Shi Wei (Folium Pyrrosiae)

This product is a rare and commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, and in "Shennong's Materia Medica"《神农本草经》it is listed as a medium rank product.

Aliases: stone reed, stone tail.

Source: Pyrrosia lingua (Thunb.) Farw. Pyrrosia Sheareri (Bak.) Ching. Pyrrosia drakeana (Franch.) g. Pyrrosia Petiolosa (Christ) Ching. Pyrrosia pekinensis (C. Chr.) Ching. and other kinds of Shiwei dry stalk leaves, all of which are wild.

Origin: Mainly produced in East China, Central South and Southwest China, in addition to North China, Northwest China, Northeast China is also distributed, and likes to grow in warm and humid mountain forests and streams.

Trait identification: the leaves are more lanceolate and also halberd-shaped. There are long handles, different sizes, the smallest one is 5~10cm long, and the largest one is 30~60cm long. The surface of the leaves is yellow-green, and there are many longitudinal brownish-black dots on the old leaf surface, and the back is densely stellate pubescence like felt, and it is grayish-white or camel-colored when young. After old age, it is full of sporangia groups, brown, leathery leaves, hard and brittle and easy to break, no gas, and slightly bitter taste. It is customary consider that which has large leaves, thick texture, pale green surface, and brown hairs on the back as higher quality.

Main ingredients: containing saponins, anthraquinones, flavonoids, triterpenoids, isomangiferins, etc.

Pharmacological effects: (1) diuretic, (2) clearing heat and stopping bleeding, (3) antibacterial: inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus and Escherichia coli to varying degrees, (4) anti-influenza virus.

Preparation: Brush off the stellate hairs and sporangia on the back and cut into shreds.

Taste: sweet and bitter, slightly cold.

Meridian: into the lungs, bladder meridian.

Function: Diuretic and drenching.

Indications: hot stranguria, bloody urine, astringent urine, painful urine.

Clinical application: The practical application is not as common as that of the accumulation and the cultivation of Bian Xu and Bi Xie. However, it still has its specialties in diuretic heat clearing and hemostasis.

（1）  It is used to treat hot showers. There are unfavorable urination, astringency and pain, usually paired with Che Qian Zi, Hua Shi, etc.

（2）  It is used to clear heat and stop bleeding. If there is blood or stone in urination, aka. Hematuria symptoms, the herb can be matched with Dang Gui, Chi Shao, Zi Zhu Cao, etc., such as in the formula Shi Wei San Jia Jian. If it is a heat syndrome and patient vomits blood, you can add 1 tael of Shi Wei and take it with thick decoction.

（3）  In recent years, it has been tried to treat leukopenia, with Hong Zao, such as in the formula Shi Wei Hong Zao Tang: Shi Wei 30g, Hong Zao 15g, decoction in water, one dose a day.

Dosage: 6~30g.

Prescription formula examples

· Shi Wei San Jia Jian ("Puji Fang"《普济方》): Shi Wei 30g, Han Lian Cao 18g, Zi Zhu Cao 12g, Bai Shao 12g, Huo Mai 12g, Dong Cui Zi 30g, Bai Zhu 12g, Hua Shi 18g, Dang Gui 9g, Zhi Gan Cao 4.5g, decoction in water, used in treatment of kidney stones and hematuria.

Note: There are many original plants of Shi Wei, and they are widely distributed. The commodity is divided into two categories: large-leaved stone reed and small-leaved stone reed , which are equally medicinal. However, the back of the leaf must have dense brownish-yellow pubescence before it can be used medicinally. A variety of tile reeds and domino ferns, star ferns, have two rows of sporangia on the back of their leaves, and there are no stellate dense pubescence, which is not used for medicinal purposes.

Case Study

Patient Su, 70 years old.

I have taken a lot of Western medicine in my hometown, and I have tried herbs, sometimes I feel good, and then I cough again; After taking CT, western medicine doctor says lung is clear with no problems, though there is some tracheitis.At present, I feel that my chest is heavy, my breathing is also heavy in my chest, and my cough is more than that at night, and I cough very vigorously when I cough, and there is no phlegm. During this period, I didn't feel better with globulin injection. In the past two days, I had a sore throat and choked cough, and I didn't eat anything that is spicy or fire inducing.

Treatment: clear heat and dispel phlegm.

Chinese medicine prescription: Gan Cao 6g, Huang Qin 8g, Jie Geng 10g, Fu Ling 6g, Chen Pi 6g, Dang Gui 3g, Chuan Bei Mu 3g, Sang Bai Pi 6g, Tian Men Dong 6g, Shan Zhi Zi 6g, Xing Ren 6g, Mai Men Dong 6g, Wu Wei Zi 3g, Sheng Jiang 3 slices, Da Zao 2 pieces, Zhu Ru 6g, Ma Huang 6g, Di Long 6g, decoction water, one dose a day, a total of three doses.

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