Portulaca, Purslane, Ma Chi Xian 马齿苋

Kulfa (Ayurveda)
Kharfah, Kulfa (Unani)
Ma Chi Xian (TCM)

Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491

New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563

Thomé, Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885

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Botanical name:
Portulaca oleracea
Two types were differentiated: Garden with Broad leaves (best); Wild with Narrow leaves

Parts used:
Leaf, Seed

Temperature & Taste:
Cool, moist. Sour

Classifications:
2N. REPELLENT.    2O. ASTRINGENT.    2P. HEMOSTATIC
3B. FEBRIFUGE & ANTIPYRETIC.    3Q. ANTHELMINTIC
4a. CEPHALIC.    4e. STOMACHIC.     4f. SPLENETIC.    4g. HEPATIC.    4h. NEPHRITIC.    4i. UTERINE

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Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Toxin (TCM, West, Ayurveda):
-hot, toxic skin conditions including Boils, Carbuncles
-hot inflammations of the eyes, mouth, and throat.

2. Calms the Mind, Eases Pain:
-cools the body and promote rest when there is excess heat; the flowers are calming and sedative.
-‘It cools all the inward parts, eases Pain ... causes Sleep’. (Salmon)

3. Clears Heat of the Liver and Stomach (TCM, West, Ayurveda):
-headache, red eyes, irritability, constipation, heat-type pain, insomnia
-redness and inflammation of the eyes, Tinnitus and Deafness
-heat and inflammation of the Bowels; Diarrhea, Dysentery and Appendicitis.

4. Clears Deficient Heat, Nourishes the Fluids (TCM, West, Ayurveda):
-thirst, dry mouth and throat, and other symptoms of heat, dryness, or Yin deficiency from heat.
-‘It quenches thirst caused by Stomach, Heart, Liver and Kidney fire’ (13th Century Arab text).
-Diabetes (Seed; Ayurveda, Unani, West)

5. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine:
-hot, sharp and painful urination.
-Salmon listed it to ease pain in Gonorrhea

6. Clears Heat, Stops Coughs:
-dry coughs, shortness of Breath, Phthisic;

7. Cools the Blood, Stops Bleeding:
-heat-type bleeding including excess menstruation, spitting of blood, bleeding hemorrhoids, and spontaneous bleeding from heat
-Blood-Heat skin diseases, Eczema, Psoriasis

8. Kills Worms:
-‘Commended against Worms in young children and is singular good, especially if they be feverish withall, for it both allaies the overmuch Heat, and killeth the Worms: which thing is done through the Saltness mixed therewith, which is not only an enemy to Worms, but also to putrefaction’ (Gerard)
-Said to be best for Hookworm. (Seed is best; usually boiled in wine)

9. Externally:
-Inflamed or Ulcerated Genitals, Hemorrhoids; Gerard said as a douche it is good for inflammation and Ulcers of the Uterus.
-applied to Acne and heat type skin conditions
-hot, poisonous Sores and Carbuncles (TCM)
-applied to various skin diseases including Erysipelas (Ayurveda); also Eczema and Psoriasis
-juice of the stem soothes Itching. Also used for Prickly Heat in India. (Ayurveda)
-juice with Oil of Roses is applied to Burns, heat type Mastitis, and to hinder the heat of sores etc.
-Leukoderma: "It is a good drug to be used in leukoderma. For this purpose its leaves are plastered and left for six hours. Barley flour should be used after applying the plaster". (Avicenna)
-Pityriasis: "Application of pounded drug on pityriasis and exposure to sun light till it dries up and then rubbed off, cures the disease". (Avicenna)
-"Warts may be removed when rubbed with Purslane". (Avicenna)
-good for sore and Swollen Mouth and Gums, and to fasten Loose Teeth. (Apply juice or crushed herb)
-applied to Gout pains, hardness and cramps of the Sinews.
-externally for heat, especially of the head; applied to the forehead and temples to promote rest and calm the mind (Culpeper)
-applied to pain and swelling from Wasp Stings and Snake Bites.
-applied to Burns, Scalds
-applied to the breasts to stop the flow of milk.
-in enemas for fluxes and ulcers of the bowels.

Dose:
Fresh Herb is eaten as a vegetable
Dried Herb in Decoction: 6–20 grams (fresh herb 20–60 grams or more)

Correctives:
... available in PRO version

Substitutes:
... available in PRO version

Main Combinations:
1. To clear Heat from the Stomach and Liver, cool the Blood and promote rest, Purslane seed ... available in PRO version
2. High Fever:
i. Purslane seed with ... available in PRO version
ii. Purslane seed with ... available in PRO version
3. Strong Heat, Purslane seed with ... available in PRO version
4. Blood Heat, Purslane with ... available in PRO version
5. Excess Menstruation and internal Bruising, Purslane  ... available in PRO version
6. Hematuria, Purslane with ... available in PRO version
7. Burning Urine, Purslane with ... available in PRO version
8. Kidney Ulcers, Purslane with ... available in PRO version
9. Diabetes from Heat, Purslane with  ... available in PRO version
10. Abscess of Ulcer of the Bladder, Purslane with ... available in PRO version
11. Bleeding during Pregnancy, Purslane with ... available in PRO version
12. Threatened Miscarriage, Purslane with ... available in PRO version
13. To promote Sleep, Purslane with  ... available in PRO version
14. Internal Abscess, Purslane with  ... available in PRO version

Major Formulas:
Decoction of Fruit
Decoction to Cool the Blood (Wirtzung)
Powder for Diabetes (Riverius)
Troches for Burning Fever (Galen)
Troches of Camphor (Nicholas)
Troches of Spodium (Trochisci Spodii) (Nicholas)
Troches of Spodium (Trochisci Spodii) (Avicenna)
Expert Troches of Mahomet

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Cautions:
1. Not used in Cold bodies
2. Not used in Pregnancy

Main Preparations used:
Dehydrated Juice, Distilled Water, Syrup of the Juice, Compound Syrup, Conserve of the Leaves