Qinggang ointment

Qinggang ointment

(commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in Tibet)

[source] it is a paste made from the leaves of Quercus altissima, a Fagaceae plant.

[plant morphology] Quercus altissima

Evergreen trees, up to 30 m high. It is often shrubby on the top of open mountains; its young branches are rusty and pilose. Leaves alternate, elliptic to oblong, 3-8 cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide, apex rounded or obtuse, base rounded to shallowly cordate, entire or dentate serrate, rust colored pubescence when young, only waxy rust colored villi below except midvein when old, 6-8 pairs of lateral veins; petioles short. The flowers are monoecious; the male inflorescence is a drooping catkin; the female inflorescence is 1-2, clustered in leaf axils. Fruit 1-3 on stem 0.5-1 cm long; cupule discoid, enclosing base of nut, inner surface densely covered with villi; bracts ovate oblong to lanceolate, obtuse, apex separated from cupule, spreading; nut mature in the same year, spherical, about 2.5 cm in diameter, short pointed, glabrous.

Born in the mixed forest on the hillside. It is distributed in Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet.

[collection] all year round.

[preparation method] take the leaves and put them into boiling water, boil them for 30-45 minutes, take them out, then take the new leaves as above, until the boiling water becomes sticky, precipitate and concentrate them into paste, and reserve them.

[flavor] bitter and astringent, flat.

[function indications] clearing away heat and toxin. It can treat diarrhea, enteritis and asthma. Seeds can also be used as medicine.

[usage and dosage] oral administration: adjust with boiling water, 3-5 points.