Wiseman’s Chinese Medical Database

jǔ ruò / 蒟蒻 / 蒟蒻 / devil's tongue [tuber];

Latin pharmacognostic name: Amorphophalli Tuber

Alternate English names: amorphophallus [tuber] konjac

Alternate Chinese names:

Origin: Plant

Use: alimentary

Category: Heat-clearing agents / Heat-clearing toxin-resolving agents

Properties: Acrid; warm; toxic.

Channel entry:

Indications:

• Resolves toxin and disperses swelling: Swollen welling-abscesses (yōng zhǒng); clove sores (dīng); cinnabar toxin (erysipelas).
• Transforms phlegm and disperses stasis: Phlegm cough; scrofula; injury from knocks and falls with swelling and pain.

  Dosage & Method:

  Oral: Decoct 9–15g (boil for more than 3 hours). Topical: Apply crushed or ground with vinegar.

  Warning:

  Must be boiled for more than 3 hours to reduce irritation to the digestive tract, which in severe cases can cause death. Commercially available konjac food products are safe.

  Product Area:

  South and south-west of China.