Prunus mume, Wu Mei 乌梅
Wu Mei (TCM)
von Siebold, P. &, J. Zuccarini Flora Japonica, Sectio Prima (Tafelband), 1870
Prunus mume Wu Mei (Adam, 2017)Botanical name:
Prunus mume
Parts used:
Fruit, almost ripe and baked until blackened
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Sour (has both dry and moistening qualities)
Classification:
Astringent
Uses:
1. Consolidates the Lungs, Stops Cough:
-Chronic Cough from Lung deficiency
2. Generates Fluids:
-Thirst
3. Kills Worms:
-Roundworm
-Vomiting and abdominal pain from Worms
4. Astringes to Stop Leakage, Stops Bleeding:
-chronic Diarrhea and Dysentery, with or without Blood
-it has also been used for Epidemic (acute) Diarrhea
-Excess Uterine Bleeding
-used for Diabetes-like disorders
Dose:
Decoction: 6–12 grams
Main Combinations:
1. Chronic Cough:
i. Prunus mume Wu Mei with Almond (Xing Ren) and Pinellia Ban Xia
ii. Prunus mume Wu Mei with Chebulic Myrobalan, Schisandra Wu Wei Zi
iii. chronic Cough with little or no phlegm, Prunus mume Wu Mei with Almond (Xing Ren), Poppy capsule, Licorice (as in Yi Fu San from Shi Yi De Xiao Fang [Effective Formulas from Generations of Physicians]).
2. Internal Heat with damaged fluids, with thirst, dryness, cough, irritability, Prunus mume Wu Mei with Coptis Huang Lian and Scutellaria Huang Qin
3. Thirst, Prunus mume Wu Mei with Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong
4. Diarrhea, Dysentery:
i. acute Epidemic Diarrhea, Prunus mume Wu Mei with Coptis Huang Lian (as in Wu Mei Wan from Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang ([Taiping Holy Prescriptions for Universal Relief[).
ii. Chronic Dysentery, Worms, ascariasis of bilary tract, Giardia, Prunus mume Wu Mei with Dang Gui, Asarum Xi Xin, Coptis Huang Lian, Ginger (Gan Jiang), Ginseng (as in Wu Mei Wan from Shang Han Lun)
iii. Chronic Diarrhea or Dysentery, Prunus mume Wu Mei with Chebula (He Zi), Poppy Capsule (as in Gu Chang Wan from Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng (The Level-line of Patterns & Treatment).
5. Abdominal pain from Roundworm, Prunus mume Wu Mei with Betel nut (Bing Lang)
6. Excessive Uterine Bleeding with Thirst and Blood deficiency, Prunus mume Wu Mei with Dang Gui and Paeonia Bai Shao
7. Diabetes-like disorders from deficient Heat, Prunus mume Wu Mei with Trichosanthes root Tian Hua Fen, Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong, Ginseng (as in Yu Quan San from Shen Shi Zun Sheng Shu [Master Shen’s Writings on Respecting Life]).
Major Formulas:
Jiu Xian San
Li Zhong An Hui Tang
Lian Mei An Hui Tang
Wu Mei Wan
Cautions:
1. Not used for Excess Heat or Stagnation
2. Not used for acute (exterior) disorders such as Cold and Flu. (It has been used for acute Diarrhea, as noted above)