Clematis Stem (Mutong)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Caulis Aristolochiae seu Clematis |
| Botanical Name: | Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom. Clematis armandii Franch. Clematis Montana Buch.-Ham. |
| Common Name: | Clematis stem, Armand Clematis stem, Anemone clematis stem |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Shennong Bencao Jing |
| art Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The stems are gathered in spring or autumn. The bark is removed, and the stems are dried in the sun. |
| Properties and Taste: | Bitter and cold |
| Meridian: | Heart, small intestine and urinary bladder |
| Functions: | To promote water metabolism and relieve abnormal urination Sedates Heart and Small Intestine Fire Opens Channels to Relieve Pain Promotes Lactation |
| Indications and Combinations: | 1. Promotes Urination Dysuria Syndrome: Chuan Mu Tong is commonly used to treat dysuria characterized by burning sensations and pain during urinatin, indicating an accumulation of damp-heat in the Urinary Bladder. ~ Damp-heat Dysuria: Combine Chuan Mu Tong with Che Qian Zi (Semen Plantaginis), Zhi Zi (Fructus Gardeniae), Hua Shi (Talcum), and Da Huang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei). ~ Bloody Dysuria: Add Pu Huang (Pollen Typhae) and Ou Jie (Nodus Nelumbinis Rhizomatis) to Chuan Mu Tong. ~ Stone Dysuria: Use with Jin Qian Cao (Herba Lysimachiae) and Hai Jin Sha (Herba Lygodii). 2. Sedates Heart and Small Intestine Fire Heart Fire: Chuan Mu Tong treats ulcerations of the tongue and mouth, irritability, and burning urination caused by heat in the Heart and small intestine channels. ~ Heat or fire in the Heart and small intestine: add Sheng Di Huang (Radix Rehmanniae), Zhu Ye (Herba Phyllostachys), Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhizae), Deng Xin Cao (Medulla Junci) and Zhi Zi (Fructus Gardeniae). 3. Opens Channels to Relieve Pain Chuan Mu Tong is used as a single-herb remedy to relieve pain or bi zheng (painful obstruction syndrome) with blood stagnation in the channels. 4. Promotes Lactation Insufficient Lactation: Chuan Mu Tong is often cooked with pig's feet and soy sauce and served as a food to promote lactation in nursing mothers. ~ To promote secretion of breast milk: use this herb with Chuan Shan Jia (Squama Manis) and Wang Bu Liu Xing (Semen Vaccariae). |
| Dosage: | 3-6 g in decoction. |
| Cautions: | Avoid giving overdoses of the herb. It is contraindicated during pregnancy. |