Three Needles, as a kind of Chinese herbal medicine, has many benefits. Let's take a look at the efficacy and clinical applications of Three Needles below.
Efficacy and Functions of Three Needles
According to traditional Chinese medicine, Three Needles has the effects of clearing heat, promoting diuresis, and dispersing stasis. It is mainly used to treat dysentery, jaundice, sore throat, red eyes, and injuries caused by falls.
1. "Classification of Medicinal Herbs": treats injuries from falls and hemoptysis caused by overexertion.
2. "Sichuan Materia Medica": it clears heat and detoxifies, has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. It is used to treat red eyes, dysentery, hemoptysis caused by overexertion, swollen throat, diarrhea, toothache, earache, and injuries caused by falls with redness and swelling.
3. "Guizhou Materia Medica": it has the functions of reducing fever, promoting diuresis, dispersing stasis, relieving pain, and cooling blood.
Original Plant Morphology of Three Needles
1. Feijiu
It is an evergreen shrub that can reach a height of 2 meters. The stem is cylindrical, slightly ribbed, smooth and hairless, and pale red when young. The flowers are clustered in groups of 4-8, yellow, with a diameter of about 1 centimeter;
The petals are inverted ovate, concave at the apex, with nectar glands at the base; the stamens are 6, opposite to the petals, with short filaments; the ovary has 2-3 embryo sacs, without a style, and the stigma is shield-shaped.
The berry is oval, 6-7 millimeters long, greenish-black or bluish-black, with a slight white powder; there are 2-3 seeds.
2. Mahonia fortunei
It is a deciduous shrub that is 1-2 meters tall. The branches are grooved, with greenish young branches and soft hairs, and yellowish-gray old branches, without hairs or nearly hairless. The thorns are often trident, 2-3 centimeters long.
The petals are pale yellow, 5 millimeters long; the ovary has 1-2 ovules. The berry is rectangular, 9 millimeters long, and blood-red.
3. Mahonia bealei
It is a deciduous shrub that is 1.6-2.5 meters tall. The roots are large and straight. The stem is erect or clustered, red when young; the flowers are small, 1-2 borne on short branches, with 6 yellow petals. The berry is elongated and red or purplish-black when ripe.
Clinical Applications
1. Damp-heat dysentery, jaundice, eczema
This herb has the bitter and cold properties of clearing heat and drying dampness. It enters the stomach and large intestine meridians to treat bloody dysentery. It can be used alone or in combination with other herbs such as Portulaca oleracea and Cortex Fraxini.
For the treatment of damp-heat jaundice, it can be used in combination with Herba Artemisiae Scopariae and Herba Lysimachiae.
For the treatment of eczema, the herb can be ground into powder and applied externally, or used in combination with Radix Isatidis and Talcum for external use.
2. Carbuncles, swollen and painful throat, red and painful eyes
This herb has the function of clearing heat and detoxifying, and can be used to treat carbuncles, swollen and painful throat. It can be used in combination with Honeysuckle Flower, Wild Chrysanthemum Flower, and Forsythia suspensa;
If treating red and painful eyes, it can be used in combination with Gentiana scabra, Plantago asiatica, and Gardenia jasminoides.
