Chinese herbal medicine Xi Xie Cao, mainly produced in Fujian, Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang and other places, often grows in warm and humid areas such as hillsides, roadsides, and wastelands. Xi Xie Cao is commonly used for rheumatic pain, weakness of tendons and bones, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, paralysis of the limbs, hemiplegia, wind rash, and damp sores.
【Basic Information of Xi Xie Cao】
Xi Xie Cao Source: The dried aerial part of the Compositae plant Xi Xie, Xian Geng Xi Xie, or Mao Geng Xi Xie.
It can be harvested before the flowering season in summer and the flowering period. Remove impurities and dry.
Characteristics: The stem of this product is slightly square-shaped, branching, 30-110cm long, and 0.3-1cm in diameter;
The surface is gray-green, yellow-brown, or purple-brown, with longitudinal grooves and fine longitudinal lines, covered with gray soft hair;
The nodes are obvious, slightly swollen; the texture is brittle, easy to break, the cross-section is yellow-white or green, the pith is wide, white, and hollow.
Leaves are opposite, the leaflets are wrinkled and curled, and when flattened, they are oval-shaped, gray-green, with blunt serrations on the edges, and both sides have white soft hair, with 3 main veins.
Some may have yellow head-like inflorescences, and the involucral bracts are spoon-shaped. It has a faint smell and a slightly bitter taste.
Processing: Xi Xie Cao, remove impurities, wash, slightly moisten, cut into sections, and dry.
Alcohol-processed Xi Xie Cao: Take sections of Xi Xie Cao, steam them with wine (Appendix Ⅱ D) until fully steamed. For every 100kg of Xi Xie Cao, use 20kg of yellow wine.
【Usage and Precautions of Xi Xie Cao】
Recommended consumption: Xi Xie Cao is suitable for people with rheumatic pain, weakness of tendons and bones, weakness of the waist and knees, stroke, facial and eye deviation, hemiplegia, wind rash, animal bites, malaria, jaundice, and other conditions, especially for patients with damp-heat type rheumatic pain.
Not recommended for consumption: People without rheumatic conditions should be cautious in taking it.
Expert advice: Xi Xie Cao is suitable for raw consumption for clearing heat and detoxifying, and suitable for processed consumption for dispelling wind and dampness, and promoting blood circulation. It is best to store it in a well-ventilated and dry place to prevent mold growth and affect the efficacy of the medicine.
【Benefits and Functions of Xi Xie Cao】
1. Dispelling wind, eliminating dampness, and promoting blood circulation
Used for rheumatic pain, namely rheumatoid arthritis, Xi Xie Cao has the effects of dispelling wind, promoting blood circulation, and benefiting the joints. It is often used in combination with Dang Gui, Wu Jia Pi, Hai Feng Teng, etc. It can also be made into powder and processed with wine steaming, and then made into honey pills for consumption.
Used for sequelae of stroke, hemiplegia, numbness of limbs, Xi Xie Cao is used to promote blood circulation and regulate qi, often used in combination with Huang Qi, Dang Gui, Di Long, etc.
2. Drying dampness and eliminating wind-itch
Used for skin wind rash, damp sores and itching, it can be used in combination with Bai Xian Pi, Cang Er Zi, etc.
3. Treating malaria
Used for malaria, take 30g of Xi Xie Cao, decoct in water and divide into 2 doses.
