The efficacy and function of pen tube grass

Pentongcao is a very common Chinese medicine and also a very important medicinal material. We need to pay attention to it. When using pentong grass, it can be combined with other medicines, and we need to take it appropriately according to our physical condition. Let’s take a look at the main effects and functions of the Chinese medicine Pentongcao.

[Other names] Ventilation grass (Herbal Prescriptions), eyebrow grass, wild horsetail (Classification of Herbal Properties), knotweed, bone-setter (Fujian Folk Herbs), eyebrow-locking grass (Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica), bone-setter grass (Hunan Materia Medica), file grass, horsetail, wild ephedra, pen head grass, wild ephedra, file grass, and toad bamboo (Zhejiang Folk Commonly Used Herbs).

[Source] It is the whole herb of Equisetum arvense, a plant of the Equisetaceae family. Available all year round. It is best to collect it during April and May when it is growing vigorously.

[Original form] Perennial herb. The rhizome is dark brown with a few yellow fibrous roots. The stem is erect, solitary or tufted, up to 70 cm high, 1-2 mm in diameter, gray-green, with 6-20 ribs, rough, with a row of small verrucous protrusions; 1-4 rows of stomatal lines in the groove; many branches below the middle, and the branches often have 2-5 twigs. The leaves are arranged in whorls, degenerating into a tubular sheath, which is funnel-shaped and also has edges; the sheath mouth is split into long, sharp triangular teeth along the ridges, the teeth are short, the outer center part and base are dark brown, the tip and margin gradually become membranous, and often fall off. The sporangium spike is compact, rectangular, sessile, about 0.5 to 2 cm long, with a small pointed head, terminal, and the spores are of the same type with two filamentous elastic threads, attached in a cross shape, wrapped around the spores, and bounce off when exposed to water to facilitate reproduction.

[Habitat distribution] Grown on roadsides, stream banks and sandy land. Distributed in Southwest China, East China, South China, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Xinjiang, Hebei, Liaoning and other places.

[Pharmacological action] Subcutaneous injection of an alcohol extract of the green part of the South African pennywort into pigs can cause convulsions and death.

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet and bitter, neutral.

【Functions and indications】 Dispel wind and heat, remove dampness and promote diuresis. It is used to treat red, swollen and painful eyes, opacity of the eyes, stranguria, epistaxis, blood in the stool, blood in the urine, and toothache.

[Usage and Dosage] For internal use: decocted in water, 3-5 qian (1-2 liang for fresh ones). For external use: decoct in water for washing or mash for application.

[Additional prescription] ① To treat conjunctivitis: 5 qian each of pen holder grass, money grass, four-leaf clover, pearl grass, and coix seed. Decoction in water for oral administration. (Chongqing Herbs)

[Clinical Application] Treatment of chronic bronchitis: Preparation and usage: 1. Decoction: 1 liang of dry knotweed, add 700 ml of water, soak for half an hour, boil for 5 to 8 minutes, 200 to 300 ml each time, 2 to 3 times a day. ㈡ Tablets: 0.5 g per tablet (24 tablets are equivalent to 1 liang of raw medicine), 4 tablets each time, 3 times a day. ㈢Injection: 3 ml per vial (each ml contains 4 grams of crude drug), 1 vial per day for intramuscular injection. One course of treatment is 10 days, and three courses can be used consecutively. Efficacy: 1103 cases were treated with decoction, 295 were under control in the short term, 267 showed marked effect, 381 improved, and the total effective rate was 85.5%. 105 cases were treated with tablets, 23 were under control in the short term, 17 showed marked effects, 44 improved, and the total effective rate was 80%. 149 cases were treated with injections, 43 of which were under control in the short term, 42 showed marked effects, 68 improved, and the total effective rate was 94.7%. The effect was generally seen 24 hours after the injection. Overall, injections have the best therapeutic effect, decoctions are second, and tablets are the worst; the efficacy generally increases gradually with the increase in the course of treatment, and decreases with the worsening of the disease; the efficacy is higher in summer and spring, and is worst in winter; the efficacy is higher for simple types, and worse for wheezing types; the efficacy for those without complications is higher than that for those with emphysema; it has certain efficacy for cough, sputum, wheezing, and rales, and the recent control rate of disappearance of rales is the highest; the efficacy is slightly lower for older patients. Side effects: A few people may experience dry mouth and abdominal discomfort for a short period of time, but it does not affect continued medication. It has no toxic effect on the liver, kidneys and hematopoietic system.

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From "Cao Mu Bian Fang"

The above content is an introduction to the effects and functions of the Chinese medicinal herb Pentongcao. I hope it can be of some help to you. The culture of traditional Chinese medicine is profound and extensive. When treating diseases, we need to choose different medicines according to the different diseases to better help the body relieve troubles.