Houttuynia
(yu xing cao)
Herba
Houttuyniae
Properties:
Pungent in flavour, cold in
nature, it acts on the lung channel. The cold
property clears away heat, the pungent flavour
dissolves boils. It has the functions of
clearing away heat, detoxicating, dissolving
boils and draining pus. It may therefore be used
to treat abscesses in both internal organs and
external infections. It is always an important
medicine for treating pulmonary abscess because
the herb is mainly acting in lung. In addition,
it is able to clear the damp-heat pathogens in
the large intestine and bladder and treat
diarrhea due to damp-heat, urination disturbance
and stranguria.
Effects:
Clearing away heat,
detoxicating, dissolving boils, draining pus,
inducing diuresis for treating stranguria.
Indications:
1. For pulmonary abscess, coughing with purulent
blood, it is used in combination with the drugs
for clearing away heat, dissolving boils and
draining pus, such as reed rhizome, platycodon
root and waxgourd seed. In cases of cough due to
lung-heat, it is used with scutellaria root and
trichosanthes fruit to clear away heat and
resolve phlegm.
2. For suppurative
infections caused by noxious heat, hemorrhoid
with swelling and pain, it is used in
combination with heat-clearing and detoxicating
drugs, such as wild chrysanthemum flower,
dandelion herb, sophora fruit, etc.
In addition, it can
also be used to treat dysentery and stranguria
caused by damp-heat.
Dosage and Administration:
10-30g, Do not
decoct for a long time.
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