WH Acupuncture & Herbs Centre

It is the mature fruit of one-year herbage of Cnidium monnieri(L.) Cuss., family Umbelliferae. It is collected in summer and autumn when the fruit is ripe, and dried in the sunshine. The raw form is used for medication.

[Medicinal Properties]: Pungent, bitter, warm and slightly toxic; relate to the kidney meridian

[Medicinal Efficacies]: Kill parasites and relieve itching; dry dampness and dispel wind; warm kidney and strengthen yang.

[Clinical Applications]:

1. Pudendum itching, eczema, acariasis     This medicinal is the one of commonly used medicinals to treat pruritic diseases for external use. It is decocted alone to wash the local area, or together with Kushen, Huangbai and Baifan. Nowadays, it is often applied to treat trichomonal vaginitis clinically. 

      2. Leukorrhea of cold-damp type, lumbago caused by damp-Bi Syndrome      It has the function of strengthening yang and dispelling cold, drying dampness and dispelling wind. In treating leukorrhea of cold-damp type, it is used together with Shanzhuyu, Cheqianzi; In treating lumbago of damp-Bi Syndrome due to cold-dampness with kidney-yang deficiency, it is combined with Shanyao, Duzhong and Niuxi.

      3. Impotence due to kidney deficiency, sterility due to uterus cold     The medicinal has the strong function of warming kidney and strengthening yang. It is often combined with medicinals of warming kidney, nourishing kidney and replenishing essence.

[Usage and Dosage]: 3-9g. Its amount should be proper for external application. It is usually decocted to wash or ground into powder and mixed with water.

[Precautions]: It is not suitable to take orally for those with hyperactivity of fire due to yin deficiency or those patients with dampness and heat in the lower energizer.

[Medicinal Comparison]:

[Similarities]: Both of Shechuanzi and Difuzi have the function of relieve itching, it can treat exudative ulcer, eczema, pudendum itching and leucorrhea.

[Differences]: But Shechuangzi has the function of dispelling cold and drying dampness, killing parasites and relieving itching, it is suitable to treat syndrome of cold dampness or deficiency-cold, and acariasis; it also has the function of warming kidney and strengthening yang, indicated for impotence, sterility due to uterus cold, and lumbago caused by damp-bi Syndrome. Difuzi has the function of clearing heat and draining damp to relieve itching, especially for syndrome of damp-heat, indicaed for dysuria, heat stranguria with astringent pain.

蛇床子为伞形科植物蛇床Cnidium monnieri（L.）Cuss. 的成熟果实。全国各地均产，以河北、山东、浙江、江苏、四川等地产量较大。均为野生，夏、秋二季果实成熟时采收，除去杂质，晒干。生用。