Chinese Herbs. John D. Keys
Dose, 4-7 gm.
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LYCORIS RADIATA Herb. (Amaryllidaceae) |
| A perennial, bulbous herb. Leaves basal, developing in spring and dying down in summer. Floral axis appearing in autumn; flowers terminal, red; petals 6; stamens and style protruding. The bulb is tunicate, with black epidermis. China, Japan. (Syn. Amaryllis radiata L'Herit., A. sarniensis Thunb., Nerine japonica Miq.) The bulb is used medicinally. The taste is sweet and pungent. It is poisonous. The drug contains the alkaloids lycorine C16H17NO4 (white prismatic crystals; m.p. 275°; insoluble in water; slightly soluble in alcohol, ether), ly-coramine C17H25NO3 (plates; m.p. 121°; soluble in water, alcohol, acetone), sekisanine C16H19NO4 (crystals; m.p. 207-209°; insoluble in water; soluble in alcohol, ether), and other minor alkaloids.148 The action of lycorine is similar to that of emetine, with less toxicity and greater emetic action; it is also antipyretic.140 Used as expectorant and emetic. Dose, 1.5-3.5 gm. |
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NARCISSUS TAZETTA L. var. CHINENSIS Roem. (Amaryllidaceae) |
| Polyanthus narcissus. Leaves basal, flat, linear, about 45 cm. long and 2 cm. wide. Floral stalk appearing in late autumn, the terminal membranous spathe breaking to reveal the flowers. Flowers fragrant, in clusters of 4-8; corolla in 6 segments, white; corona much shorter than the segments, about 2.5 cm. long, pale yellow; stamens 6. China, Japan. The tunicate bulbs are used medicinally. They occur as ovate or spherical, epidermis black. The taste is bitter; the drug is poisonous. It contains the alkaloids lycorine and tazettine C18H21N05 (m.p. 210-211 °).151 In animals the drug induces gastralgia, gastroenteritis, accelerated pulse, and pyrexia, larger doses producing convulsions, paralysis, and death; toxic doses in humans induce hidrosis and collapse.140 The fresh bulbs are chopped and used externally as antiphlogistic and analgesic to boils, abscesses, mastitis. |
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ACORUS GRAMINEUS Ait. (Araceae) |
| A perennial marsh herb; rhizome creeping, 0.5-0.75 cm. thick. Leaves sheathed, extending 1.0-1.5 dm. outside the sheath, attaining 3-5 dm. in length by 2-4 mm. in width, green or whitish, without distinct median vein. Scape supporting the axillary inflorescence, a cylindrical spadix. Spadix 0.3-1.0 dm. by 3-4 mm., section above spathe 0.75-2.0 dm. long by 2-3 mm.; perianth in 6 divisions, the outer three larger; stamens 6. Fruit a long berry, 2 mm. thick. Southern China, Japan, Himalayas, India. (Syn. A. calamus Lour.) |
| The rhizomes are officinal. The surface is yellowish brown and marked with longitudinal wrinkles where leaves were attached ; the interior shows the scars where the radicles originated. The odor is aromatic. The drug contains 0.5-0.8% essential oil and the bitter principle asarone C12H16O3 (crystals; m.p. 67°, b.p. 296°; insoluble in water; soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform). The action is similar to that of A. calamus L., aiding digestion and regulating gastrointestinal fermentation.140 | |
| Employed as aromatic bitter and stomachic in dyspepsia and hyperacidity. Dose, 2.5-5.0 gm. |
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ARISAEMA THUNBERGII Blume. (Araceae) |
| A perennial, alpine herb. Leaves 1-2,11-segmented, the intermediate segment 10 cm. long by 2.5 cm. wide, the lateral segments gradually becoming shorter and narrower; petiole 15-30 cm. long. Peduncle 25 cm. long; spathe an elongate tube 10 cm. long; spadix exceeding the tube by half. Flowers sessile, without perianth; May; stamens 3-4. Northern China, Korea, Japan. (Syn. Arum dracontium Thunb.) The tubercles are used medicinally. They occur as roundish, flat, yellowish brown or whitish; the central portion consists of an umbilicus from which grow other tuberous roots equally containing an umbilicus; the texture is firm. The taste is bitter. The fresh root is very toxic; when cooked the poison dissipates. The tubercles contain a saponin, benzoic acid, and a large amount of starch. The extracted juice of the fresh root, injected into rabbits, induces intense convulsions, paralysis, and death.140 A decoction of the fresh root in beef bile is used internally as analgesic and antispasmodic. Dose of the decoction, 3-5 gm. Employed externally for insect bites, abscesses, and swellings. |
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PINELLIA TUBERIFERA Tenore (Araceae) |
| A tuberous perennial herb. Petiole often tuberiferous at base and top. Leaflets 3, segments oblong-elliptical, acute at both ends, the middle segment 5.0-7.5 cm. long by 2.5 cm. wide, the lateral segments 4.5 cm. long by 1.0-1.5 cm. wide. Peduncle solitary, 25-30cm. long. Spathe persistent, cylindrical, narrow, emarginate at the extremity, 5 cm. long, appendix of spadix filiform; May-June. Southern China, Japan. (Syn. Arum macrourum Bunge., A. ternatum Thunb., Atherurus, ternatus Blume., Pinellia ternata Tenore) The tubercles are officinal. They occur as spherical or pyriform, 1-2 cm. thick; the surface is white or yellowish white, with small brown fossettes around the depressed umbilical portion; the interior is perfectly white, solid, and amylaceous. The taste is faintly bitter. The drug contains an essential oil, a fatty oil, phytosterols, and a toxic alkaloid.76 The alkaloid is similar in sedative and antispasmodic action to coniine; oral administration of the powdered drug restrains apomorphine-induced emesis in dogs.49 Used as antiemetic, sedative, antitussive in nausea, pharyngalgia, singultus, chronic gastritis. Dose, 3-7 gm. |
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CYPERUS ROTUNDUS L. (Cyperaceae) |
| A perennial grass-like herb, 20-40 cm. tall, glabrous. Rhizomes slender, swollen here and there with blackish, ovoid-oblong tubercles 1 cm. in diameter. Stem slender, erect. Leaves numerous, 5-15 cm. long by 2-6 mm. broad, carinate. Inflorescence umbelliferous; pedicels 4-10, erect, very irregular. Spikelets reddish brown, linear, 10-20 mm. by 1-2 mm., in short umbelliferous fascicles; axis winged. Scales densely imbricate, nearly acute, faintly veined, the margin pale. Stamens and stigmas 3; June-October. Achene triquetrous, half as long as the scale. Asia, Australia, southern Europe, America. The tubercles are 5 cm. long, reddish brown, marked with circular parallel rings, the epidermis fibrous; the interior is white, ligneous; the odor and taste are slightly aromatic.153 They contain 0.5% of an essential oil comprising cyperene, cyperol, cyperone, pinene, and sesquiterpenes.151 Used as aromatic stomachic in nervous gastralgia, dyspepsia, diarrhea; as emmenagogue, sedative, and analgesic in dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, chronic metritis. Dose, 5-8 gm. |