Description

pharmaceutical name:
rhizoma dioscoreae bulbiferae

latin botanical name:
dioscorea bulbifera l.

common name:
tuber dioscoreae

別名﹕huang du, ling yu shu, jin xian diao xia mo, xiang yu, huang gou tou

黃獨、 零餘薯、金線吊蝦蟆、香芋、黃狗頭。

distribution:

collected in southern part of mainland china and taiwan. Local roadside vendors misname the root as “ben he shou wu” , meaning local he shou wu. By mistake. Widely distributed in asia and africa in the wild state and planted in south america.

properties (characteristics):性味:
bitter, acrid, cool, slightly toxic

苦、辛，涼。有小毒。

channels (meridians) entered:歸經: liver, lung 肝﹐肺

actions & indications:
rid of toxin, relieves swelling, reduces phlegm, cools blood, stops bleeding.

解毒消腫，化痰散結，涼血止血。

medical function: 藥理作用﹕
medical function:

it is effective in reducing swelling of the thyroid glands due to lack of iodine. It is also effective in reducing some of the swelling with unspecified causes.

it is effective in reducing swelling of the thyroid glands of animals caused by consuming a small amount of potassium thiocyanate (硫氰酸鉀) or reduced iodine intake..

there is no effect on the swelling of thyroid glands caused by the anti thyroid drugs thiouracil (tu) and sod sulfadiazine

it is effective in inhibiting bleeding: abdominal injection of huang yao zi decoction to mice half an hour before surgically remove their tails, proved that it has bleeding inhibition effect.

it can damage the tissues of liver and kidney. Short term usage can show the damaging effect on the liver. It takes long term usage to show the damage of kidneys.

the extract is effective for herpes infection of the retina.

it can inhibit the tumor s180 and the uterus neck tumor u14 of mice.

it is effective in treatment of thyroid tumors

huang yao zi combined formula and decoction can inhibit the heart of frogs. It also can inhibit the in vitro intestine of rabits. It can stimulate the non pregnant uterus of rabbits and guinea pigs. Its effect on uterus can be suppressed by diphenhydramine (benadryl).

its decoction has varying inhibiting effect on fungi that cause skin infections.

dosage:

9 to 15 g. For external use: smash or grind and extract juice to apply to affected areas.

用量9～15克；外用適量，搗爛或磨汁塗敷患處。

present day applications:
1. For tumors of different types: use huang yao zi, shan dou gen, bai yin in decoction

2. For swelling of thyroids: use huang yao zi, xia ku cao, kun bu in decoction

3. Boils, snake bites, dog bites: use fresh or dry huang yao zi; make into powder and make into paste with vinegar. Apply externally.

4. For bleeding: vomiting blood, nose bleeding, menopausal bleeding, acute tonsillitis: combine with other herbs.

cautions: the roots of huang yao and ling yu zi (the pearly sprouts under the leaves) contain toxin. Over- consumption can cause burning sensation of the mouth and tongue, dripping of saliva, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constriction of pupils; if serious, cardiac paralysis, difficulty in breathing, coma and death.

antidode: empty stomach, promote diarrhea, take egg white, or arrow root (ge gen) starch porridge, and activated carbon; drink cane sugar solution, or intra venous feeding of glucose solution. Taking mug bean soup or boil gang mei 250 grams with 5 bowls of water and simmer till 2 bowls and use as tea.

the roots of huang yao is toxic to the liver.

黃藥塊莖和零餘子(黃藥葉下珠芽)，含有毒成分，過服且可引起口、舌、喉等處燒灼痛，流涎，惡心，嘔吐，腹痛，腹瀉，眩孔縮小，嚴重的出現昏迷，呼吸困難和心臟麻痺而死亡。

解救方法：洗胃，導瀉，內服蛋清或葛粉糊及活性炭；飲糖水或靜脈滴注葡萄糖鹽水，亦有用綠豆湯內服；或用崗梅250克，用清水5碗煎至2碗飲服。

塊莖對肝臟有毒性。

也有報導可引起中毒性肝炎。小鼠腹腔注射25.5G/ kg塊根的水提取液，出現四肢伸展，腹部貼地，六小時內全部死 亡。