Author: Xingtai City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Shen Rui
First published in the Shennong Materia Medica, its effects are introduced as "cassia seeds, the main green blindness, the eyes are red, the white membrane, the eyes are red, and the tears are out." Long service is better and lighter. Ikukawazawa. Its plant form was first published in Tao Hongjing's Commentary on the Materia Medica of the Jin Dynasty, which states that "the leaves are like a mang, the sub-shape is like a horseshoe, and the call is a horseshoe cassia." ”
Cassia subplant diagram
The latest 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia of Traditional Chinese Medicine records that cassia seeds are dried mature seeds of the legume plant blunt-leaved cassia or cassia. Ripe fruit is harvested in autumn, dried in the sun, seeds are laid and impurities removed.
Cassia herb
There are cassia seeds and fried cassia seeds. The taste and attribution are sweet, bitter, salty, and slightly cold. Return to the liver and large intestine meridians.
The main function is to clear the heat and eyes, moisturize the intestines and laxative. It is used for red and astringent pain, shyness and tears, headache and dizziness, dark eyes, constipation knots. The dosage is 9-15 grams. ”
Cassia herb diagram
However, in today's pharmacy dispensing, there is grass cassia, which is generally paid as cassia seeds, which is a mistake. Grass cassia is not cassia, but we do not often use the grasshopper.
--- shennong materia medica contains:
"Green leaves, bitter and cold taste, the main evil qi, heat in the skin, wind scratching, itchy body, killing three insects." Sub-name grass cassia, healing lips and mouth blue. One Artemisia annua, one Artemisia annua. Valley of Life. ”
The source is found in this sutra for the grass cassia.
--- although there is no record of grass cassia in the "New Cultivation of Materia Medica", it contains:
"And there is no grass cassia, it is artemisia annua, and it is also in the next product."
Once again, it was confirmed that the grass cassia was a green leaf. The Song Dynasty "Materia Medica" and "Evidence-like Materia Medica" both list cassia seeds and green leaves separately, of which under cassia sub-items, artemisia annua is called grass cassia, that is, green leaves.
--- recorded in the Bencao TuJing that the plant forms and harvests of the two are obviously different.
"Cassia, born Ryumon Kawazawa, is everywhere today." The home of man is the home of the garden. Seedlings grow in early summer, three or four feet tall, with purple roots; the leaves are like alfalfa and large; there are flowers in July, yellow and white; and their seeds are spikes, such as green beans and sharp. Harvested on October 10, dried for 100 days. ”
"Qingxiaozi, next to the Shengping Valley Road, is also found near the present-day Jianghuai Prefecture County. In February, the seedlings grow in three or four feet; the leaves are broad like willows, thin and soft; the stems are like artemisia, blue-red; in June and July, the flowers are born in the inner flowers, red and white; the seeds are black and flat, resembling scoundrels; the roots are like artemisia roots and white, and the single stems are rooted straight down. Harvest in June and August. ”
--- but the Song Dynasty's book "Taiping Imperial Records" records that the "Wu Pu Bencao" said:
"Cassia, a grass cassia, a sheep."
This poses a historical hidden danger for whether grass cassia is a cassia child.
--- Ming Dynasty Chen Jiamo's "Materia Medica Mengxiao" Qinghua Zi contains:
"According to the text of this sutra, it is stated that the sub-name grass cassia means that the gong specializes in curing the eyes, and the special false alias is beautiful, and the non-true cassia is cassia. If you think so, then the original reveals the simple end, why not write it straight, but know that the green leaf is hu? It is made up of a mother of sand ginseng and a puzzle of longan, and the name is the same. And the cassia seed medicine contained in the other articles, the granules are slightly larger, and the main treatment is particularly excellent. The world's physician Fomin, or paranoid one, will inevitably lose one or the other, and the power of the great taste of medicine will be exhausted. Fortunately, this grass cassia, the other is cassia. Although the two are one, the upper and lower words are slightly different, and the reader must not fail to recognize them. ”
Perfect explanation of the difference between grass cassia and cassia seeds.
--- Ming Dynasty Li Shizhen in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" contains:
“...... This horseshoe cassia is also named for its clear work, and there is grass cassia, stone cassia are all the same work, grass cassia is green leaves, tao is artemisia artemisia also. ”
Li Shizhen also believes that grass cassia is a green leaf.
