Medicinals

má huáng / 麻黄 / 麻黃 / ephedra;

Latin pharmacognostic name: Ephedrae Herba

Alternate English names: mahuang

Alternate Chinese names: 卑相 bēi xiàng; 卑盐 bēi yán; 龙沙 lóng shā

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Exterior-resolving agents / Warm acrid exterior-resolving agents

Properties: Acrid, slightly bitter; warm.

Channel entry: lung and bladder channels.

Indications:

Dosage & Method:

Oral: Decoct (1.5–6g; preboil and remove scum); use in pills and powders.

Warning:

Contraindicated for exterior vacuity spontaneous sweating, yīn vacuity night sweating, and panting and cough due to failure of the kidney to absorb qì. Má huáng contains ephedrine, which stimulates the heart and central nervous system, causes vasoconstriction, and raises blood pressure. It should be used with care in patients suffering from hypertension or insomnia. Má huáng should not be used for weight loss. Misuse of má huáng has led to a variety of legal restrictions on its sale and use in certain areas or in certain preparations.

Product Description:

This herb comprises long slender cylindrical stalks, slightly flat, with few branches, 1–2 mm in diameter, usually cut into 2–3 cm lengths. The outer surface is light green, or light yellow-green, with fine longitudinal ridges rough to the touch, and nodes 2.5–6 cm apart. At the nodes are two or rarely three membranous scaly leaves, which are 3–4 mm long, brown-red in color, triangular with a sharp, slightly bent tip. The stalks are brittle and break easily, leaving a fibrous fracture that is light green in the surface layer, and brown-red in the central medulla. They give off a slight fragrance. The roots and nodes are removed before use.

Quality:

Dry, fat, light-green stalks with solid cores and a bitter, astringent taste are the best.

Product Area:

Héběi and Shāndōng.

Etymology:

The name má huáng 麻黄, interpreted as meaning ""numbing yellow,"" reflects its numbing effect on the tongue and its yellow color.

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