Rostellularia, Shu Wei Huang 鼠尾癀

Shu Wei Huang (TCM)
 Picture
Picture Rostellularia procumbens
Wight, R., , Icones plantarum Indiae orientalis (1840-1853)

Picture Justicia procumbens
(Photo by J.M.Garg) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:


Rostellularia procumbens (syn. Justicia procumbens)

Parts used:


Whole Herb

Temperature & Taste:


Cold, dry. Bitter

Classification:


B. Clears Heat and Toxin

Uses:


1. Clears Heat, Resists Toxin:
-Cold and Influenza with Fever
-Cough, Asthma (Ayurveda)
-Summer-heat (acute Heat disease during Summer)
-Sore and swollen Throat
-Boils, Abscesses, Toxic Sores
-Scrofula
-Malaria
-Toxic Snake and Insect bites

2. Clears Heat and Damp:
-Diarrhea, Dysentery, Enteritis
-Jaundice
-Gonorrhea, STD’s from Heat, Damp and Toxin
-Eczema

3. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis, Eases Pain:
-pain of the Sinews and Bones, Arthritis
-Trauma, Bruising


Dose:


Infusion (1 in 20): 4–6 fluid drams (Ayurveda)
Decoction: 5–15 grams (up to 30 grams)
Topically applied to Sores and Trauma.

Substitute:


It has been used as a substitute for Fumitory in India.

Main Combinations:


1. Cold and Influenza with Fever:
i. Rostellularia with Isatis Radix Ban Lan Gen
ii. Rostellularia with Lonicera Jin Yin Hua, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Mint (Bo He)
2. Sore Throat, Rostellularia with Isatis Folium Da Qing Ye, Lonicera Jin Yin Hua
3. Cough and Sore Throat, Rostellularia with Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying), Wild Chrysanthemum Ye Ju Hua, Eriobotrya Pi Pa Ye
4. Scrofula:
i. Rostellularia with Self Heal (Xia Ku Cao)
ii. Rostellularia with Figwort (Xuan Shen), Paeonia Mu Dan Pi
5. Sores, Boils, Carbuncles:
i. Rostellularia with Lonicera Jin Yin Hua, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Coptis Huang Lian
ii. Rostellularia with Coptis Huang Lian, Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying), Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi)
6. Conjunctivitis, Rostellularia with Vitis amurensis Shan Pu Tao, Celosia semen Qing Xiang Zi
7. Itchy skin diseases, Rostellularia with Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Cassia Semen Jue Ming Zi, Sophora Ku Shen
8. Malaria, Rostellularia 15–30 grams decocted and taken as a stand alone herb.
9. Gonorrhea, Rostellularia with Scutellaria Huang Qin, Gentiana Long Dan Cao, Plantain seed (Che Qian Zi), Knotgrass (Bian Xu)
10. Snake Bite, Rostellularia with Pinellia Ban Xia, Costus (Mu Xiang), Tetrapanax Tong Cao, Rhubarb (Da Huang), Sophora Ku Shen.

Major Formulas:



Cautions:


1. Not used during Pregnancy
2. Caution in Cold and Weakness of the digestion.

Main Preparations used: