Anti-Cancer Herbs ⁽¹⁷¹⁾

The Chinese clinician Zhang Baoheng and colleagues once used a 50% Sophora-flavescens syrup, at a dose of 20 ml for adults and 5–15 ml for children, given orally or by nasogastric tube in a single dose as a substitute for sedative-hypnotics. Observing 101 treatment sessions,…

Wuzhuyu (Evodia) is the nearly ripe dried fruit of Tetradium ruticarpum (Evodia rutaecarpa), Evodia officinalis, or Evodia bodinieri of the Rutaceae family. It should not be left to fully ripen before harvesting; it is collected in July-August when the fruit is tea-green and the carpels…

Yiyeqiu (Securinega suffruticosa) is the tender leafy branch or root of the plant Securinega suffruticosa (family Euphorbiaceae, genus Securinega). It is a folk herb commonly used in China. It dispels wind and activates blood, and supplements the kidneys and strengthens the sinews; it is mainly…

Ginger is an ingredient familiar to every one of us; it is the dried rhizome of Zingiber officinale, a perennial monocotyledonous herb of the Zingiberaceae family, Zingiber genus. Ginger was used as medicine in traditional Chinese medicine at a very early date. The ginger commonly…

Huajiao (Sichuan pepper) is the dried ripe fruit of the Rutaceae plants Zhujiao (Zanthoxylum schinifolium) or Huajiao (Zanthoxylum bungeanum). It contains volatile oil, terpenoids, amino acids, minerals and protein. The volatile oil of Sichuan pepper is the main source of its aroma, and contains chiefly…

The Zhongguo Pifubing Jianbian (A Concise Account of TCM Skin Diseases) records Wuhu Dan (Five-Tiger Elixir), a contemporary TCM empirical external formula for skin diseases. Its composition is: shuiyin (mercury) 62 g, mingfan (alum) 62 g, qingfan (chalcanthite/blue vitriol) 62 g, puxiao (mirabilite/Glauber's salt) 62…

Gallic acid is an organic acid with broad-spectrum antibacterial, antiviral, and antitumor effects. It is a major component of many Chinese medicinals (such as wubeizi/galla chinensis, moshizi/galla, shanzhuyu/cornus, pomegranate, and dahuang/rhubarb). Chinese medicinals containing gallic acid mostly quench thirst and engender fluids, and cool blood…

The Chinese medicinal Bajiaolian is the root and rhizome of Berberidaceae plants Dysosma versipellis, Dysosma pleiantha and Dysosma veitchii. Dysosma versipellis and Dysosma veitchii look similar: their leaves divide into eight parts, resembling eight angles, hence the name Bajiaolian (eight-angle lotus). Dysosma pleiantha's leaf divides…

Tongguangsan is the stem, leaf and root of Marsdenia tenacissima of the Asclepiadaceae family, a common folk medicinal herb in Yunnan and Guizhou. The earliest record of Tongguansan is in the Diannan Bencao, written by Lan Mao, a Songming native of Yunnan in the Ming…

Foshou is the fruit of Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis of the Rutaceae family, also called Foshou Xiangyuan, Miluo Gan, Wuzhi Gan, Fushou Gan and Foshou Gua. Ripe Buddha's hand is sweet, fragrant and juicy, a delicious fruit popular in southern Fujian, Guangxi and other places.