What are the ten magical uses of crane grass?

Crane grass, also known as melon grass, is a plant of the Rosaceae family. It can usually be harvested in summer and autumn. This plant is a perennial herb and generally does not grow very tall. It is also a Chinese medicinal material and plays an important role in drug applications. We use it in many places when treating diseases. It is a particularly powerful plant. Let us learn about the ten wonderful uses of crane grass.

(I) Blood evidence

Herba Centifoliae is bitter and astringent in nature, and has the effect of astringing and stopping bleeding. The centifolia in it can shorten the clotting time and increase the platelet count, making it a holy medicine for stopping bleeding. It can be used regardless of cold, heat, deficiency or excess. For example, if there is hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis, Professor Shi would use 30-50g of this product, add a large bowl of water, boil it into a concentrated decoction and take it frequently, and the bleeding would stop immediately. For nosebleed in teenagers, 30g of this product, 10g of Scrophularia, 10g of Poria, 10g of Dioscorea, 15g of Imperata Root, 15g of Lotus Root Node, 15g of Rehmannia Glutinosa, 10g of Achyranthes Bidentata, 15g of Rehmannia Glutinosa, 10g of Radix Trichosanthis, and 6g of Licorice are often used. Decocted in water and taken once a day, with good results. For severe gastrointestinal bleeding, 30g of this product is often used in combination with Guipi Decoction, which has a unique therapeutic effect. I once treated a patient with massive bleeding caused by peptic ulcer. He received a total of about 3000ml of blood transfusion and was treated with Losec, Reptilase, posterior pituitary hormone, Yunnan Baiyao, etc., but to no avail. After taking one dose of the prescription, the bleeding stopped and the patient was out of danger. For hematuria, 30g of this product is often used in combination with syndrome differentiation decoctions for quicker results. For thrombocytopenic purpura, take 30g of this medicine together with raw rehmannia, scrophularia, processed Polygonum multiflorum, fructus ligustris, herba ecliptae, notoginseng, forsythia, placenta, etc., and add or subtract the dosage according to the symptoms, and it can often cure the disease completely.

(ii) Dysentery and enteritis

"Southern Yunnan Materia Medica" says that it can treat "red and white bloody dysentery". My teacher, Professor Shi Enjun, always uses 30g of this product in combination with Gegenqinlian Decoction, Shaoyao Decoction, etc. to treat acute and chronic enteritis and acute and chronic dysentery, all with good results. It is generally believed that this product has astringent properties and is suitable for treating chronic diarrhea. In fact, this is not the case, as it has the function of detoxifying and reducing swelling. It can be used for acute cases without the disadvantage of keeping the enemy inside, so it can be used with confidence.

3. Various types of heart disease

"Modern Practical Chinese Medicine" calls Herba Centipelagoae "a strong astringent and hemostatic agent that also has a cardiotonic effect." The book "Shi Jinmo's Medicine Duiyao" also records the experience that "Herba scabra and donkey-hide gelatin are good at treating various heart diseases". It believes that donkey-hide gelatin is mainly used to nourish the blood and nourish the heart, while herba scabra is mainly used to strengthen the heart and regulate heart rhythm. It is most suitable for those with heart diseases with symptoms of insufficient heart yin. The author tried to apply it in clinical practice and achieved gratifying results.

(IV) Spontaneous sweating and night sweats

Spontaneous sweating and night sweats are caused by imbalance of yin and yang, loose pores and nutritional imbalance. It is generally believed that spontaneous sweating is mostly due to yang deficiency, and night sweats are mostly due to yin deficiency. However, they both have loose pores and leakage of body fluids as common pathogenesis. Because Herba Centifoliae has good astringent and firming effects, it can be used for both spontaneous sweating and night sweats. Generally, patients can be cured by taking 30-50g of this product and 10-20 jujubes as decoction. For stubborn cases, it is appropriate to combine syndrome differentiation and prescription with medicine. For example, for those with yin deficiency, the medicine of Danggui Liuhuang Decoction and Maiwei Dihuang Pills is modified; for those with qi deficiency, the medicine of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction is modified; for those with disharmony between the Ying and Wei systems, the medicine of Guiji Decoction is modified; for those with stagnation of evil heat, the medicine of Longdan Xiegan Decoction is modified, etc.

(V) Chronic cough

In our area, people usually take 30-50g of this product as decoction to treat long-term cough, and achieve good results. It is generally believed that this is related to the product's ability to tonify deficiency and astringe. Because Qi is weak and the body is deficient, the body cannot overcome the evil, and the remaining evil cannot be cleared, which will lead to prolonged cough. Prolonged cough will consume Qi and damage the body, causing deficiency of lung and spleen qi, coagulation of body fluid, internal generation of phlegm and dampness, and failure of the lung to clear and clear, which will make the cough worse. Herba Centipede is known as "better than ginseng" for its tonic effect. It also has astringent properties, can strengthen the body and eliminate evil, astringe and suppress cough. It is quite suitable for treating the above symptoms, and can cure long-term cough.

