In addition to motherwort, women need it more

When I was a child, I saw my grandfather treating other female friends and he often used two medicines, one was motherwort and the other was verbena. I was very puzzled at the time. As the name suggests, motherwort is a grass that is beneficial to women. Why should verbena be used in combination with motherwort?

My grandfather patiently explained to me that verbena, also known as iron whip, dragon tooth grass, phoenix neck grass, purple-top dragon bud grass, and wild nepeta, is the dried above-ground part of the perennial herb Verbena officinalis L. of the Verbenaceae family. It is usually harvested when the flowers bloom from June to August, and after impurities are removed and dried, it can be used as medicine.

Verbena grows mostly on roadsides, village edges, fields, hillsides, etc., and is quite common among the people. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that verbena is bitter and cool in nature; it has the effects of promoting blood circulation and dispersing blood stasis, stopping malaria, detoxifying, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling; it is suitable for symptoms such as accumulation of masses, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, malaria, laryngeal paralysis, carbuncle, edema, and hot stranguria.

"Bencao Gangmu" believes that verbena "regulates menstruation, treats women's blood and qi bloating, and irregular menstruation", so it is often used with motherwort to treat menstrual disorders, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea and other symptoms. And according to my grandfather, he used motherwort and verbena to solve many women's diseases. If motherwort is the "special medicine" for women's health, then verbena is the "holy medicine" for women's health.

It is recorded in ancient prescription books that verbena can be used to treat amenorrhea in women. The specific usage is to take 500 grams of verbena roots and seedlings, grind them into fine pieces, add 500 ml of water, boil them into 100 ml, remove the residue and boil them into a paste. Take half a spoon each time, dissolve it with hot wine, twice a day. Verbena can also treat mastitis. Use a handful of verbena, a bowl of wine, and a piece of ginger, mash them together to make juice and take it orally, then apply the residue to the affected area.

In fact, verbena has many uses, far more than just treating female diseases. For example, for malaria and chills and fever, you can mash 50 ml of verbena juice, add 20 ml of wine, and take it in two doses. For example, for dysentery, you can use 15 grams of verbena and a pinch of old tea, decocted in water and taken, which has a better effect. If dysentery is just beginning, you can dry the verbena roots, crush them into powder, take one spoonful each time, and wash it down with rice soup.

Verbena is also very good at promoting diuresis and reducing swelling. For example, for bloating, thirst, dry body, black body and thinness, you can grind the verbena into small pieces, dry it, add wine or water and cook it until the flavor comes out, remove the residue and take it warm. For example, for abdominal edema, you can use 100 grams of verbena and sage each, add 1000 milliliters of water, boil 500 milliliters, remove the residue, boil it again, and make it into pills with powder, as big as soybeans, take two or three pills each time. For example, for scrotal swelling and pain (swelling, testicular pain), you can mash the verbena and apply it to the affected area.

Verbena can also remove pus and can be used for various sores. It is pointed out in "Essentials of Raw Medicinal Herbs" that verbena "can remove pus, wash away hemorrhoids, and reduce upper body heat", so it is well-deserved to be able to treat various sores. For example, for scabies that are extremely itchy, you can mash verbena juice, drink half a bowl of it raw, and avoid touching iron objects. It will be cured in ten days. For internal and external hemorrhoids, you can use 30 grams of dried verbena root and a piece of pig large intestine, stew them in boiling water, and take it once a day.

Verbena represents innocence and the expectation of love returning. It is also a holy medicine for women's health. Most women can use verbena, but it is a taboo medicine for pregnant women and needs to be treated with caution.