The efficacy and function of bitter wood

In today's society, health preservation seems to be an eternal topic. Nowadays, many people like to use some Chinese medicinal materials to regulate their bodies, because these medicinal materials are natural and pollution-free. Here we will introduce the medicinal material bitter wood to you.

【English Name】 RAMULUS ET FOLIUM PICRASMAE

[Alias] bitter bark tree, bitter bark, bitter bark, bitter gallwood, dog-driving wood, bear gall tree, earth elm

[Source] This product is the dried branches and leaves of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn., a plant of the Quassinaceae family. Harvested in summer and autumn and dried.

[Properties] The branches of this product are cylindrical, of varying lengths, with a diameter of 0.5 to 2 cm; the surface is gray-green or brown-green, with fine longitudinal stripes and numerous dot-shaped lenticels; it is brittle, easy to break, with an uneven cross section, light yellow, and the young branches are lighter in color and have a larger pith. The leaves are odd-pinnate compound leaves, easy to fall off; the leaflets are ovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, nearly sessile, 4-16 cm long, 1.5-6 cm wide; the apex is sharp, the base is oblique or slightly rounded, and the margins are pure teeth; both sides are usually green, and some have light purple-red lower surfaces, with soft hairs along the midrib. It has a faint smell and tastes extremely bitter.

【Identification】 (1) The powder of this product is yellow-green in color. The upper epidermal cells of the leaves are polygonal; the lower epidermal cells have many stomata, which are indefinite in shape. The mesophyll cells contain numerous calcium oxalate clusters. The fibers are bundled, slender, and the surrounding thin-walled cells contain clusters of calcium oxalate crystals and occasional square crystals, forming crystal fibers.

[Processing] Remove impurities, wash the branches, moisten them thoroughly, slice them, and dry them in the sun; spray the leaves with clean water, moisten them slightly, cut them into shreds, and dry them in the sun.

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter, cold; slightly toxic.

[return through meridians] Return to the lung and large intestine meridians.

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat, removes dampness and detoxifies. Used for wind-heat cold, sore throat, diarrhea, dysentery, eczema, boils, and snake bites.

[Usage and Dosage] Branches 3-4.5g; leaves 1-3g. For external use, apply in appropriate amount.

【Storage】 Store in a dry place.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Pharmacopoeia

The effects and functions of bitter wood have been described in detail above, and I believe everyone has a certain understanding of it. Whether bitter wood has other therapeutic effects still requires further research.