traditional Chinese medicine are not allowed to try medication.