Trichosanthes Root (huang qin)

 Radix Trichosanthis

Properties: Sweet and slightly bitter in flavour, slightly cold in nature, it acts on the lung and stomach channels. The slightly cold property of the herb can clear heat, and the moist quality promotes the production of body fluid and clears away the heat  in lung and stomach, thus nourishing Yin and moisturizing dryness. It is used to treat the syndromes of impairment of the body fluid, vexation, thirst, dryness of lung and dry cough. It is also used to swellings, drain pus and treat skin and external diseases including carbuncles, furuncles and abscesses.

1.  For treating the impairment of the production of body fluid, dry cough, short of sputum, red tongue, lack of tongue fur, hemoptysis, it is used in combination with ophiopogon root, rehmannia root to clear away heat in lung, moisturize dryness and quench cough.

2.  For treating the impairment of the production body fluid due to febrile diseases, vexation, thirst, red tongue and dry throat, it is used in combination with ophiopogon root, gypsum to nourish Yin, clear away heat and relieve restlessness and cough.. For deficiency of Yin, internal heat diabetes, use in combination with pueraria root, Chinese yam to nourish Yin, promote the production of body fluid and quench thirst, known as Yu Ye Tang (Decoction of Jade Liquor).

3. For treating various skin and external carbuncles and abscesses, pyogenic infections (whether diabrotic or not), it is used in combination with other drugs such as dahurian angelica root, honeysuckle flower, liquorice, liquorice, etc. for clearing away heat, detoxicating, subduing swellings.

Precautions: It is incompatible with aconite root and should not be used for pregnant women.