Effects and functions of Arisaema

Do you know Arisaema? It is a common Chinese medicinal material and is very helpful for some diseases. Let me show you today.

【English name】 RHIZOMA ARISAEMATIS

[Other names] Arisaema, white arisaema, mountain corn, snake corn, mountain corn

[Source] This product is the dried tuber of Arisaema erubescens (Wall.) Schott., Arisaema heterophyllum Blume or Arisaema amurense Maxim. of the Araceae family . Dig it up when the stems and leaves wither in autumn and winter, remove the fibrous roots and outer bark, and dry it.

[Properties] This product is oblate spherical, 1 to 2 cm high and 1.5 to 6.5 cm in diameter. The surface is off-white or light brown, relatively smooth, with a sunken stem scar at the top and pockmarked root scars around it. Some tubers have small flat spherical lateral buds around them. It is hard, not easy to break, with an uneven cross section, white and powdery. Slightly spicy, hot and pungent taste.

【Identification】 This product is white powder. Starch granules are mainly single grains, spherical or oblong, with a diameter of 2 to 17 μm, with hilums, cracks, and faintly visible large-grain stratification; there are a few compound grains, consisting of 2 to 12 sub-granules. Calcium oxalate needles are present in scattered or bundled forms in mucous cells, with a length of 63 to 131 μm. Calcium oxalate prisms are often found in the thin-walled cells beside the ducts, with a diameter of 3 to 20 μm.

[Processing] Raw Arisaema : remove impurities, wash and dry. Prepare Arisaema (Ginger Arisaema): Take clean Arisaema and soak them in water according to their sizes. Change the water 2 to 3 times a day. If white foam appears, add alum after changing the water (add 2 kg of alum for every 100 kg of Arisaema). After soaking for one day, change the water again and take out the Arisaema when you cut it open and feel a slight numbness on your tongue. Put ginger slices and alum in a pot, add appropriate amount of water and boil, then pour in Arisaema consanguineum and cook until there is no dry core, take out, remove the ginger slices, dry until 40% to 60% dry, cut into thin slices, and dry. For every 100kg of Arisaema, use 12.5kg each of ginger and alum.

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter, pungent, warm; poisonous.

[return through] return the lung, liver and spleen meridians.

【Functions and indications】 Drying dampness and resolving phlegm, dispelling wind and arresting convulsions, dispersing stagnation and reducing swelling. It is used for cough due to stubborn phlegm, dizziness due to wind phlegm, phlegm congestion caused by stroke, facial paralysis, hemiplegia, epilepsy, convulsions, and tetanus. Used raw externally to treat carbuncles, snake and insect bites.

[Usage and Dosage] Generally used after processing, 3-9g; for external use, grind the raw product into powder and apply it to the affected area with vinegar or wine.

【Note】 Use with caution during pregnancy.

[Storage] Place in a ventilated and dry place to prevent mildew and moth.

[Remarks] (1) Poisoning by Arisaema can cause itching, burning, and swelling of the tongue and throat. In severe cases, it can lead to suffocation and respiratory arrest. For mild cases, it can be relieved by taking dilute vinegar or tannic acid, strong tea, egg white, licorice water, ginger soup, etc. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen and perform tracheotomy if necessary.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Pharmacopoeia

【Source】 "Supplement to Materia Medica"

The above is a brief introduction to Arisaema [Picture]. Through this we can understand that Arisaema [Picture] contains a variety of nutrients, which are very effective in treating and preventing some diseases. In daily life, everyone can eat it under the guidance of relevant people.