Chinese Holly Leaf
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Heat Clearing Herbs to Clear Heat and Toxics
Chinese Holly Leaf
Latin:
Folium Ilicis Chinensis
Origin:
The root of Sophora Flavescens Ait., a perennial deciduous undershrub, of the Leguminosae family. Grown everywhere throughout China, it is harvested in spring and autumn, sliced, dried in the sun and used when raw.
, 百拇医药
Properties:
Bitter and astringent in flavor, cold in nature, it is related to the lung and heart channels.
Functions:
Clears away heat to eliminate dampness, kills parasites and induces diuresis (increased excretion of urine).
Applications:
1. For treating diarrhea due to damp heat and jaundice with reddish urine:
, 百拇医药
(A) Abdominal pain, diarrhea and dysentery with pus and blood due to stagnation of damp-heat in the stomach and intestines:
This herb can be used alone as well as together with aucklandia root, etc.
(B) Hemafecia due to damp-heat, hematochezia and hemorrhage due to hemorrhoids:
Use it with raw rehmannia, e.g., Kushen Dihuang Wan.
(C) Jaundice with reddish urine due to accumulated damp-heat:
, 百拇医药
This herb can clear away heat to eliminate dampness and induce diuresis to lead the damp-heat out. It is often used with gardenia fruit (Fructus Gardeniae), rough gentian root (Radix Gentianae), etc., achieving excellent effects in removing damp-heat and relieving jaundice.
2. For treating leukorrhea (whitish viscid discharge from the vagina) with vaginal itching, scabies due to damp-heat and dysuria (difficult or painful discharge of urine):
, 百拇医药
(A) Leukorrhea with yellow discharge and vaginal swelling and itching due to downward flow of damp-heat as well as eczema and pruritus (itching):
Use it with corktree bark and shechuangzi (Fructus Cnidii). The preparations can be taken orally or used for external washing.
(B) Scabies:
The herb is used together with dried alum and sulphur to make an ointment for application onto the affected part.
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(C) Dysuria during Pregnancy:
Use it with Chinese angelica and fritillary bulb (Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii), e.g., Danggui Beimu Kushen Wan, in order to jointly achieve the effects of nourishing the blood, promoting the circulation of qi and inducing diuresis, e.g., Danggui Beimu Kushen Wan.
(D) Dysuria with pain, difficulty and burning sensation in urination due to retention of damp-heat in the urinary bladder:
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Use it with dandelion (Herba Taraxaci), pyrrhosia leaf, etc.
Dosage and Administration:
15-30 g.
Decoct the ingredients for drinking. Use an adequate amount externally.
Cautions on Use:
This herb should be avoided or used carefully by anyone with insufficiency of spleen-yang or anyone affected by yin deficiency with impairment of body fluids because this herb may impair the stomach or damage yin with its bitter taste and cold nature.
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Reference Materials:
'Shen Nong's Herbal Classic' :
"For stagnation of qi in the chest and abdomen, accumulation of pathogenic factors, jaundice and dripping urine."
"It eliminates retained fluids and relieving boils and carbuncles."
'Other Medical Records of Famous Physicians' :
"Bloody stools due to latent heat, yellowish or reddish urine, malignant boils and phallocrypsis."
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"It quenches thirst and dispelling the effects of alcohol."
'Compendium of Materia Medica' :
"Hematochezia and dysentery of the heat type."
Toxic or Side Effects:
Modern Researches:
It contains a variety of alkaloids such as matrine, hydroxymatrine, methylcytisine, anagyrine, etc., as well as flavonoid compounds.
, 百拇医药
Its alcohol extract can eliminate tenacious Trichomonas vaginalis and amoebae. Its decoction can inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Bacillus dysenteriae, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus coli and a variety of dermatomyces.
The flavescent sophora root, matrine, kurarinone, etc., can resist arrhythmia. The flavescent sophora root can increase the flow of the coronary artery, protect the cardiac muscles from ischemia and reduce blood fat. Its total base can prevent white cells from reduction and resist radiation. The root and its ingredients also have diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, analgesic, antiasthmatic and expectorant effects., http://www.100md.com