This product is the root bark of the mulberry tree, a small tree of the Moraceae family. It is mainly produced in Anhui, Henan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan, and other regions. The roots are dug up from the time the leaves fall in late autumn until before sprouting in early spring. The yellow-brown rough bark is scraped off, the root bark is peeled, dried, cut into shreds, and used raw or honey-fried.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Sweet, cold. act on lung channel.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Purging the lung and relieving panting, unblock water and dispersing edema.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for lung heat, wheezing, and cough. This product is cold in nature and enters the lung meridian, capable of purging lung fire and also purging water qi in the lungs to relieve wheezing. For treating lung heat with cough and wheezing, it is often paired with Chinese Wolfberry Root-bark, such as in White-Draining Powder; if there is water retention in the lungs with distension, fullness, and rapid breathing, it can be paired with Ephedra, Bitter Apricot Seed, Pepperweed Seed, and other lung-ventilating and water-expelling herbs; if there is lung deficiency with heat, cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, tidal fever, and night sweats, it is combined with Ginseng, Schisandra Fruit, Prepared Rehmannia Root, and other lung-tonifying herbs, such as in Yonglei QianfangLung-Nourishing Decoction.
2. Used for edema, such as wind edema and skin edema. This product can clear and descend lung qi, dredge and regulate water passages to promote diuresis. Therefore, it is used for generalized edema, swelling of the face and skin, distension, fullness, rapid breathing, and difficulty in urination, often paired with tuckahoe peel, Areca Peel, etc., such as in Five-Peel Decoction.
3. In addition, this product also has the effects of stopping bleeding and clearing the liver, and can be used to treat nosebleeds, hemoptysis, and hypertension due to excessive liver yang and liver fire.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Bielu: "Removes water qi from the lungs, spitting blood, heat thirst, edema, abdominal distension, and promotes water passage."
2. Yaoxing Lun: "Treats lung qi panting and fullness, water qi floating swelling, mainly injuries and exhaustion, promotes water passage, disperses water qi, deficiency fatigue, guest heat, headache, and internally supplements deficiencies."
3. Bencao Gangmu: "Suitable for those with water qi in the lungs and excess lung fire."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

10-15 grams. Decoct for oral use. Use raw for draining the lungs, promoting urination, calming the liver, and clearing heat; use honey-fried for lung deficiency cough.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains a variety of flavonoid derivatives, such as morin, morusin, and mulberrin; umbelliferone, scopoletin, and antihypertensive components similar to acetylcholine; recently, mulberrofuran A has also been extracted.