What are the effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Bletilla striata?

In our lives, Chinese herbal medicines can be seen at any time. Many friends disagree, saying that they rarely go outdoors, so how can they see Chinese herbal medicines, unless they are in a pharmacy. In fact, Chinese herbal medicine covers a wide range of categories, and many of the foods we eat every day can be considered Chinese herbal medicines, such as ginger, jujube, etc. So, what is the effect of the Chinese herbal medicine Bletilla striata in traditional Chinese medicine treatment?

Bletilla striata is bitter, astringent, and cold in nature, sticky and astringent in texture, and enters the lung, stomach, and liver meridians. It has the functions of astringing, stopping bleeding, reducing swelling, and promoting tissue regeneration. Pharmacological studies have confirmed that Bletilla striata contains a large amount of mucus, including a variety of polysaccharides, volatile oils, and starch. It can shorten coagulation time and inhibit fibrinolysis, and can form artificial thrombus to stop bleeding. In addition, in vitro tests have a significant inhibitory effect on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Because Bletilla striata can enhance the toxicity of aconitine, the “Eighteen Antidotes” clearly state that it should not be used together with Aconitum.

Traditionally, Bletilla striata is used in two main aspects:

1. Astringent and hemostatic. It can treat various bleeding syndromes such as hemoptysis, hematemesis, traumatic bleeding, blood in the stool, and epistaxis. It is particularly good at treating pulmonary bleeding, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and traumatic bleeding. Clinical experience shows that Bletilla striata is more effective in stopping bleeding when ground into powder and taken orally rather than in decoction. Generally 5 to 10 grams of powder is used. However, special methods can be used for certain bleeding. For example, for traumatic bleeding, fresh products can be mashed and applied externally or sterilized white hyacinth powder can be sprayed. To treat nosebleeds, you can use a small tube to blow the fine powder into the nasal cavity. For the treatment of bleeding from gastric and duodenal ulcers, you can take capsules filled with Bletilla striata powder orally; or take 4 grams of Bletilla striata powder and 2 grams of rhubarb powder with cold boiled water on an empty stomach, 3 times a day; or cook porridge with 15 grams of Bletilla striata powder, 100 grams of glutinous rice, 25 grams of honey and 5 dates (add Bletilla striata powder later) and eat it twice a day.

2. Reduce swelling, promote tissue regeneration, and repair wounds. It can treat sores, burns, chapped hands and feet, anal fissures, ulcers that do not heal for a long time, inflammatory external hemorrhoids, skin wounds and chronic ulcers. For the treatment of sores and swellings, those in the initial stage can be treated with honeysuckle, soapberry, and radix trichosanthis; for those that have ulcerated and do not heal, they can be ground into powder and applied externally. For treating burns and scalds, you can mix Japanese knotweed with it to make a medicinal film for external use. For treating chapped hands and feet, anal fissures, grind it into powder and mix with sesame oil for application, or mix with vaseline to make an ointment and apply to the affected area. To treat skin wounds and chronic ulcers, you can use fine or fresh Bletilla striata powder and mash it for external application; you can also use Bletilla striata gauze for external application. This gauze is made by mixing Bletilla striata powder and Angelica charcoal powder in a ratio of 6:4 with a small amount of borneol powder. Bottle it, disinfect it, add normal saline to make a 10% paste, apply it on the gauze, apply it on the clean wound, and then cover it with a warm saline gauze pad. To treat frostbite, take 10 grams of Bletilla striata, add 20 grams of tangerine peel, grind into fine powder, mix with sesame oil and apply to the affected area once a day. For the treatment of oral mucosal diseases, grind the powder and mix it with sugar in a ratio of 2:3, apply it to the affected area, press with a cotton ball for 15 minutes, and temporarily refrain from eating or rinsing your mouth.