Trichosanthes Semen, Gua Lou Ren 瓜娄仁

Gua Lou Ren (TCM)

Trichosanthes kirilowii flower (left), fruit (right)
(Photos by 杉山龍彦) (Left: Wikimedia; Right: Wikimedia)

Botanical name:
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

2. Moistens the Intestines:
-dry Constipation

3. Clears Pus, Resolves Abscesses:
-adjunct for Swellings and Abscesses; Sores that have not suppurated
-Abscess of the Lung, Breast or Intestines

DOSE:
9–15 grams

PREPARATION:
Some practitioners dry-fry the Seeds until scorched or until they swell or pop. This reduces the taste which can be nauseous for some people. It also facilitates easier powdering.

Main Combinations:
1. Phlegm-Heat Cough:
i. with Pinellia Ban Xia, Coptis Huang Lian
2. Chest pain or oppression from Phlegm and Qi obstruction, with Pinellia Ban Xia and Costus (Mu Xiang)
3. Constipation:
i.  from Phlegm-Heat and Qi obstruction with Cannabis seed (Huo Ma Ren) and Citrus (Zhi Ke)
ii. from deficiency with Dang Gui, Polygonum He Shou Wu
4. Abscess:
i. Lung abscess, with Houttuynia Yu Xing Cao and Platycodon Jie Geng
ii. Breast Abscess, with Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying), Lonicera Jin Yin Hua
iii. Intestinal Abscess, with Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying), Rhubarb (Da Huang)

Cautions:
Avoid in those with weakness of the Stomach and Spleen, Nausea, loose stool etc.

Main Preparations used: