What Are the Benefits and Functions of Chinese Herbal Medicine - Mugwort?

Update Date: 2024-06-19 Source: Network

Mugwort is a common medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine, also known as wormwood leaf. Its main functions include warming the meridians, stopping bleeding, dispelling cold, and relieving pain. It is mainly used to treat symptoms such as vomiting blood, epistaxis, uterine bleeding, excessive menstruation, fetal bleeding, lower abdominal cold pain, menstrual irregularity due to cold, and infertility due to cold uterus.

Mugwort belongs to the category of herbs that warm the meridians and stop bleeding. It is made from the dried leaves of the plant Artemisia argyi, which belongs to the Compositae family. It has a pungent and bitter taste, a warm nature, and a small amount of toxicity. It affects the liver, spleen, and kidney meridians. Internally, it has the effect of warming the meridians, stopping bleeding, dispelling cold, and relieving pain. It can be used to treat symptoms such as vomiting blood, epistaxis, uterine bleeding, excessive menstruation, fetal bleeding, lower abdominal cold pain, menstrual irregularity due to cold, and infertility due to cold uterus. Externally, it has the effect of eliminating dampness and relieving itchiness, and can be used to treat itchy skin diseases such as eczema, vaginal ulcer, and scabies.

When mugwort is combined with donkey-hide gelatin, the effects of stopping bleeding and stabilizing the fetus are enhanced, making it suitable for the treatment of excessive menstruation, uterine bleeding, and fetal bleeding caused by deficiency-cold in the lower jiao. When combined with Cyperus rotundus, the effects of warming the meridians, promoting qi, and relieving pain are enhanced, making it suitable for the treatment of menstrual irregularity, dysmenorrhea, lower abdominal cold pain, infertility due to cold uterus, and fetal instability caused by qi stagnation and deficiency-cold in the lower jiao. When combined with Atractylodes lancea, the effects of warming the meridians and eliminating dampness are enhanced, making it suitable for the treatment of symptoms such as vaginal discharge with a clear and thin consistency and continuous leakage caused by dampness and cold descending to the lower jiao.

Mugwort contains a small amount of toxicity, mainly due to excessive volatile oils. Symptoms of poisoning may include dry throat, gastrointestinal discomfort, pain, general weakness, dizziness, tinnitus, limb tremor, general spasms, muscle relaxation, paralysis, enlarged liver, jaundice, etc. Therefore, it should not be used in excessive amounts.