This product is the root tuber of the perennial herbaceous plant of the Stemona root family, either the erect Stemona root (Stemona sessilifolia (Miq.) Miq.), the creeping Stemona root (S. japonica (BL.) Miq.), or the opposite-leaved Stemona root (S. tuberosa Lour.). It is mainly produced in Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Zhejiang, Shandong, and other regions. The roots are harvested in spring and autumn, the fibrous roots are removed, and they are washed, briefly scalded in boiling water or steamed until the white core disappears, then taken out, dried in the sun, cut into thick slices for raw use, or processed with honey.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Sweet and bitter, slightly warm. Act on lung meridian.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Moistening lung and relieving cough, killing worms.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for new chronic cough disease, whooping cough, pulmonary tuberculosis cough. This product is sweet and moist, bitter and descending, slightly warm and not dry, specializing in moistening the lung and relieving cough, whether it is external contraction or internal damage, fulminant cough disease, or long-term cough, it can be used. It can be used alone or in combination with other medicinals. To treat wind-cold cough, it is combined with Schizonepeta, Platycodon Root, Aster, etc., such as Cough-Stopping Powder. If chronic cough disease persists and there is deficiency of both qi and yin, it is combined with Astragalus Root, Coastal Glehnia Root, Ophiopogon Tuber, etc., such as stemona root decoction. To treat pulmonary tuberculosis cough with yin deficiency, it is combined with Coastal Glehnia Root, Ophiopogon Tuber, Tendrilleaf Fritillary Bulb, etc. In modern clinical practice, this product is mainly used with Skullcap Root, Salvia to treat lung subcutaneous nodes, showing certain efficacy in the conversion of sputum bacteria to negative and the absorption of lesions. To treat whooping cough, it can be used alone or combined with Fritillaria Bulb, Aster, Willowleaf Rhizome, etc.
2. Used for pinworms, vaginal trichomoniasis, head lice, and scabies. This product has the effect of killing worms and can be used as a contact killing worms agent. To treat enterobiasis, it is concentrated and used for retention enema before sleep; to treat vaginal trichomoniasis, it can be used alone or combined with Cnidium Fruit, Sophora, etc., decocted and used for sitz bath or external washing; to treat head lice, body lice, and scabies, it can be made into a 20% ethanol solution or 50% decocted with water solution for external application.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Bielu: "The Lord coughs with abnormal rising of qi."
2. Zhenglei Bencao quotes Tao Hong-jing as saying: "Treats cough, also primarily removes lice."
3. Yaoxing Lun: "Treats lung heat, abnormal rising of qi, and rebellious cough, primarily moistens and benefits the lungs."
4. Rihuazi Bencao: "Treats roundworms and steaming bone fever due to corpse transmission, kills roundworms, tapeworms, and pinworms."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 5-15g; apply an appropriate amount externally. For chronic cough disease, it is advisable to use honey-fried preparation for deficiency-type cough.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains various alkaloids such as stemona root alkaloid, stemona rootine, proto-stemona root alkaloid, hypo-stemona root alkaloid, erect stemona root alkaloid, opposite leaf stemona root alkaloid, and creeping stemona root alkaloid. It also contains sugars, lipids, proteins, and amber acid. The stemona root alkaloid has a central cough suppressant effect; it relaxes the bronchial smooth muscle of isolated guinea pigs caused by histamine; both the water decoction and alcohol extract have significant killing effects on head lice and body lice; it has a notable killing effect on pinworms in mice; and it inhibits the human type subcutaneous node bacillus. Additionally, it inhibits various cocci, bacilli, and skin fungi; it also reduces the pathogenicity of the Asian influenza A virus in mice and has a therapeutic effect on already infected mice.