08.26.08
The Herb for Healing Measles and Hemorrhagic Diseases: Schizonepeta (Jingjie)
Two different types of diseases can be healed by the same herb, Schizonepeta (“Jing Jie” in Chinese). These two kinds of diseases are skin itching including measles, and hemorrhagic diseases including nosebleeds, bloody stool, and uterine bleeding. The herb Schizonepeta (Jingjie) can also be used to treat common cold caused by wind-cold shown as chills, fever, headaches, and no sweating, or caused by wind-heat shown as sore throat and slight sweating.
According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, the herb Schizonepeta (Jingjie) has a pungent taste and a warm property. It can work on the meridians or channels of the Lung and Liver.
The herb Schizonepeta (Jingjie) can help expel wind, remove pathogenic factors, and stop bleeding. For common cold of the wind-cold type, Schizonepeta (Jingjie) is usually used with other herbs such as Ledebouriella Root (Fangfeng) and Notopterygium Root (Qianghuo). For common cold of the wind-heat type, this herb is often used with Forsythia Fruit (Lianqiao), Platycodon Root (Jiegeng), and Mentha (Bohe).
For the treatment of measles and skin itching, Schizonepeta (Jingjie) can be used with Mentha (Bohe), Arctium Fruit (Niubangzi), and Cicada Slough (Chantui) to relieve itching. For hemorrhagic diseases such as epistaxis (nosebleeds), carbonized Schizonepeta (Jingjie) can be used with other herbs that can stop bleeding. Note that to stop bleeding, the herb should be carbonized or baked until it turns yellow and black. It is used raw for common cold.
The pharmaceutical name of the herb Schizonepeta (Jingjie) is Herba seu Flos Schizonepetae. Its botanical name is Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq. It belongs to the Labiatae family. To prepare for therapeutic applications, the aerial part of the herb can be collected in autumn and early winter, dried, and cut into pieces. It can be used raw or stir-baked. It is usually cooked to make herbal decoctions and its dosage range is 3-10 grams.
Resources:
How to Use Herbs in Chinese Medicine: The Basics and Practical Guides
