This product is a perennial herb of the Saururaceae family, known as Houttuynia cordata (Houttuynia cordata Thunb). It is distributed in provinces south of the Yangtze River basin. Collected during summer and autumn, it is washed, dried, and used in its raw form.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid, slightly cold. Act on lung meridian.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Clearing heat and removing toxins, eliminating abscesses and expelling pus, promoting diuresis and relieving stranguria.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for lung abscess with pus expectoration and lung heat cough. This herb is cold in nature to purge and descend, pungent to disperse stagnation, primarily enters the lung meridian, excels in clearing lung heat, and has the effects of clearing heat and removing toxin, and eliminating abscesses by expelling pus. It is a key herb for treating phlegm-heat congesting the lungs, leading to lung abscess, and coughing up pus and blood, often used in combination with Platycodon Root, Reed Rhizome, Trichosanthis Fruit, etc.; it can also be used to treat lung heat cough, often combined with Skullcap Root, Fritillaria Bulb, Anemarrhena, etc.
2. Used for heat toxin sores and ulcers. This herb is pungent and cold, capable of both clearing heat and removing toxin, and eliminating abscesses by expelling pus, often used with wild chrysanthemum flower, Dandelion, Lonicera, etc.; it can also be used alone by mashing the fresh herb for external application.
3. Used for heat stranguria syndrome. This herb has the effects of clearing heat and removing dampness, promoting urination and relieving strangury, often used with Plantain Herb, lalang grass rhizome, 海金砂, etc. In addition, this herb can also clear the intestines to stop dysentery, and can be used to treat dampness-heat diarrhea and dysentery.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Bencao Jingshu: "A key herb for treating phlegm-heat congesting the lungs, leading to lung abscess with pus and blood expectoration."
2. Bencao Gangmu: "Disperses heat toxin and abscesses."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 15-30g. Apply an appropriate amount externally.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

This product contains volatile oils and should not be decocted for a long time.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains Heartleaf Houttuynia Herb extract, volatile oils, houttuynine, Daimyo Oak Bark glycosides, potassium chloride, and other components. The Heartleaf Houttuynia Herb extract exhibits varying degrees of inhibitory effects on a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Diplococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus type A, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, cold-damage disease bacilli, and subcutaneous node bacilli. It enhances the phagocytic ability of white blood cells, boosts the body's immunity, and possesses anti-inflammatory properties. The Daimyo Oak Bark extract and potassium salts it contains can dilate renal stirred pulses, increasing renal stirred pulse blood flow, thereby exerting a strong diuretic effect. Additionally, it has analgesic, hemostatic, and antitussive effects.