Library

Chongwei Zi (Herba Leonuri)

Taste: Pungent, Sweet; Nature: Slightly Warm, Slightly Cold; Toxicity: Non-toxic. Main indications: Brighten the eyes and benefit essence, eliminate fluid retention, treat blood rebellion with severe heat, headache, and irritability. Long-term use makes the body light.

Stem: Mainly treats urticaria (itchy skin rash) and itching, can be used in medicinal bath decoctions. Also known as Yimu (Motherwort), Yiming, Dazha, Zhenwei.

Grows by the sea in pools and marshes. Harvested in May.

Tao Hongjing said: Now it is found everywhere. The leaves resemble those of Ren (Perilla frutescens), the stem is square, and the seeds are slender and three-angled. It is rarely used in prescriptions. The Commentary of the Tang Materia Medica notes: Crush the stems of Chongwei Zi and apply them to carbuncles; drinking the juice helps resolve the toxicity internally. It is also used to expel a dead fetus from the womb, treating postpartum abdominal distension and fullness, various toxic swellings, and erysipelas-like swellings. Drip juice into the ear like a bean drop to treat deafness. Apply to snake bites for good effect. According to Chen Cangqi's Materia Medica: This herb is called Yuchou Cao (Stinking Grass) in fields. Besides its original functions, the seedlings and seeds are added to facial masks to make the complexion lustrous. Crushing the seedlings and applying them treats mastitis with severe swelling and pain. Crushing the seedlings and extracting the juice to drink treats edema and promotes diuresis, and also treats toxic swellings. According to another commentary: The seeds resemble those of Ximing (Thlaspi arvense) but are slightly larger, with a slight stale odor. Making decoctions or crushing and extracting the juice to drink helps expel dead fetuses. Ministers Yu Xi et al. carefully followed the commentary on Er Ya (Classic of Names): Huan. This is now Chongwei Zi. Leaves resemble Ren, square stem, white flowers, flowers growing at the nodes. Also known as Yimu. Shu quotes Liu Xin saying: Huan, stinky. Stinky is Chongwei Zi. Ri Huazi said: Treats postpartum blood distension; seedlings and leaves have the same function. It is the seed of Motherwort. Flowers grow node by node like a rooster's comb, seeds are black, harvested in September. Tu Jing said: Chongwei Zi grows by the sea in pools and marshes, now found everywhere. Carefully following Mao Shi (Classic of Poetry): Zhonggu you E (e). Er Ya says: Huan (sound zhui), E. Guo Pu said: This is Chongwei Zi. Leaves resemble Ren, square stem, white flowers, flowers growing at the nodes. Lu Ji said: Han Shi and San Cang both say it is Yimu (Motherwort). Therefore Zengzi saw it and felt grateful. Liu Xin also said: E, stinky. Stinky is Chongwei Zi. Now seen very often in gardens and fields, color and shape all match Guo's description, with flowers growing node by node on seedlings and leaves, fruits resembling rooster combs, black, stems having four square edges, harvested in May. Also says harvested in September for fruits, rarely used in medical formulas. Empress Wu of Tang's method for refining Motherwort for facial care: Harvest intact roots and seedlings on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, do not let them touch soil, dry and crush/sieve, mix with water until very smooth, form into balls the size of chicken eggs, dry again, place in a furnace with openings on four sides, put fire above and below, place medicine in the center, burn fiercely for the time it takes to cook a meal, then remove fierce fire, keep small fire to nourish, do not let it go out. After one shichen (two hours), take out, grind and sieve in porcelain, grind again for three days, store, similar to the method for bath beans. Guangji Fang: Treats infants suffering from malnutrition dysentery near death. Take Motherwort, boil and eat, take enough until cured, stop, very good. Wei Dan treated a woman whose fetus died in the womb due to febrile disease, crushed this herb and seedlings thoroughly, mixed with a little warm water, extracted juice, took once, good effect. Also treats difficult labor, extract juice seven he, boil to half, take once, delivers immediately. If no fresh ones, use a large handful of dried ones, seven he of water, boil and take. Also known as Yuchou Cao, also known as Kudi Cao. Also treats horse bites, finely cut this herb, stir-fry with vinegar, apply for good effect.

Shenghui Fang: Treats women's breast compression pain becoming an abscess. Powder Motherwort, mix with wood [juice/water?], apply to breast overnight, self-heals. Crushing raw and applying is also fine. Another formula: Treats postpartum blood not descending. Extract juice from Motherwort, take one small cup per dose, add one he of wine, warm and stir evenly to take. Waitai Miyao: Treats fractures and internal injuries with blood stasis, pain on cloudy days, also a divine formula for various postpartum diseases: Harvest Motherwort in March, also known as Fudan, Xiakucao (Prunella vulgaris), wash and select clean, spread on bamboo mat to dry water, then pull off, length about five cun, do not use knife, place in pot, add two shuo of water, let water level be two or three cun above grass, boil until Motherwort is mushy, water reduced by two-thirds, strain out grass, take five or six dou of juice, pour into basin, settle for half a day, filter clear juice with cotton, discard all sediment in basin. Clear juice in small pot, slow fire boil to obtain one dou, consistency like thin syrup. Take piece the size of a pear each time, mix with warm wine and take, twice a day. Can also mix with soup or porridge. If traveling far and cannot prepare thin decoction, refine further to make pills. Each dose, within seven days pain gradually heals, seven days recover. For postpartum lochia not clearing and blood fainting, one or two doses cure. This herb treats wind, benefits heart qi, no taboos. Zhouhou Fang: Treats all postpartum blood diseases and all injuries. Motherwort, any amount, cut with bamboo knife, wash clean, refine into paste in silver vessel, seal in porcelain, take with wine, internal injuries also take. Sun Simiao's formula for horse bites: Finely cut Motherwort, stir-fry with vinegar, apply. Shiyi Xinjing: Treats infant malnutrition dysentery and hemorrhoids. Boil Motherwort leaves to make porridge and eat, drinking juice is also wonderful. Jianyao Jizhong: Bathing method for newborns: Five liang of chopped Motherwort, one dou of water, boil ten times, warm bath prevents sores and scabies. Doumen Fang: Treats ruptured boils, crush Motherwort and apply to sore, wonderful. Danfang Jingyuan: Burn Motherwort to ash, mix with noodle water, burn repeatedly, treat facial acne, also processes sulfur. Jiyan Fang: Treats women's leukorrhea red and white, harvest Motherwort when flowering, crush into powder. Take two qian each time, mix with warm water before meals. Zimu Milu: Treats postpartum blood fainting, heart qi exhaustion. Grind and extract juice from Motherwort, take one cup, wonderful. Another formula: Treats infant malnutrition. Extract juice from Motherwort, take slowly.

Yanyi says: Chongwei Zi, leaves until early spring can also be boiled as vegetables, does not wither in winter. Empress Wu of Tang burned this ash nine times, added to tight facial mask. The meaning of nine burnings is already detailed under the Winter Ash entry.