(VI) Low back pain

Lumbar pain refers to a type of disease with pain on one or both sides of the waist as the main symptom due to external pathogens or trauma to the waist, kidney deficiency, and other factors that lead to imbalance in the circulation of qi and blood, tight blood vessels, and malnutrition of the waist. Clinically, it is often treated by tonifying the kidney and strengthening the waist, removing pathogens and activating blood circulation. The herb Herba Centipelagoae has a good tonic and strengthening effect, and "Compendium of Materia Medica in Southern Yunnan" claims that it can cure "low back pain". "Baicao Jing" says that it can "reduce qi and activate blood circulation." "Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica" says it can cure sprains and bruises. "Illustrated Catalogue of Plant Names and Realities" says that it can "treat wind-phlegm-induced lower back pain." Modern pharmacology studies have also confirmed that this product has significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, so when doctors use it to treat low back pain, they often choose this product.

7. Mumps

This disease is called "mumps" in traditional Chinese medicine and is an infectious disease. School-age children are more susceptible to infection. The disease can occur in all seasons, but is more common in winter and spring. The clinical feature of this disease is parotid gland swelling centered on the earlobe. It is generally believed that external wind evil, internal accumulation of dampness and heat, and toxic obstruction of the Shaoyang meridian are the important causes of this disease. Therefore, the treatment is mostly based on clearing the liver and gallbladder, dispelling wind and detoxifying, and softening and reducing swelling. The herb Herba Centipede is said in Bencao Qiuyuan to have the ability to reduce swelling. "Hunan Pharmacopoeia" says that it can "dispel wind and cold, relieve fever and eliminate dampness." When treating patients, the author always uses Herba Centipedae ​​as a medicine, and combines it with Herba Gentianae, Baical Scutellariae, Folium Isatidis, Herba Taraxaci, Radix Bupleuri, Bombyx Batryticatus, Periostracum Cicadae, Spica Prunellae, and Radix Glycyrrhizae, adding or subtracting the ingredients according to the symptoms, and usually 1-2 doses are enough to achieve significant effects. In addition, if you mash fresh agrimony and add a little aged vinegar to apply to the affected area, the therapeutic effect will be more significant.

8. Irregular menstruation

"Compendium of Materia Medica in Southern Yunnan" states that it "treats women's pre- or post-menstrual period, red or white vaginal discharge." My teacher, Professor Shi Enjun, uses 30g of this product fried into charcoal, combined with 15g of lotus root nodes and 30g of cuttlefish bones to treat intermenstrual bleeding and metrorrhagia. In case of early, late or irregular menstruation, it is necessary to combine it with Chinese medicine differentiation. In addition, for the menstruation of old women, the combination of 30g of Houttuynia cordata, 15g of Ligustrum lucidum, 30g each of calcined dragon bone and oyster shell (pre-boiled), 15g of deer tongue grass, and 10 jujubes is also effective. It can be used for leucorrhea, whether red or leucorrhea.

(IX) Megaloblastic anemia

This disease is a type of anemia caused by folic acid, vitamin B12 deficiency or other reasons that lead to DNA synthesis disorders. The onset is slow, and the clinical features include anemia, gastrointestinal symptoms, and nervous system symptoms. In addition to focusing on eliminating or correcting the causes of the disease, modern medicine's main treatment method is to supplement the deficient vitamins - folic acid or B12. Traditional Chinese medicine classifies it as "deficiency and fatigue", which is caused by deficiency of both spleen and kidney, and insufficient essence and blood. The treatment is mainly to tonify the kidney and marrow, strengthen the spleen and nourish the blood. The herb Crane Head Herb has the effect of tonifying and strengthening the body. "Wen Tang Ji Yan Fang" records that "six coins of Crane Head Herb, five red dates, decocted in water and taken" is used to treat deficiency. My teacher, Professor Shi Enjun, often uses this herb as a medicine in clinical practice, and combines it with ginseng, astragalus, placenta, white atractylodes, antler glue, Millettia reticulata, forsythia, rehmannia glutinosa, aconite root and other herbs, and has achieved many therapeutic results.

(10) Cancer

The name "cancer" was first seen in "Wei Ji Bao Shu" in the Song Dynasty. The causes of cancer are mostly external evil toxins, depression of the seven emotions, irregular diet and daily life, which lead to imbalance of qi and blood in the internal organs or accumulation of phlegm, dampness and stasis. Clinically, it is generally treated with comprehensive therapies such as clearing away heat and detoxifying, strengthening the body, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and some are effective. The herb Herba Centifoliae has the functions of strengthening the body, replenishing the deficiency, clearing away heat and detoxifying, which is well known to patients. In addition, it also has the power to activate blood circulation. As stated in "Baicao Jing", it can "relieve qi and activate blood circulation". The effect of this herb can encompass all the anti-cancer methods, which is rare! Therefore, this product is often used in the treatment of cancer. At the same time, modern medical research has also confirmed that Herba Agrimoniae extract has a significant inhibitory effect on cancer cells. In addition, it can also increase the number of white blood cells and enhance the body's immunity. Japan's "Kanpo Research" also believes that traditional chemotherapy drugs kill both cancer cells and normal cells, while cranesbill can kill cancer cells and benefit normal cells, making it a rare anti-cancer Chinese medicine. It can be seen from this that the anti-cancer effect of Herba Centipelagoae Preparata is consistent with both Chinese and Western pharmacology and is worthy of further exploration.

Through the above introduction, we know the ten wonderful uses of cranesbill. It is also a Chinese medicinal material that can be planted at ordinary times. However, when using it, we need to remember not to use it blindly to prevent bad effects on the body. It must be used under the guidance of a doctor.