--- Qing Dynasty Jiang Jiefan's "Outline of the Selection of Materia Medica" records that the grass cassia is clear:
"Smell: Xianping non-toxic, indications: green blind obscenity, red and white membrane, help liver and sperm, detoxify snake venom, stop nose redness, make pillows cure head wind, benefit the five viscera."
Apparently, the grass cassia has been mixed with cassia again.
--- Qing Dynasty", the "Materia Medica Chongyuan" distinguishes between cassia seeds and green leaves in this scripture, and points out that the counterfeits of green leaves are cockscomb flowers and amaranth.
The "Materia Medica" also records cassia seeds and green leaves, both of which have similar effects of diarrhea liver and bright eyes, and describe a grass cassia of green leaves. The "Materia Medica Chengya Half-An" also records cassia seeds and green leaves respectively, but there is no record of grass cassia. In the Qing Dynasty Wu Yiluo's "Materia Medica From the New", it is written that "grass cassia, a green leaf, diarrhea liver and eyes." Under the item, it also contains "Cassia seeds, diarrhea liver and eyes." Yan Xiting's "Matching Materia Medica" records that "cassia seeds are matched with the skin of the ground, and the blind birds are cured." "A grass cassia, bitter and slightly cold. Start with the Lesser Yin and Foot Yin Meridians. Clear the liver fire above the rush, dispel the evil heat of the Heart Sutra. Rheumatism of the skin and eye disturbances can be treated. Those with large pupils are disabled, (fear of dissipating yin qi). Strange disease: seeing that there seems to be an insect flying, catching it with the hand is nothing, and this liver menstrual disease is also. Use the green leaves to combine yuanming powder, qianghuo, jujube kernels as the end, and send down the water. ”
With a compatibility formula for the treatment of eye diseases, cassia and green leaves have their own advantages.
--- Song Dynasty Kou Zongyi's "Derivation of Materia Medica" contains:
"Qingyezi: The Sutra does not say anything about curing the eyes, and the "Treatise on medicinal properties" begins to say so. It can cure liver fever and poisoning, red obstruction, and green blindness. Xiao Bingkeyun: "Straighten your eyes." Rihua Ziyun: "Beneficial to the brain marrow, clear eyes and ears, calm the liver." "Nowadays, people use it a lot to cure their eyes, but they are not comparable to their intentions."
I understand that the eye treatment effect of the green leaves is not as good as that of cassia.
The confusion caused by the "Wu Pu Materia Medica" and the chaotic use of the Qing Dynasty physicians caused the grass cassia that the doctors might write at will, in order to cooperate with the prescription work, etc., caused confusion in the use of adjustments. The pharmacist himself also takes it for granted, and the communication with the doctor is not smooth, and the medical separation and other reasons make the grass cassia genuine product not be used rationally in the clinic.
Qinghuazi taste bitter, slightly cold, return to the liver meridian, has the effect of clearing the liver diarrhea fire, blind retreat, clinically used for liver fever, eye membrane, visual fainting, liver fire vertigo, dosage of 9 ~ 15 grams.
Note: It has a dilating pupillary effect, which is contraindicated in patients with glaucoma.
Diagram of the grasshopper plant
Map of qinghuazi medicinal herbs
Due to the current large number and confusion of Chinese medicine aliases, it is recommended to cancel the writing of grass cassia, especially the writing on prescriptions, standardize the use of drugs, and standardize and unify payment standards and names nationwide.
In addition, the establishment of a reasonable system of clinical pharmacists of traditional Chinese medicine, the poor communication of medical information, it is very necessary, can give play to the advantages of clinical pharmacists of traditional Chinese medicine Materia Medica, so that clinicians can better inherit the classics, use the classics, and better serve the healthy life of the people.
Review experts: Zheng Zhengjian, chief pharmacist of the Clinical Pharmacy Department of Xiamen Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Grade III A Comprehensive Chinese Medicine Hospital), Zhu Quangang, Shanghai Dermatology Hospital/Tongji University Affiliated Dermatology Hospital
The above is the original work of the volunteers of the "Drug Safety Cooperation Alliance", if you reprint, please indicate the author and source!
【Medicine Shield Public Welfare】PSM Pharmaceutical Shield Public Welfare (public number: PSMChina), a public welfare organization jointly initiated and established by the China Over-the-Counter Drug Association, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, etc., gathers resources, gathers strength, and promotes the safety of public medication.