The efficacy and function of Niu Chuokou

There are many kinds of common Chinese medicinal materials in life. Many people don’t know how to choose when using them, such as Niu Chuokou. Therefore, before choosing, you need to have a certain understanding of its efficacy and dosage. So do you know what are the efficacy and effects of Niu Chuokou?

[Other names] Old cow file, thousand needle grass, thistle

[Source] Medicinal material source: the whole herb of wild thistle of the Asteraceae family.

[Original form] Wild thistle is a perennial herb, 40-150cm tall. Adventitious roots can develop into radish-shaped tubers. The stem is erect, branched or unbranched, covered with multicellular long or short pubescent hairs, the upper part (especially the lower part of the joint inflorescence) is grayish white and densely pubescent. The basal leaves and lower stem leaves are all oblong, lanceolate or lanceolate-elliptic, gradually narrowing downward into a petiole 20-25cm long and 7-9cm wide. The pinnate is half-cleft, deeply divided or almost completely divided, with 4-8 pairs of lateral lobes, semi-oblong, the middle lateral lobes are larger, 1-2cm wide, and all lateral lobes have large or small triangular thorns and hair-like thorns on the margins. Sometimes the marginal thorns are deeply cracked and the leaves appear to be almost bipinnate; the leaves upward gradually become smaller, the same shape as the lower and basal leaves, split like streets or not split, with thorns on the margins, and the base is enlarged and auricular to clasp the stem; all or at least the upper leaves are different colors on both sides, green above, with sparse multicellular long or short hairs along the veins, gray or light gray below, covered with sparse hairs. The capitula is solitary at the end of the stem, or arranged in a corymb at the top of the stem or branch; the involucre is bell-shaped, about 2 cm in diameter; the involucral bracts are about 5 layers, the outer and middle layers are oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 6-13 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, with a sharp tip into short thorns, and hairy on the edges; the inner and innermost layers are lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 1.3-2.3 cm long, and all bracts have black sticky spots on the back; the flowers are purple-red, the corolla is about 2.4 cm long, the eaves and tubules are not yet long, and the 5 lobes do not reach the middle of the eaves. Achenes are light yellow, obliquely oblanceolate, about 4mm long, 1.8mm wide, flattened, and truncated at the tip; the pappus is multi-layered, white, with long feather-like bristles, up to 2cm long, and the tip of the inner layer is fusiform and enlarged. Flowering season: June to September.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Growing on hillside grasslands, forest edges and meadows at an altitude of 140-1100m.

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet; Cool

【Functions and indications】 Cooling blood and stopping bleeding; reducing swelling and detoxifying. Mainly used for hemoptysis, epistaxis, hematuria, traumatic injury, carbuncle, swelling and infection

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoction, 15-30g. For external use: take appropriate amount and mash it for application.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

The above is a detailed introduction to the effects and functions of cattle poking mouth. Its selection should be based on your own needs, so that it will not harm your body and can achieve a good effect in improving the disease.