In rural areas, there are many wild flowers and fruits, but people don't know their benefits and therefore don't use them. However, in the eyes of traditional Chinese medicine, they are precious for treating diseases and promoting health. And sour vine wood is one of these wild plants.
【Benefits and Uses of Sour Vine Wood】
1. "Lu Chuan Materia Medica": Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial. Used to treat oral inflammation, pharyngitis, gingivitis, ulcers, etc. It can also detoxify the poison of big tea, wood mushrooms, and castor beans.
2. "Pharmaceutical Chronicles of Nanning City": Insecticidal, anti-swelling, aids digestion. Used externally for bruises, sores. Taken internally for treating internal and external hemorrhoids (also used for washing), sore throat, and foot pain (caused by dog bites).
3. "Common Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine Handbook of Guangzhou Troops": Promotes blood circulation, relieves pain, astringes, stops diarrhea. Used to treat bruises from falls, enteritis and diarrhea, and throat swelling.
【Identification of Sour Vine Wood】
The leaves are often curled, and when flattened, they are inverted egg-shaped to elliptical, 3-5.5 cm long and 1-2.5 cm wide. The tips are blunt or slightly concave, and the bases are wedge-shaped, with smooth edges and inconspicuous lateral veins.
The petioles are short, 5-3 mm long. Sometimes small cylindrical branches can be seen, varying in length, with a purple-brown color. The scent is faint, and the taste is sour.
Sour vine wood can be harvested all year round. It can be used fresh or dried after washing and cutting into sections. The fruit is spherical, with a diameter of about 5 mm, and the glandular dots are not obvious. The flowering period is from December to March of the following year, and the fruiting period is from April to June.
【Clinical Applications of Sour Vine Wood】
Sour vine wood has the effects of promoting blood circulation, reducing swelling, dispelling wind, promoting fetal safety, clearing heat, detoxifying, and relieving pain. It is commonly used to treat enteritis, oral inflammation, pharyngitis, abscesses, bruises, and sore throat. Sour vine wood can also be used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
The most valuable parts of sour vine wood are its roots and leaves, which can be used medicinally. "Handbook of Common Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine in Hainan Island" records its detoxifying and anti-swelling effects. The fresh leaves can be crushed and the juice can be applied externally to treat skin itching, etc.
In folk medicine, rural people often use sour vine wood to treat oral inflammation. The method is to boil sour vine wood in water, and then use the boiled water to rinse the mouth, which can effectively treat oral inflammation.
