☯ TCM Properties
Promotes urination, resolves Dampness and c lears Heat; Promotes lactation
Traditional Chinese Uses
This entry corresponds to Tong Cao, the dried stem pith of Tetrapanax papyrifer (Araliaceae), the rice-paper plant. Sweet and bland with a cold nature, it enters the Lung and Stomach channels to promote urination and drain Dampness, clear Heat, and promote lactation. It is a gentle herb for damp-heat and heat patterns of painful, difficult or dribbling urination (lin syndrome) and for edema, and it is especially valued to promote breast-milk flow in postpartum women with scanty milk, where it is combined with tonics such as Wang Bu Liu Xing and pig-trotter soups.
Being mild, it is usually decocted in modest doses and paired with stronger diuretic or nourishing herbs.
Botanical Description
This entry's botanical identity is not established in the major TCM materia medica references available to the editor. The pinyin name "Geng Tong Cao" is not a standard heading in the principal contemporary materia medica (Bensky, Chen, Chinese Pharmacopoeia) and does not correspond unambiguously to a single recognised herb; the literal sense of the characters suggests a folk medicinal plant associated with relief of pain and stagnation, but no definitive species attribution can be recorded here. The dataset field for scientific name is "Unknown," and no reliable cross-reference to a Latin binomial, plant family, habit, morphology, or geographic distribution can be supplied without further source confirmation. Editorial fields are therefore left empty pending verification.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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