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Trichosanthes Semen, Gua Lou Ren 瓜娄仁
Gua Lou Ren, Gua Lou Zi (TCM)
Dian Nan Ben Cao Tu Shuo (Illustrated Yunnan Pharmacopoeia) Ming Dynasty (1773 edition) (Welcome, Wikimedia)
Botanical name:
Trichosanthes kirilowii, T. rosthornii
Parts used:
Trichosanthes Seed
Temperature & Taste:
Cold, moist. Sweet
Classification:
P. Clears Hot Phlegm
Trichosanthes kirilowii, T. rosthornii
Parts used:
Trichosanthes Seed
Temperature & Taste:
Cold, moist. Sweet
Classification:
P. Clears Hot Phlegm
Uses:
1. Moistens the Lungs, Opens the Chest, Clears Phlegm-Heat:
-Phlegm-Heat Cough with yellow, sticky, hard-to-clear Phlegm
-stifling feeling in the chest, Chest pain or pressure from Phlegm obstruction
-"quenches thirst due to consumptive disease. It moistens the Heart and Lungs" (Da Ming)
2. Moistens the Intestines:
-dry Constipation
-also for Dysentery with Blood (Da Ming)
3. Clears Pus, Resolves Abscesses:
-adjunct for Swellings and Abscesses; Sores that have not suppurated
-Abscess of the Lung, Breast or Intestines
Dose:
Decoction: 9–15 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams
Preparation:
1. Dry-fried Trichosanthes Seed:
Dry-fry the Seeds until scorched or until they swell or pop. This moderates the coldness and reduces the taste which can be nauseous for some people. It also facilitates easier powdering.
Decoction: 9–15 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams
Preparation:
1. Dry-fried Trichosanthes Seed:
Dry-fry the Seeds until scorched or until they swell or pop. This moderates the coldness and reduces the taste which can be nauseous for some people. It also facilitates easier powdering.
Main Combinations:
1. Phlegm-Heat Cough:
i. Trichosanthes Semen Gua Lou Ren with Pinellia Ban Xia, Coptis Huang Lian
2. Chest pain or oppression from Phlegm and Qi obstruction, Trichosanthes Semen Gua Lou Ren with Pinellia Ban Xia and Costus (Mu Xiang)
3. Constipation:
i. from Phlegm-Heat and Qi obstruction, Trichosanthes Semen Gua Lou Ren with Cannabis seed (Huo Ma Ren) and Citrus (Zhi Ke)
ii. from deficiency Trichosanthes Semen Gua Lou Ren with Dang Gui, Polygonum He Shou Wu
4. Abscess:
i. Lung abscess, Trichosanthes Semen Gua Lou Ren with Houttuynia Yu Xing Cao and Platycodon Jie Geng
ii. Breast Abscess, Trichosanthes Semen Gua Lou Ren with Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying), Lonicera Jin Yin Hua
iii. Intestinal Abscess, Trichosanthes Semen Gua Lou Ren with Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying), Rhubarb (Da Huang)
Major Formulas:
Ke Xue Fang
Bei Mu Gua Lou San
Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan
Qing Zao Run Chang Tang
Cautions:
Avoid in those with weakness of the Stomach and Spleen, Nausea, loose stool etc.
Main Preparations used:
Avoid in those with weakness of the Stomach and Spleen, Nausea, loose stool etc.
Main Preparations used: