Night-blooming cereus, also known as Shouwu vine, is mentioned in the book "Benjing Fengyuan". It is the stem or leaf-bearing stem of the plant Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. of the knotweed family. The stems with leaves are harvested in summer and autumn, or the stems are dissected and harvested in autumn and winter, removing any remaining leaves. They are then bundled and dried in the sun or dried with heat.
[Processing method] Remove impurities, rinse or soak, cut into sections, and dry.
[Appearance of the herbal medicine] It is irregular and segmented, a mixture of stems and leaves. The surface of the stem is reddish-brown or brownish-brown, rough, with obvious twisted longitudinal wrinkles and small round skin pores. The nodes are slightly swollen with branching marks. The outer skin is thin and can be peeled off. The texture is brittle and easily breaks. The cross-section has a reddish-brown bark and a light yellow wood, with obvious duct holes and a white, loose medulla in the center. It has no odor, a slightly bitter and astringent taste.
[Processing effects] Night-blooming cereus has a sweet and slightly bitter taste, and is neutral in nature. It enters the heart and liver meridians. It has the functions of nourishing the heart, calming the mind, dispelling wind, and promoting blood circulation. It is used for insomnia with frequent dreaming, body pain due to blood deficiency, rheumatism and arthritis; externally, it is used to treat itching skin. For example, when the night-blooming cereus is decocted in water, it can treat restlessness, insomnia with frequent dreaming (Zhejiang Medicinal Plants); when used together with Cangerzi, it can treat itching skin (Anhui Herbal Medicine). The process of cleaning and cutting is beneficial for purifying the medicine and extracting effective ingredients.
[Processing research] The processing of night-blooming cereus is currently included in the "Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China", which describes the method of cleaning and cutting into sections. In other regions, soaking and cutting into sections methods are also used (Hubei, Xi'an, Henan, etc.), as well as moistening and cutting into sections methods (Shandong, Suzhou, Shanxi, etc.) and soaking and cutting into sections methods (Zhejiang, Changsha, Shanghai, Beijing, etc.).
