Wiseman’s Chinese Medical Database

chòu wú tóng / 臭梧桐 / 臭梧桐 / clerodendron [leaf];

Latin pharmacognostic name: Clerodendri Folium

Alternate English names: harlequin glory-bower [leaf]

Alternate Chinese names: 臭梧桐叶 chòu wú tóng yè

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Wind-damp–dispelling agents / Wind-damp-heat–dispelling agents

Properties: Sweet, acrid, bitter; cool.

Channel entry: liver channel.

Indications:

• Dispels wind-damp and quickens the network vessels: Wind-damp impediment pain; numbness and tingling of the limbs; hemiplegia.
• Disperses wind and eliminates dampness: Itchy skin as in wind papules (German measles); damp sores (including eczema).
• Additional uses: Chòu wú tóng has recently been used to treat hypertension because it lowers blood pressure. It is taken alone as a powder or may be added to compound formulas. For this purpose, it is best to use leaves picked before flowering.

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 5–15g in decoctions. If used to lower blood pressure, it should not be subjected to high heat or prolonged decoction.

Product Area:

Most parts, especially Jiāngsū and ānhuī.