Bloodmancao, a traditional Chinese herb, refers to the whole plant and roots of the honeysuckle family plant Lonicera fulvotomentosa. It is harvested in summer and autumn, and can be dried and chopped or used fresh. It is distributed in Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet and other places, and has the effects of promoting blood circulation, dispersing stasis, dispelling wind, and diuresis. So, what are the accompanying prescriptions of bloodmancao in traditional Chinese medicine?
【Accompanying Prescriptions of Bloodmancao】
1. Treatment of acute and chronic nephritis: Take 15 grams of bloodmancao, 30 grams of honeysuckle roots, 12 grams of mountain bark, and 12 grams of Siler divaricatum. Decoct and take orally. (From "Selected Compilation of Internal Medicine")
2. Treatment of rheumatic pain and rubella: Take an appropriate amount of bloodmancao. Decoct and use the decoction to wash the affected area externally.
3. Treatment of infantile paralysis and trauma: First use plum blossom needle to puncture the affected area, then grind the fresh stems and leaves of bloodmancao, and wrap them with wine.
4. Treatment of fractures: Take an appropriate amount of fresh bloodmancao, grind it into a paste, and apply it with wine or boiled water.
5. Treatment of edema: Take 9-15 grams of fresh bloodmancao leaves and root bark, and cook with tofu. (The following prescription is from "Yunnan Chinese Herbal Medicine")
6. Treatment of rectal bleeding and prolapse: Take bloodmancao, black Mei root, and hibiscus root, and cook with pork. (From "Commonly Used Traditional Herbs in Kunming")
【Morphology of Bloodmancao】
Bloodmancao is a perennial erect herbaceous plant that grows 1-2 meters tall. The roots are slender, cylindrical, horizontally grown, with numerous adventitious roots. The stems are round, with longitudinal lines, distinct nodes, and covered with coarse hairs. When broken, they exude red sap. The leaves are opposite, odd-pinnate compound, with prominent paired glands; the leaflets are 3-11, measuring 8-16 cm in length and 4-7 cm in width. The larger terminal leaflet is ovate, while the lateral leaflets are lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, gradually pointed at the tip, with fine serrations on the edges. The base is blunt or broadly wedge-shaped, and both sides are sparsely covered with coarse hairs. The lower side is lighter in color, with pinnate veins. The basal part of the terminal leaflet is often connected to the lower two pairs of leaflets. The leaf stalks often have leaf-like stipules at the base. The inflorescence is a conical corymb, with small, dense, white flowers, interspersed with yellow cup-shaped glands. The fruit is a berry-like drupe, black in color.
【Identification of Bloodmancao】
The stems of bloodmancao are cylindrical, with a diameter of 0.3-1.5 cm. The surface is grayish-green to green-brown, hard and brittle. The stems have multiple longitudinal ridges, and the grooves are covered with yellow-brown to rust-colored short hairs, with almost no hairs on the ridges. The outer layer of the stem is harder and woody. The pith is wide and white, with a spongy and slightly glossy texture, scattered with small brown-red dots, mostly on the outer side of the pith. The odd-pinnate compound leaves are opposite, and the leaflets are green-brown to dark green, with short stalks and short hairs. The leaflets are often wrinkled and broken, and when fully expanded, they are lanceolate in shape, measuring 5-15 cm in length and 2-4 cm in width, with serrated edges.
Flowers are occasionally seen, with a conical inflorescence at the apex, small in size, and pale yellow or white in color. The odor is slightly fragrant, and the taste is mild and slightly astringent. The color of the stem surface, the longitudinal ridges and hairs, the wide pith, and the scattered brown-red dots are the most characteristic identification points.
