Bitter Melia Bark, also known as Toosendan Bark, Melia Bark, or Melia Root Bark, is the bark and root bark of Melia toosendan sieb.et Zucc., a plant of the Mahogany family, or Melia azedarach L. It is collected in spring and autumn, and dried in the sun, or the rough bark is removed and dried.
【Processing Method】According to "Taiping Shenghui Fang": "File." According to "Boji Fang": "Cut finely." According to "Doumen Fang": "Remove the rough parts and dry it in the oven." According to "Medical Outline": "Remove the bark." Currently, the raw material is taken, impurities are removed, washed, soaked, cut into strips, and dried.
【Appearance of the medicinal slices】Irregular grooved or semi-cylindrical strips. The outer surface is gray-brown or grayish-brown, and the stripped ones are light yellow. The inner surface is white or light yellow. The cross-section is fibrous, layered, and easily peeled off. It is tough and not easily broken. It has a slight odor and a bitter taste.
【Processing effect】Bitter Melia Bark has a bitter and cold nature; it is toxic. It enters the liver, spleen, and stomach meridians. It has the functions of expelling parasites and treating tinea. It is mostly used internally for the treatment of ascariasis, enterobiasis, and abdominal pain due to intestinal parasites; externally for the treatment of scabies, tinea, and itching. For example, the Toosendan Bark slices are used to treat roundworms, whipworms, pinworms, and hookworms (according to "Annotations on Medicinal Preparations"); Bitter Melia Powder is used to treat chronic ulcers (according to "Collection of Surgical Formulas"). Processing makes the medicinal material clean and facilitates the blending and dissolution of its components.
