What are the functions of Honeysuckle?
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Honeysuckle, also known as Silverflower, Doubleflower, Fivestamenflower, Egretflower, and Twoflower, commonly uses the dried flower buds or initially opened flowers of the Lonicera japonica Thunb. from the Caprifoliaceae family for medicinal purposes. In terms of its meridian, Honeysuckle mainly enters the lung, stomach, heart, and spleen meridians. It is cold in nature with a sweet taste, functioning to clear heat and detoxify, and to cool and disperse wind heat. It is mainly used to treat carbuncles, sores, erysipelas, heat-toxin dysentery, wind-heat colds, and fever due to warm diseases.
The application range of Honeysuckle is very wide, it can be used alone or compounded with other herbs, or made into pills, soaked in wine, taken internally, or applied externally, all of which have good effects. Its application in traditional Chinese medicine preparations is very extensive. According to surveys, one-third of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions nationwide use Honeysuckle.
Syndrome differentiation and application
The functional effects of Honeysuckle mainly lie in clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling and dispersing wind heat, cooling blood and stopping dysentery, etc.
1. Carbuncles, sores, and sore throat: Due to the strong effect of Honeysuckle in clearing heat and detoxifying, it is an indispensable good medicine in traditional Chinese surgery. It is especially suitable for cases of "yang syndrome" in the differentiation of carbuncles, sores, and sore throat, i.e., positive syndromes mainly with symptoms of redness, swelling, and heat. It is usually taken internally by decocting with Dandelion, Azolla, Forsythia, Moutan, and Red Peony, or externally applied by pounding fresh Honeysuckle.
2. External wind-heat or initial stage of warm disease: Due to the effect of Honeysuckle in cooling and dispersing wind heat, it has certain effects on symptoms such as fever, headache, irritability, insomnia, dizziness, dry throat, and dry mouth in the initial stages of external wind-heat or warm disease. It is often used in combination with Forsythia, Burdock, and Peppermint.
3. Heat-toxin dysentery with bloody stools: For dysentery caused by heat-toxin, Honeysuckle can enter the blood to clear heat, detoxify, and cool the blood. Clinically, it is often used with Carbonized Honeysuckle, Scutellaria, Coptis, White Peony, and Purslane.
It is said that during the Chongning period of the Northern Song Dynasty, several monks from the Baiyun Temple on Tianping Mountain in Pingjiang Prefecture picked a basket of wild mushrooms and cooked them. Unfortunately, the mushrooms were poisonous, and after the monks had eaten their fill, they began to vomit and have diarrhea. Among them, three monks who took fresh Honeysuckle in time were fine, while the others who did not take Honeysuckle in time all died. This shows that the detoxifying effect of Honeysuckle is extraordinary.
During the SARS epidemic, many traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for preventing SARS used Honeysuckle. The well-known "Yin Qiao San" and "Yin Huang Oral Liquid" both used Honeysuckle as the main ingredient. Using Honeysuckle as the main ingredient, combined with Forsythia, Isatis leaf, Reed root, and Licorice, decocted in water and taken as tea can prevent "encephalitis B" and "meningitis." Additionally, the distillate obtained from the flowers and leaves of Honeysuckle by distillation is called Honeysuckle Dew, which is used to prevent heat rash in the summer. Honeysuckle can also be made into a drink, which is not only sweet and tasty but also has a good effect in clearing heat and relieving summer heat.
In daily life, people often use Honeysuckle to make tea to treat sore throat and prevent upper respiratory tract infections. The method is: take 20 grams of Honeysuckle, decoct in water as tea or brew for drinking, once a day. Honeysuckle also has remarkable effects on beauty and skincare, such as treating facial boils, acne, and summer heat rash. Using Honeysuckle with Cortex Dictamni to wash the affected area with the decoction often yields unexpected results.
However, it should be noted that Honeysuckle has a sweet and cold nature, and those with a deficiency of the spleen and stomach, as well as those with a weak body due to qi deficiency, should not use it.
Common simple prescriptions
1. 15 grams of Honeysuckle and 3 grams of Licorice, decoct in water for gargling, can treat pharyngitis.
2. 60 grams of Honeysuckle and 20 grams of Hawthorn, decoct in water as tea, can treat fever, headache, and sore throat due to a cold.
3. 25 grams each of Honeysuckle and Dandelion, 15 grams of Licorice, once a day, taken orally, can treat parotiditis.
4. 10 grams each of Honeysuckle, Chrysanthemum, and Hawthorn, 100 grams of Honey, add an appropriate amount of water, decoct for 30 minutes, filter out the medicinal juice and drink, can treat summer heat headache, irritability, and thirst.
5. An appropriate amount of fresh tender stems, leaves, and flowers of Honeysuckle, washed with cold water and chewed and swallowed, can treat mushroom poisoning.
6. 15 grams of Honeysuckle, 30 grams each of Plantain, Common knotgrass, and Motherwort, once a day, taken orally, can treat urinary tract infections.
The above sharing on the functions of Honeysuckle and the detailed medicinal value of Honeysuckle is all the content for your comprehensive understanding and reference!