Alismatis Rhizome
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Herbs for Inducing Diuresis and Excreting Dampness
Alismatis Rhizome
Latin:
Rhizoma Alismatis
Origin:
The rhizome of Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzepcz., or Alisma plantago-aquatica, a perennial marsh plant, of the Alismataceae family. It is grown in ditches, damp ground and shallow pond margins in water up to 15 cm deep. Native to Europe, it is naturalized in the Middle East, Egypt and China.
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The plant grows to about 1 m tall. It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by flies. The plant cannot grow in the shade. It requires wet soil and can grow in water.
In China, alismatis is mainly produced in the provinces Fujian, Sichuan, Jiangxi, etc. Harvested in autumn, when the stem and leaf begin to wither. Procedure: Wash the rhizome clean, bake it in low heat until dry, remove fibrous root and rough skin by knocking. Moisten the rhizome thoroughly with water, slice, dry in the sun and fry with bran or saline for use.
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Also called Water Plantain.
Properties:
Sweet and bland in flavor, cold in nature, it is related to the kidney and urinary bladder channels.
Functions:
Induces diuresis, removes dampness and purges heat.
Applications:
1. To treat edema, dysuria (difficult or painful discharge of urine), diarrhea, strangury (slow and painful spasmodic discharge of urine), leukorrhea, fluid retention syndromes, etc.:
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a) Edema and other syndromes due to damp-heat in the abdomen:
This herb is often used together with such herbs as umbellate pore fungus (Polyporus Umbellatus), tuckahoe (Poria Cocos), Job's tears (Semen Coicis), etc.
b) Dizziness due to retention of fluid:
This herb can be used in combination with largehead atractylodes rhizome (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae), e.g., Zexie Tang.
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Dosage and Administration:
5-10 g.
Decoct this herb for oral administration.
Cautions on Use:
The fresh leaves and roots are toxic but the toxic principal is destroyed by heat or by drying.
Frequent administration of water plantain rhizome can blur the vision becuase by inducing diuresis, a state of deficiency of kidney-qi can be the result, which causes the vision to blur.
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Reference Materials:
'Ri Huazi's Materia Medica' :
"Dizziness and tinnitus due to deficiency."
'Rudimentary Materia Medica' :
"Although frequent administration of water plantain rhizome can blur the vision, excessive administration can improve the vision. What is the reason for such facts? This is because purging retained fluid can remove retained dirt, so the vision can be improved, but inducing diuresis can result in deficiency of kidney-qi, so the vision is blurred. These two facts should be known."
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'The Compendium of Materia Medica' :
"Removing damp-heat, promoting recirculation of retained fluids and arresting vomiting. Tuckahoe (Poria Cocos) and alismatis rhizome (Rhizoma Alismatis) are used in Zhongjing Dihuang Wan simply because it purges the urinary bladder of pathogenic factors instead of attracting and receiving them."
Toxic or Side Effects:
The fresh leaves and roots are toxic but the toxic principal is destroyed by heat or by drying.
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Modern Researches:
This herb contains triterpenoids, volatile oils, alkaloids, asparagine resin, etc.
This herb has an obvious diuretic effect, being able to increase the excretion of urine, urea and chlorides. Its diuretic action on nephritis patients, with acute or chronic inflammation of the kidney, is more notable. It also has hypotensive, blood-sugar-reducing and lipotrophic effects.
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This herb can inhibit Staphylococcus aureus, Diplococcus pneumoniae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The leaves are antibacterial, anticholesterolemic, diaphoretic, diuretic, hypoglycaemic and hypotensive. They are used in the treatment of cystitis (inflammation of the urinary bladder), dysentery, renal calculus, gravel etc. The fresh leaf is rubefacient. It is used in the treatment of leprosy and is also applied locally to bruises and swellings.
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Dried stem bases eaten, or grated and taken with water in treating digestive disorders such as heartburn, cramps and stomach flu.
The powdered seed is an astringent, used in cases of bleeding. The seed is also said to promote sterility.
The root is antibacterial, anticholesterolemic, diuretic and hypotensive. It is said to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels whilst it also has an antibacterial action on Staphococci, Pneumococci and Mycobacteria. The root is used in the treatment of oliguria, oedema, nephritis, acute diarrhoea, cholesterolemia and fatty liver. It has been thought of as a cure for rabies, though this has not been substantiated.
The whole plant is believed to promote conception., 百拇医药