Dong Gua Zi (Semen Benincasae / Winter melon seed)

This product is a more commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, and "Shennong's Materia Medica" 《神农本草经》 is listed as the top grade, formerly known as melon seeds. There are two types on the market: unilateral and bilateral. The original plant is the same, but it is a variation of the cultivar.

Aliase: Winter melon kernel.

Source: Mature, dried seeds of Benincasa hispida Cogn., an annual climbing herb of the Cucurbitaceae family  .

Origin: It is cultivated all over the country.

Trait identification: it is flat oval, about 1.2~1.4cm long, about 6~8cm wide, and about 2mm thick. The surface is yellowish-white. One end is obtuse and rounded, the other end is pointed, and the tip has two protrusions, one of which is smaller than the seed umbilicus, and the other is slightly larger, with a distinct bead hole on it. The edge of the seed has a ring on both sides. The seed coat is rough, thin and soft, and after peeling off the seed coat, a layer of transparent and colorless membranous endosperm can be seen, which is tightly wrapped around the two cotyledons. The cotyledons are white, the radicle is small, and it is oriented towards the tip. The gas is tasteless and slightly sweet.

· Unilateral winter melon seeds: the shape is slightly similar to bilateral winter melon seeds and is smaller, about 1~1 long2cm, width about 5~7mm. Smooth edges without rings. The seed coat is thicker, harder and brittle. The smell is the same as above.

It is considered to be better quality to have large, plump and white grains.

Main ingredients: Contains fenugreek, adenine, fatty oil.

pharmachologic effect

(1) Diuretic and anti-inflammatory, so it can clear away heat and dampness, dissipate heat and carbuncle swelling; (2) Expectorant.

Preparation: raw or stir-fried.

Taste: sweet, slightly cold.

Meridians: into the spleen and small intestine meridians.

Function: clear heat and diuretic, reduce swelling, discharge pus, eliminate phlegm, and relieve cough.

Indications: intestinal carbuncle, pulmonary carbuncle, swollen water, phlegm, hot cough, white turbidity and leucorrhoea.

Clinical application: as an adjuvant drug for the treatment of internal carbuncle and phlegm-fever cough. The method in which it is used is similar to Yi Yi Ren; Though its effect is not as strong as Gua Lou Ren it still has some effect, and it is often used with Qian Hu, Chuan Bei, Xing Ren, such in the formula “Bei Xing Gua Tang”.

Dosage: 6~12g. Large doses can be used up to 30g.

Prescription examples

Qian Bei Xing Gua Tang: Qian Hu 6g, Chuan Bei 6g, Xing Ren 9g, Dong Gua Ren 9g, decoction in water.

Dong Gua Pi (Winter melon peel)

The skin of winter melon is the outer peel of winter melon, which is made by drying the thin skin layer peeled off when eating winter melon. This product is irregular fragments, of varying size, or curled into a cylindrical shape. The outer skin is green or yellowish-green, and some are covered with hoarfrost (wax powder) that is smooth. The inner surface is yellowish-white and rough. Thin and brittle. It has no smell and is tasteless and light. It is considered to be of better quality to have thin skin, green skin, and strips which are long.

Preparation: Raw.

Taste: sweet and cold.

Meridians: spleen, small intestine meridians.

Function: clear heat, dilute water, reduce swelling.

Indications: edema of the limbs, abdominal distention, poor urination and other symptoms.

[Attached] winter melon skin: sweet in taste, slightly cold in nature. It can clear heat and diuretic, but the effect is weak, and it is not good for treating mild edema and urination caused by general weakness or beriberi. The dosage is 1~2 taels, and is often used with Chi Xiao Dou, Sheng Yi Ren, Hong Tang and other water decoction.

Note: Bilateral winter melon seeds are coarse round skin winter melon seeds with ash powder, and unilateral winter melon seeds are slender and oblong winter melon seeds without ash powder, which are common in Beijing and Tianjin.

Case study: appendicitis

Patient Zhang, male, 30 years old.

The patient had abdominal pain for 2 days, and he was admitted to Boji Hospital to get an injection of painkillers, but he was diagnosed with appendicitis in the morning and asked to be hospitalized immediately for surgery, and there was no guarantee of what happens in the afternoon. The patient has no money to pay for the operation and is afraid of surgery, so a TCM practitioner was invited for alternate treatment. According to the diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine, his right lower abdomen is slightly hot, and there is a ball in it. The right foot is painful, and is given the formula Da Huang Mu Dan Tang.

Prescription: 12g of Sheng Da Huang (entered last), 12g of powdered Dan Pi, 6g of Tao Ren, 24g of Dong Gua Ren, and Mang Xiao (added in post）9g。

After taking the herbs, the pain is still severe at night, and the globules are slightly raised.

The next day, Sheng Da Huang was changed to 15g, the Mang Xiao 12g, and the other herbs increased slightly. 3 hours after taking it, there is a lot of black and yellow loose feces, and the pain is slightly reduced at night.

The dosage of the third diagnosis was slightly reduced, 12g of Da Huang, 9g of Mang Xiao, and after taking it, the stool was black and filthy, and the pain was further reduced.

The fourth to seventh diagnoses were added or subtracted according to the prescription, and the pain gradually decreased, and the globules gradually became thinner, and the body was tired and weak.

On the 8th day, the medicines were reduced to: 9g of Da Huang, 6g of Mang Xiao, 9g Dan Pi, 3g Tao Ren, 15g Dong Gua Ren, and 3g Hou Po. After taking the herbs, the night pain was greatly reduced, and then patient fell asleep. The next morning, patient was hungry and thought about food, and came back after eating porridge.

During the ninth diagnosis, Da Huang was reduced to 6g, Mang Xiao 6g, and the amount of each herb was also reduced, and the stool was in strips on the same day.

Tenth diagnoses the herbs rhubarb and miscanthus nitrate were removed from the formula. The eleventh diagnosis stopped the medicine, took 9g of Korean ginseng instead, and carefully pressed the right abdominal corner and there were still strips of something.

On the 12th day, take 1 dose of much lower proportions of original formula.

On the 13th and 14th days, take 9g of Korean ginseng. On the 15th day, he was cured.

Quote from "Deng Tietao's Medical Records and Research"

Disclaimer: All above articles are for reference only. If patients are interested, please consult a professional practitioner Traditional Chinese Medicine for a consultation.