Common Chinese Herbal Identification and Application - (Illustrated Version)

Author: Wang Wei / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Economical and effective treatment and health care solutions, health-preserving secrets that nourish the body in daily life. Traditional Chinese medicine is vast and profound, and Chinese herbal medicine is a valuable heritage accumulated by the Chinese people over thousands of years in their struggle against diseases. Ancient medical practitioners' understanding of medicinal properties was not limited to clinical use but also came from the practice of identifying and collecting herbs. China has a vast territory, and Chinese herbal medicine sources are abundant and numerous as stars. This book selects and presents more than 300 common herbs to readers, serving as a teaching reference and supplementary textbook for TCM colleges and universities, as well as a reference book for medical workers and TCM learners.
Jin Yinhua (Honeysuckle Flower) is the dried flower buds of Lonicera japonica Thunb., Lonicera hypoglauca Miq., Lonicera confusa DC., or Lonicera dasystyla Rehd. in the Caprifoliaceae family.
[Synonyms] Silver flower, dual flower, dual flower, three treasures flower, honeysuckle flower, Su flower.
[Original Plant] Lianmu (woody vine). Young branches are purplish-brown with soft hairs. Leaves are opposite, ovate to broadly ovate, with a rounded base and entire margins; young leaves have short hairs on the underside, appearing gray-green.
Flowers are paired in the axils of leaves, white when first opening, turning yellow later; bracts are leaf-like, broadly elliptical; small bracts are nearly circular. Calyx is 5-lobed; corolla is slightly bilabiate, with 4 lobes on the upper lip and an entire lower lip. Stamens are 5, slightly longer than the style. Fruits are spherical, turning black when ripe.
[Origin] It is produced in all provinces except Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Tibet, Heilongjiang, and Hainan. It grows in shrublands on mountain slopes, in sparse forests, in crevices of rocky mountains, on piles of loose stones, along mountain roads, in low-lying areas of hills, or is cultivated.
[Harvesting] Flower buds (with newly opened flowers) are picked before they bloom in early summer, spread on mats to dry, avoiding manual stirring during drying to prevent the flowers from turning black. On cloudy days, they can be dried with gentle heat for later use. Stems and branches are best harvested in autumn and winter, used fresh or dried. Stems and leaves are mostly used fresh, picked as needed.
[Properties] Cold in nature, sweet in taste.
[Effects] Clearing heat, detoxifying, resolving wind, and unblocking collaterals.
[Indications] Common cold with fever, pharyngitis, bacterial dysentery, enteritis, carbuncles and boils, eczema, erysipelas, feverish night sweats of tuberculosis, periarthritis of the shoulder, and lower back and leg pain. Dosage: 9–15 grams.
[Prescriptions]
- Wind-heat cold with headache, fever, sore throat, and thirst: Honeysuckle flower 15g, Forsythia 12g, Schizonepeta 6g, Mint 6g, Licorice 6g, decocted for oral administration.
- Epidemic mumps: Honeysuckle flower 60g, Dandelion 30g, Scrophularia 15g, Licorice 6g, decocted for oral administration.
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