Acanthopanax

Acanthopanax

(manual of common Chinese herbal medicine in Qinghai)

[synonym] cortex acanthopanae.

[source] it is the stem bark of Berberidaceae.

[plant morphology] Berberis amurensis

Deciduous shrub, about 2 m tall. The old branches are grayish yellow, with sparse small verrucous processes, and the spines are often solitary or without spines. Leaves thick, suborbicular, oblong or broadly elliptic, 3-6 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide, apex obtuse, base rounded, margin spiny serrate, dark yellowish green above and bright yellowish green below, without white powder; petiole usually 2-4 cm long. The raceme has 15-30 flowers, 3.5-6 cm in length, yellow flowers, 5-6 mm in diameter, sepals 6, 2 whorls, petals obovate, 3 mm in length, stamens 6, ovary 1-2 ovules. Inflorescence erect; berry elliptic, 6-7 mm long, 5 mm in diameter, red, without white powder.

It grows in the mountain shrub. It is distributed in Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Hubei, Henan and Hebei.

[collection] from April to may, when buds begin to sprout and leaves grow, cut down the relatively rented stems, scrape off the coarse bark, remove the wood core, take the yellow cortex and phloem, and dry them in the sun.

Bitter, cold.

Functions and indications: clearing away heat and dampness, purging fire and detoxifying. Treatment of dysentery, hematochezia, damp heat jaundice, swelling and pain of lower limbs, hot flashes, night sweats, wind fire, eye pain, chylous, tongue sores, mastitis and carbuncle sores.

[prescription selection] ① treatment of dysentery and hematochezia: acanthopanax and Radix Paeoniae Rubra. Take it in water.

② Treatment of dampness heat jaundice: huangcipi Sanqian, jiaoshanzhi Sanqian, rhubarb Erqian. Take it in water.

③ Treatment of lower limb swelling and pain: yellow thorn skin half money, Atractylodes two money. Take it in water.

④ Treatment of hot flashes and night sweats: yellow thorn skin half money, Anemarrhena three money, ripe four money, tortoise shell four money. Take it in water.

⑤ Treatment of wind fire, eye pain, mouth erosion, tongue sores: huangcipi Decoction wash or gargle.

⑥ Treatment of mastitis and a variety of carbuncle sores at the beginning: yellow thorn skin grinding powder, add chicken egg white to apply the affected area.