Learn About Chinese Herbs -Ma Huang (Ephedra with ephedra root)-
Ma Huang (Ephedra with ephedra root)
This product is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. It was first published in the Shennong Materia Medica, which was listed as medium grade.
Source: Dried stems of Ephedra sinica Stapf in Ephedra epuisetina Bunge. All wild.
Origin: Mainly produced in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Xinjiang, Hebei and other places.
Plant morphology:
· Grass ephedra: herbaceous small shrub, height 20~40cm. The essence stem creeps in the soil, or slightly outside the ground. The green branches are erect, the internodes are slender, generally 2.5~5.5cm long (mostly 3~4cm) and about 2mm in diameter. The leaves are opposite, degenerate into membranous sheaths, wrapped in stem nodes, lower 1/3~2/3 synphysis, upper two lobes, lobes sharply triangular. Flowers unisexual, male flowers often 3~5 integrated compound spike-like inflorescences, sparsely solitary, while female flowers are mostly born at the end of the branches, female flowers often grow in pairs; When ripe, the bracts are fleshy, red, and contain two seeds.
Harvesting and processing: Harvesting before the frost falls after the beginning of autumn. Too early, the young stem is empty, the ephedra content is small, the color turns red when frosted, and the color is yellow after being exposed to the sun for too long. All affect the efficacy.
Trait identification:
· Grass ephedra: slender cylindrical, some with brown woody stems. Grassy stem less branched, yellow-green, internodes with fine longitudinal ridges, nodes on fine scales, 2~3 pieces, base union is tube-shaped, stem brittle, easy to break, when broken, dust flying out of the section of the inner red-yellow (commonly known as rose heart, the main component of ephedra), slightly aromatic, bitter taste. It is better to have a thick stem, light green, dust flying out from time to time, full heart, and bitter taste.
Main ingredients: Containing L-ephedrine (C10H15ON), pseudoephedrine, volatile oil (oil contains 1-d-terpineol), etc.
Pharmacological effects: Sweating, asthmatic, water.
（1） Sweating: Only when heated by humans can increase their sweating, animal experiments have not confirmed that this product has a sweating effect when applied alone.
（2） Antipyretic: ephedra volatile oil and its main component terpineol, have cooling effect on normal mice.
（3） Relieving bronchospasm: ephedrine and pseudoephedrine can relax bronchial smooth muscle, and the effect is gentle and long-lasting, so it can make breathing smooth and stop asthma, that is, the so-called "Xuantong lung and calm asthma".
（4）Diuresis: pseudoephedrine has a significant diuretic effect.
（5）Boost blood pressure: ephedrine can constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure, and its effect is slow and long-lasting, which can last for several hours.
（6）Anti-disease: Ephedra volatile oil has an inhibitory effect on influenza viruses.
Comparison table of three ephedra plants:
Preparation: 1.Raw use, 2.Honey processed.
Taste: spicy, bitter, warm.
Attribution: into the lungs, bladder meridians.
Function: Sweating, asthmatic, diuretic. Raw sweating power is strong, honey is mostly used to relieve asthma and cough.
Indications: Cold, wheezing, cough, edema. It is suitable for people who have no sweat in cold and external wind cold.
Clinical application: Mainly used for asthma and treatment of external wind chill.
（1） It is used to relieve asthma and cough. Generally, almonds are needed to enhance asthma relief. When the lungs are hot and coughing (such as pneumonia, acute bronchitis), it is necessary to use antipyretic drugs such as gypsum, such as Ma Xing Shi Gan soup; When the lungs are cold and coughing (such as bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc.), dried ginger, fine spices, and schisandra must be added to strengthen the effect of dispersing cold, expectorant and antitussive, such as Xiao Qing Long soup.
It should be noted that although ephedra has the effect of treating asthma, the effectiveness will be greatly reduced after continuous long-term use, so people with chronic cough are generally not suitable for a long time and can be used intermittently. Ephedra has the effect of stimulating the cerebral cortex, such as a large amount, often cause overexcitement and insomnia, it is advisable to start with a small amount and gradually explore the appropriate amount. Seared ephedra with honey has fewer side effects.
（2） It is used to treat external wind chills (such as colds and early flu). Winter external wind, cold and evil on the surface, tight pulse, head and body muscles tension and pain, is when it is most suitable for use. Spring, summer and autumn external wind chill can also be used, but cold wind with sweating is when it is not suitable for use, the so-called proverb says "sweat do not use ephedra" as it is to prevent sweating too much.
Ephedra with laurel branches, can enhance sweating to dissolve wind chill, like Ma Huang soup.
（3） For the treatment of edema. It has the effect of sweating and diuresis to reduce edema. It is generally used in the together with Bai Zhu. Treatment of edema accompanied by manifestations of external wind symptoms, cold type, can add Qiang Huo, Fang Feng; Hot type, can add gypsum.
（4） For the treatment of rheumatic joint pain. With Yi Yi Ren or Bai Zhu, etc., it relieves pain by sweating.
Precautions for use: Ephedra should be used with caution for hypertension, one can use Zi Su to be substituted when used to deal with external wind; When it comes to rheumatic joint pain, Lu Han Cao can be used instead.
Dosage: The commonly used amount is 1.5~9g, and 4.5~6g is more common. Weak people can use 2.4~4.5g. Those with slightly better physique are used for sweating and asthma, and sometimes 9~12g must be used for the treatment of rheumatic joint pain, and the dosage can be larger.
Examples of prescriptions
（1） Ma Huang soup (from "Shang Han Lun"): Ma Huang 6g, Gui Zhi 6g, Xing Ren 6g, Gan Cao 3g, water decoction.
（2） Ma Xing Shi Gan Soup (from "Shang Han Lun"): Ma Huang 4.5g, Xing Ren 9g, Sheng Shi Gao 18g (cooked first), Gan Cao 3g, water decoction.
（3） Xiao Qing Long Soup (from "Shang Han Lun"): Ma Huang 6g, Gui Zhi 6g, Bai Shao 6g, Xi Xin 3g, Gan Jiang 6g, Wu Wei Zi 3g, Ban Xia 6g, Zhi Gan Cao 3g, water decoction.
Note: The main ingredients are ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, volatile oil.
Ephedra root
It is a dry root of ephedra. It is round, branched (branched), russet in appearance, hard wood, light red or yellow-white in section, delicate radial texture is not obvious, and the taste is slightly bitter. It can stop sweating without causing sweating, and is mostly used for people who are weak and sweaty.
Case study: hepatitis C
Patient Name: Ms. Li
Date of first visit: April 14, 2005
Chief complaints: pain in the side. Hospital diagnosis: hepatitis C. The patient was cross-infected after getting an eyebrow tattoo at a beauty center.
TCM diagnosis: string pulse, red tongue, yellow moss.
Chinese medicine prescription: chuan dong zi 10g, chai hu 10g, ze lan 10g, ban lan gen 15g, da qing ye 10g, mai dong 10g, peony skin 10g, ban zhil ian 10g, ling zhi 6g, dried tangerine peel 10g, boil in water, drink the liquid, one dose per day, a total of fifty-two doses.
Follow-ups: One year later, at follow-up, patient said hospital test found no signs of hepatitis C. Another follow-up in 2019, patient said there has been no recurrence since.