Cnidium, She Chuang Zi 蛇床子
She Chuang Zi (TCM)
La la phud ser po ལ་ལ་ཕུདསེར་པོ (Tibetan Medicine)
La la phud ser po ལ་ལ་ཕུདསེར་པོ (Tibetan Medicine)
Jacquin, Hortus botanicus Vindobonensis, (1770)
Botanical name:
Cnidium monnieri (syn. Selinum monnieri)
Parts used:
Seed
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Pungent, Sweet
Classifications:
T. External Medicines
Cnidium monnieri (syn. Selinum monnieri)
Parts used:
Seed
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Pungent, Sweet
Classifications:
T. External Medicines
Uses:
1. Warms the Kidneys, Tonifies Yang:
-Impotence, Frigidity, Lack of Sex drive
-Infertility (men or women), Warms the Uterus and male organs
-Lumbago from Cold Kidneys
-Incontinence
2. Clears Wind-Damp:
-Leukorrhea, especially with itching
-Back pain from Wind-Damp
-'facilitates movements of joints'. (Shen Nong Ben Cao)
3. Clears Wind-Cold, Stops Cough:
-allergy
-Cough, Asthma from Cold Phlegm
4. Settles Wind, Calms the Mind and Nerves:
-Epilepsy
-Depression, Melancholy
-'Long-term use makes one feel happy' (Shen Nong Ben Cao)
-'Long-term use makes one look younger and become more productive (Ming Yi Bie Lu)
5. Externally:
-Weeping Eczema; Damp skin lesions
-Scabies, Tinea
-itching of the Vulva or Penis, Trichomonas
-a strong decoction used as a wash for the male genitals has an aphrodisiac effect
-Toothache
DOSE:
1. The stir-fried seed was recommended for internal use.
2. The crude seed is best for external washes etc.
Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams
Used as a wash or the powder is mixed with water to be applied externally
COMMENT:
'This is a drug that makes man become excessive and pressing in sex. It is therefore called Guikao'. (Lei Xiao)
SUBSTITUTE:
1. In Tibetan Medicine, it is used the same as Fennel seed (Drungtso)
2. La la phud refers to Bishop's Weed seed. Cnidium is La la phud ser po, the yellow variety. This suggests similar use to Bishop's Weed.
PREPARATION:
1. Stir-fried Cnidium She Chuang Zi:
Remove the shell of the seed, then stir-fry briefly until yellowed and fragrant. This lessens its harsh nature.
2. Prepared Cnidium She Chuang Zi
Soak the seed in juice of Indigo plant (Polygonum tinctorium) and juice of Stemona Bai Bu, then dry in the sun. Then blend with Rehmannia Di Huang juice, and steam it. Then dry in the sun and keep for use. This is a traditional preparation from Lei Xiao as recorded in Ben Cao Gang Mu.
1. The stir-fried seed was recommended for internal use.
2. The crude seed is best for external washes etc.
Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams
Used as a wash or the powder is mixed with water to be applied externally
COMMENT:
'This is a drug that makes man become excessive and pressing in sex. It is therefore called Guikao'. (Lei Xiao)
SUBSTITUTE:
1. In Tibetan Medicine, it is used the same as Fennel seed (Drungtso)
2. La la phud refers to Bishop's Weed seed. Cnidium is La la phud ser po, the yellow variety. This suggests similar use to Bishop's Weed.
PREPARATION:
1. Stir-fried Cnidium She Chuang Zi:
Remove the shell of the seed, then stir-fry briefly until yellowed and fragrant. This lessens its harsh nature.
2. Prepared Cnidium She Chuang Zi
Soak the seed in juice of Indigo plant (Polygonum tinctorium) and juice of Stemona Bai Bu, then dry in the sun. Then blend with Rehmannia Di Huang juice, and steam it. Then dry in the sun and keep for use. This is a traditional preparation from Lei Xiao as recorded in Ben Cao Gang Mu.
Main Combinations:
1. For itching, use as a wash with Alum
2. Trichomonas, as a douche Cnidium She Chuang Zi with Alum and Phellodendron Huang Bai
3. Weeping skin lesion, topically Cnidium She Chuang Zi with Sophora Ku Shen
4. Eczema, topically Cnidium She Chuang Zi with Calomel
5. Cold-Damp Leukorrhea, Cnidium She Chuang Zi with Dioscorea Shan Yao and Cornus Shan Zhu Yu
6. Lower Back pain from Cold-Damp and Kidney weakness, Cnidium She Chuang Zi with Mistletoe (Sang Ji Sheng), Eucommia Du Zhong
7. Infertility, Cnidium She Chuang Zi with Dodder seed (Tu Si Zi)
8. Impotence or Infertility, Cnidium She Chuang Zi with Cinnamon, Cistanche Rou Cong Rong and Morinda Ba Ji Tian
Cautions:
1. Not used in excess Heat conditions or Yin deficiency
2. Not used in Damp-Heat of the lower abdomen
Main Preparations used:
1. Not used in excess Heat conditions or Yin deficiency
2. Not used in Damp-Heat of the lower abdomen
Main Preparations used: