Bauhinia

Since the recovery of Hong Kong, Bauhinia has become the city flower of Hong Kong. Not only that, Bauhinia is also a very good Chinese medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine. In the season when the purple gold flowers are in full bloom, countless redbud flowers bloom on the branches, which is very beautiful. But what I want to explain to you today is the use of Bauhinia flower as a traditional Chinese medicine. In the following article, let’s learn about the medicinal effects of Bauhinia flower, a traditional Chinese medicine.

What is the medicinal value of Bauhinia?

Also known as: red flowered bauhinia or red flowered bauhinia. It is a tree of the family Caesalpinia and genus Bauhinia; it has many branches, and the twigs are slender and covered with hair. The leaves are leathery, and are round, broadly ovate or kidney-shaped, with the top split into two halves, like a sheep's hoof. The flowering period is between winter and spring. The flowers are as big as a palm, slightly fragrant, with five petals evenly arranged in a whorl, red or purple, and very beautiful. Bauhinia is evergreen and lush all year round and is quite resistant to smoke and dust, making it particularly suitable as a street tree. The bark contains tannin, which can be used as a tanning agent and dye. The roots, bark and flowers can also be used as medicine. Bauhinia is also an important garden seedling with great ornamental value.

Bauhinia flower is bitter and flat in nature. It enters the liver, spleen and small intestine meridians. It has the functions of clearing away heat and detoxifying, dispelling wind and dampness, promoting dampness and relieving stranguria. It is suitable for rheumatism, bone pain, nasal carbuncle, etc.; Bauhinia root bark is bitter and flat in nature. It enters the liver, spleen and kidney meridians. It has the functions of breaking blood and activating blood circulation, eliminating carbuncle and detoxifying, consolidating kidney and stopping nocturnal emission. It is suitable for mad dog bites, enuresis, sores, carbuncle and swelling, etc.; Bauhinia bark is bitter and flat in nature. It enters the liver, spleen and lung meridians. It has the functions of activating blood and relieving menstruation, reducing swelling and detoxifying. It is suitable for wind-cold-dampness arthralgia, amenorrhea in women, blood and qi pain, throat paralysis, stranguria, carbuncle, scabies, contusions, snake and insect bites, etc. Here are a few treatment recipes for your selection.

1. To treat nasal rickets: take an appropriate amount of Bauhinia flowers, dry them in the shade, grind them into powder and apply them on the affected area.

2. To treat female enuresis: 20 grams of Bauhinia root bark, add half wine and half water, stewed, 1 dose per day.

3. To treat carbuncle: Grind equal amounts of Angelica dahurica and Bauhinia bark into fine powder, mix with white wine and apply on the affected area, change the dressing once a day.

4. To treat swollen and painful hemorrhoids: decoct 15 grams of Bauhinia bark in water and take it once a day.

5. To treat sore throat: 15g of Bauhinia bark and 10g of Belamcanda flower, decocted in water and taken once a day.

6. Treat rheumatic bone pain: Take equal amounts of Bauhinia flowers and Herba Schizonepetae, decocted in water and taken orally, 1 dose per day.

Side effects of Bauhinia

The flowers of Bauhinia are edible. The petals can be eaten cold, stir-fried, stewed in soup, or brewed into tea, but they are generally used as condiments for other foods. Pregnant women should not eat Bauhinia flowers. Eating Bauhinia flowers may cause miscarriage. It is recommended that you do not eat carelessly during pregnancy.

"Bencao Gangmu" believes that Bauhinia flower can clear the small intestine, and "Compilation of Commonly Used Folk Herbs" believes that Bauhinia flower can dispel wind and detoxify. Of course, although Bauhinia has so many benefits, in daily life, we mostly use Bauhinia as an ornamental plant. Even in traditional Chinese medicine, Bauhinia is rarely used.

Medical records and prescriptions of Bauhinia

1. Nasal scurvy: dry Bauhinia flowers in the shade, grind them into powder and apply it on the affected area. (《Healthy and Simple Recipes》)

2. "Bencao Gangmu" (Bencao Gangmu): Clears the small intestine.

3. "Collection of Commonly Used Folk Herbs": Clears away heat, cools blood, removes wind and detoxifies.

4. "Jiangsu Medicinal Tree Records": Treats rheumatism, muscle and bone pain.