Pharmaceutical Name

Fructus Aristlochiae

Botanical Name

1. Aristolochia contorta Bge.; 2. Aristolochia debilis Sieb. et Zucc.

Common Name

Aristolochia fruit, Birthwort fruit

Source of Earliest Record

Yaoxing Lun

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations

The ripe fruit is gathered in autumn and dried in the sun.

Properties & Taste

Bitter, slightly pungent and cold

Meridians

Lung and large intestine

Functions

1. To clear the lungs and resolve phlegm; 2. To stop cough and soothe asthma

Indications & Combinations

1. Heat in the lungs manifested as cough with profuse yellow sputum and asthma. Birthwort fruit (Madouling) is used with Loquat leaf (Pipaye), Peucedanum root (Qianhu), Mulberry bark (Sangbaipi) and Scutellaria root (Huangqin). 2. Deficiency of the lungs manifested as cough with scanty sputum or with bloody sputum and shortness of breath. Birthwort fruit (Madouling) is used with Glehnia root (Shashen), Ophiopogon root (Maidong), Aster root (Ziwan) and Donkey hide gelatin (Ejiao).

Dosage

3-10 g

Cautions & Contraindications

Overdosage of the herb may cause nausea and vomiting.