Medicinals
mǎ dōu líng / 马兜铃 / 馬兜鈴 / aristolochia fruit;
Latin pharmacognostic name: Aristolochiae Fructus
Alternate English names: birthwort fruit
Alternate Chinese names: 水马香果 shuǐ mǎ xiāng guǒ; 马兜苓 mǎ dōu líng
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: Phlegm-transforming cough-relieving panting-calming agents / Cough-relieving panting-calming agents
Properties: Bitter, slightly acrid; cold.
Channel entry: lung and large intestine channels.
Indications:
- Clears the lung and transforms phlegm; relieves cough and calms panting: Lung heat patterns of cough and panting.
- Additional uses: Mǎ dōu líng clears heat accumulating in the large intestine and is used to treat painful swollen hemorrhoids. It is also used to treat hypertension in patterns of ascendant hyperactivity of liver yáng.
Dosage & Method:
Oral: 3–10g in decoctions. Mǎ dōu líng is often processed with honey to increase its ability to moisten the lung while moderating its bitter cold nature and reducing its toxicity and side effects.
Warning:
Mǎ dōu líng in excessively high doses easily cause nausea and vomiting. Because it contains aristolochic acid, oral use is illegal in many countries.
Product Description:
The dried fruit is ovate, 3–5 cm long, and 2–22.5 cm in diameter. The exocarp is gray green or gray yellow and has six undulating ridges separated by six creases and bearing fine transverse veins. The exocarp is light and brittle, and easily breaks into six portions, the stalk thus breaking too. Inside, there are six tiers of seeds. The seeds are triangular or fan-shaped and are brown in the center and pale brown at the edges and have a thin membrane on one side. On the inside they are white and oily.
Quality:
Large, unbroken, grayish-green fruits are the best.
Product Area:
Liáoníng, Húběi.
Etymology:
The name mǎ dōu líng 马兜铃, ""horse bells,"" reflects the similarity of this fruit to round bells attached to a horse's harness.