The herb Gonglao Mu, also known as Tuhuangbo or Ten Great Merits, is mentioned in the book "Yin Pian Xin Can". It is the stem of the Mahonia bealei (Fort.) Carr. or Mahonia fortunei (Lindl) Fedde, which belongs to the Berberidaceae family. It can be harvested throughout the year and is cut into pieces and dried.
【Processing Method】Take the raw herb, wash it clean, soak it until it is about 60-70% translucent, remove it, moisten it thoroughly, cut it into thin slices, and dry it.
【Appearance】Irregular thin slices, with a thin brown cortex and a yellow wood section. Visible concentric rings and closely arranged radial patterns, with a darker pith. Hard texture. Odorless, bitter taste.
【Processing Effects】Gonglao Mu has a bitter and cold taste. It enters the stomach and large intestine meridians. It has the functions of clearing heat and dampness, purging fire, and detoxifying. Processing it makes the herb clean and facilitates the dissolution of medicinal components, making it easier to formulate and prepare into medicines. It is used for damp-heat diarrhea, jaundice, red and swollen eyes, toothache due to stomach fire, sores, abscesses, dysentery, and acute icteric hepatitis. It can be decocted with the roots of Gardenia jasminoides and the leaves of Punica granatum to treat enteritis and dysentery (Zhejiang Medicinal Plant Compendium). Decoctions of Gonglao Mu can be used for frequent gargling to treat toothache caused by fire (Hunan Medicinal Plant Compendium).
