Difuzi (Kochiae Fructus): Clearing Heat and Promoting Diuresis, Expelling Wind and Stopping Itching
The Chinese medicinal Difuzi is the ripe fruit of Kochia scoparia, of the Chenopodiaceae family; it is also known as Dikui, Dimai and Qiantouzi. In the countryside the whole Kochia plant is often used to make brooms, so Difuzi is also called Saozhouri (broom seed).
Chinese medicine holds that Difuzi is bitter in taste and cold in nature, entering the kidney and bladder meridians. It clears heat and promotes diuresis, expels wind and stops itching. It is indicated for difficult urination, stranguria with turbid discharge, vaginal discharge, bloody dysentery, rubella, eczema, scabies and tinea, skin pruritus, and sores and toxins.
Difuzi is one of the commonly used herbs for skin diseases. Not only was it used for skin conditions in antiquity, but many modern patent medicines for skin diseases--such as Fuyang Keli granules--also contain it. Modern pharmacological research shows that a water infusion of Difuzi prepared in a 1:3 ratio has varying degrees of inhibitory effect on Trichophyton schoenleinii, Microsporum audouinii, Microsporum ferrugineum and Microsporum lanosum, which explains why Difuzi treats skin diseases. Taking 50-100 g of Difuzi alone in decoction daily, and applying the dregs externally to the affected area, treats urticaria.
Among the commonly used Chinese herbs for skin diseases, Difuzi is notable for also having a strong diuretic effect. Chinese medicine commonly uses it for damp-heat stranguria, turbid leukorrhea and difficult urination. A single decoction of Difuzi alone treats difficult, burning urination caused by damp-heat accumulating in the bladder. It may also be combined with other heat-clearing and diuretic herbs (such as Zhizi, Zhuling, Qumai, Xiaoji, Cheqiancao and again Zhuling) to enhance efficacy. Hence Difuzi works well for eczema, damp sores and other skin diseases caused by dampness. An empirical formula for eczema, Chushi Xiaozhen Tang, is composed of: Difuzi 15 g, Baixianpi (Dictamni Cortex) 9 g, Chuanbixie (Dioscoreae Septemlobae Rhizoma) 12 g, Kushen (Sophorae Flavescentis Radix) 9 g, Yehjuhua (wild chrysanthemum) 9 g, Shengdi (Rehmanniae Radix) 12 g, Chishao (Paeonia Rubra) 9 g, Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) 9 g, decocted in water.
Difuzi may be used for nephritic edema. Xiandai Shiyong Zhongyao records an empirical formula for nephritic edema: Difuzi 10 g, Fuping (Spirodela) 8 g, Muzei (Equisetum) 6 g, Sangbaipi (Mori Cortex) 10 g, decocted in water and taken three times daily.
Difuzi may also be used for eye diseases. Sheng Hui Fang's Bugan San for 'deficiency-taxation dim vision' (senile cataract) contains Difuzi: Difuzi 2 sheng (shade-dried and pounded to powder), fresh Dihuang (Rehmannia) 5 kg. Squeeze the juice from the fresh Rehmannia, mix with Difuzi powder, and when dry process into an extremely fine powder; take 6 g each time with warm water, three times daily. Guangji Fang's Difuzi Wan for 'night blindness' uses Difuzi 150 g and Juemingzi (Cassiae Semen) 1 sheng, ground together, mixed with rice-water paste and formed into pills.
Difuzi not only stops itching, promotes diuresis and brightens the eyes, but also reduces swelling. Xiannian Jie's Duoming Dan uses Difuzi, Huaishu (pagoda-tree seed, fried) and Didingcao (Viola) each 15 g, decocted in water, with a little Chansu added; this treats red, swollen, hot and painful deep-rooted boils and carbuncles of the head.
Difuzi alone, ground to powder and taken with ginger juice and hot wine, treats 'leitoufeng swelling' (swelling of the head and face after infection). Difuzi, Jinyinhua (honeysuckle) and Juhua (chrysanthemum) each 30 g, with Jingjie (Schizonepeta) and Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia) each 15 g, decocted and taken, treats erysipelas.
Difuzi also treats breast swelling and pain from acute mastitis: 50 g of Difuzi alone, decocted in water, mixed with an appropriate amount of brown sugar and taken hot, markedly lowers the temperature and relieves pain in patients with acute mastitis.