Medicinals
mù guā / 木瓜 / 木瓜 / chaenomeles [fruit];
Latin pharmacognostic name: Chaenomelis Fructus
Alternate English names: Chinese quince [fruit] Japanese quince [fruit]
Alternate Chinese names: 木瓜实 mù guā shí; 铁脚梨 tiě jiǎo lí; 宣木瓜 xuān mù guā
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: Wind-damp–dispelling agents / Wind-cold-damp–dispelling agents
Properties: Sour; warm.
Channel entry: liver and spleen channels.
Indications:
- Soothes the sinews and quickens the network vessels: Wind-damp impediment pain, hypertonicity of the sinews, leg qì (jiǎo qì) (beriberi) with swelling and pain.
- Transforms dampness and harmonizes the stomach: Vomiting or diarrhea with cramps due to damp turbidity obstructing the center.
- Additional uses: mù guā has a food-dispersing effect and can be used to treat indigestion.
Dosage & Method:
Oral: 10–15g in decoctions.
Warning:
Unsuitable for patients with excessive stomach acid. It is contraindicated in internally depressed heat with short voidings of reddish urine, in unresolved exterior patterns, and in initial-stage dysentery.
Notes:
The mù guā used clinically in Chinese medicine is unrelated to the papaya fruit, which is also known in Chinese as mù guā.
Product Description:
The dry fruit is oval, 4–8 cm long, and 3.5–5 cm in diameter, with a purple red, 2–8 mm thick exocarp that has a slight sheen and deep wrinkles. It is often sold cut in half, the pieces curling at the edges. Inside are flat or depressed ovaries, with reddish-brown seeds, which are often missing. The fruit is soaked, steamed, and cut into slices 1–2 mm thick.
Quality:
Large wrinkled reddish fruits are the best.
Product Area:
ānhuī, Zhèjiāng, Húběi, Sìchuān.
Etymology:
The name mù guā 木瓜, literally ""tree melon,"" a melon-like fruit that grows on a tree. This name is also a common abbreviation for fān mù guā 番木瓜, the papaya, native to tropical America, now extensively grown in southern China.