Baogai Grass is a traditional Chinese medicine that has the effects of clearing heat and dampness, promoting blood circulation, dispelling wind, reducing swelling, and detoxifying. So what is the growing environment of Baogai Grass, where does it specifically grow, and how is it stored?
Baogai Grass
What is Baogai Grass
Baogai Grass, also known as Lamium amplexicaule, is the whole plant of the plant species in the Lamiaceae family. It is harvested in spring and summer, washed, and used fresh or dried.
Taste and Function: Pungent, bitter, and neutral.
Main Functions: Promotes blood circulation and opens the meridians; detoxifies and reduces swelling. It is used for injuries, bone fractures, tendon pain, numbness in the limbs, hemiplegia, facial paralysis, jaundice, rhinitis, lymphadenitis, swelling, and ulcers.
Usage and Dosage: 3-5 qian (approximately 9-15 grams). For external use, apply an appropriate amount of the herb as a poultice or grind it into a powder and sprinkle it on the affected area.
Habitat and Distribution of Baogai Grass
Baogai Grass grows in places such as roadsides, grassy areas, and gardens.
It is distributed in Northeast China, Northwest China, East China, Central China, and Southwest China.
Storage of Baogai Grass
It is harvested and stored by drying the whole plant in summer, or using it fresh.
Baogai Grass
Prescriptions for Treating Diseases with Baogai Grass
①Treatment for injuries from falls, fractures, and tendon damage:
Take 2 liang of Baogai Grass, 1 liang of purple kudzu root (grated), 1 liang of dendrobium (grated), 1 (2) liang of morinda, 1 liang of cloves, 1 liang of Xuduan, and 1 liang of asarum (wrap it in dough and cook until done).
Grind the above ingredients into a coarse powder. Take it with warm wine, about 2 qian (approximately 6 grams) each time. (From "Shenghui Fang" - Baogai Grass Powder)
②Treatment for injuries from falls, foot injuries, and red swelling that prevents walking:
Take Baogai Grass, hemp root, and thistle.
Mash them together with egg white and honey, then apply the mixture to the affected area. Change it once a night. If the pain persists, add green onions and ginger to the mixture.
③Treatment for phlegm-fire and red swelling and pain in the hands and feet:
Take 5 qian of Baogai Grass, 2 qian of chicken foot thorn root, and 2 qian of turmeric.
Mash them together and burn them with liquor to make a poultice. Apply it to the affected area three times. After the swelling subsides and the pain stops, add Chinese violet, white atractylodes, and Sichuan lovage to the mixture. Remove the turmeric and chicken foot thorn root, and boil the mixture with water and liquor three times for oral administration.
④Treatment for lumps on the legs of women, which are red, swollen, and hard like peaches or plums:
Take 3 qian of Baogai Grass. Boil it in water, then take the boiled water with liquor. If the lumps recur, add Rhodiola, windproof, and tiger's paw grass and take it three times. (The second prescription is from "Dian Nan Ben Cao")
⑤Treatment for lymph node tuberculosis:
㈠ Take 1 or 2 liang of tender Baogai Grass shoots and 2 eggs, stir-fry them together and eat them.
㈡ Take 2 or 3 liang of Baogai Grass and 2 or 3 eggs. Cook them together, remove the shells when the eggs are cooked, and continue to cook for half an hour. Eat the eggs and drink the soup.
㈢ Take 2 liang of fresh Baogai Grass, mash it and extract the juice. Boil the juice and drink it after it boils.
Take these prescriptions once every other day, and continue for three to four times. (From "Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual" by Su Yi)
⑥Treatment for facial paralysis and hemiplegia:
Take Baogai Grass, windproof, hook vine, and gallbladder star. Boil them in water, and take the boiled water mixed with water and liquor. Take half of the mixture. (From "Dian Nan Ben Cao")
