Lege Wang, also known as Jiuxin Lai, Gege Ma, Tiegu San, and Querma, is the stem and leaf of Wikstroemia indica (L.) C.A.Mey., a member of the Thymelaeaceae family. It is also referred to as Jiuxin Lai in the book "Sheng Cao Yao Xing Bei Yao" and as Lege Wang in the book "Lingnan Cai Yao Lu". The herb can be collected at any time of the year and can be used either dried or fresh after washing and cutting.
[Processing methods]
1. Lege Wang: Take the raw herb, remove impurities, wash and slightly moisten it, cut into short segments, and dry.
2. Processed Lege Wang: Take the raw herb, remove impurities, wash, steam for 4-5 hours, take out and let it cool, then cut into segments and dry. Alternatively, it can be steamed and dried nine times with alcohol.
[Appearance of herbal slices]
Lege Wang appears as irregular short segments, consisting of stems and leaves, some of which may include flowers and fruits. The outer skin of the stem segments is brownish-brown, while the leaves are tough and papery, almost leathery, and easily breakable. The intact leaves are long and elliptical with smooth edges. The flowers are yellowish-green and arranged in inflorescences. The fruits are oval-shaped and turn dark red to purple-black when ripe. Processed Lege Wang appears similar to Lege Wang segments but with a deeper color.
[Processing properties]
Lege Wang has a bitter, pungent, cold, and toxic nature. It has the functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, resolving phlegm, dispersing masses, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. Processing removes impurities from the herb, making it purer and easier to formulate and prepare. It is commonly used externally to treat heat-toxin sores, red-black bruises, contusions, swelling, snake and insect bites, etc. Internally, it is used to treat urinary difficulty, pertussis, leprosy, syphilis, etc. Processing with alcohol or prolonged decoction can reduce its toxicity and transform its cold nature to a cool one.
