Chinese herbal medicine, elm leaves are the leaves of the elm tree in the elm family. They are mostly distributed in central and southern China, southwest China, as well as Shaanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu and other places. They mostly grow on slopes, along roadsides, or near houses. They have a bitter and cold taste. Chinese herbal medicine elm leaves are used to treat dysmenorrhea!
Elm tree is a tall tree, reaching up to 25m in height. The one-year-old branches are densely covered with soft hairs. The leaves are alternate, with a hard papery texture. The leaf stalk is 1-4mm long, without stipules. The elm tree leaves are elliptical-ovate, narrow-ovate, or lanceolate-ovate in shape. The apex is gradually pointed, the base is wide-wedge-shaped or nearly circular, rough on the upper surface with deciduous stiff hairs, and densely covered with soft hairs on the lower surface. The margin has single serrations, and there are 7-15 pairs of lateral veins.
The flowers are unisexual, rarely mixed, with both male and female flowers on the same tree. The male flowers are clustered in the leaf axils or bract axils of the lower part of the new branches, and the female flowers are 1-3 in the leaf axils of the upper part of the new branches. The perianth has 4-5 segments. The stamens are the same number as the perianth segments and opposite to them. The female flowers have only one pistil, one chamber in the ovary, and two oblique styles. The upper part of the fruit is inclined, with a diameter of 2.5-4mm. The flowering period is from March to April, and the fruiting period is from October to November.
Chinese herbal medicine elm leaves have the functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, and cooling the blood. They are mainly used for treating ulcers, swelling and pain, as well as bleeding and excessive discharge during menstruation. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding refers to women experiencing heavy bleeding from the vagina outside of their menstrual period, or continuous bleeding. It is also known as "bleeding and discharge during menstruation". Sudden bleeding with a rapid onset and a large amount of blood is called "bleeding", while slower bleeding with a smaller amount of blood is called "discharge". These two conditions often convert to each other, hence the term "bleeding and discharge". It is equivalent to the scope of "functional uterine bleeding" in modern medicine.
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding is a general term for vaginal bleeding in women outside of their menstrual period. Clinically, vaginal bleeding is the main manifestation. When the bleeding is sudden and the amount is large, it is called "bleeding". When the bleeding is less or continuous, it is called "discharge". Functional uterine bleeding, reproductive organ inflammation, tumors, and other conditions that cause vaginal bleeding in women are all within the scope of dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding is a more serious and complex symptom among menstrual disorders in women.
