Purging and attacking accumulation, clearing heat and purging fire, cooling blood and detoxifying, removing blood stasis and dredging collaterals.
The role of rhubarb:
Rhubarb can increase intestinal peristalsis, inhibit intestinal water absorption and promote defecation; Rhubarb has anti-infection effect, which can inhibit a variety of Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria, among which Staphylococcus and Streptococcus are the most sensitive, followed by diphtheria, typhoid and paratyphoid, pneumococcus and Shigella. It also has inhibitory effect on influenza virus; Because of tannin, constipation occurs after diarrhea; Beneficial to gallbladder and stomach; In addition, it has the functions of stopping bleeding, protecting liver, lowering blood pressure and lowering serum cholesterol.
Application of rhubarb:
1, stagnation constipation. This product has a strong purgative effect, can clear the stomach, bring forth the old and bring forth the new, and is an important drug for treating constipation. Because it tastes bitter and cold, and is good at releasing heat, it is especially suitable for constipation caused by excess heat. It is often combined with Glauber's salt, Magnolia officinalis and Fructus Aurantii Immaturus to enhance purgation and accumulation. It is an emergency laxative, which is used to treat Yangming fu-organ syndrome, such as Dachengqi decoction (treatise on febrile diseases). If the dosage of rhubarb is light, and it is combined with hemp seed, almond, honey and other intestine-moistening drugs, the diarrhea will be alleviated, such as Maziren Pill in Treatise on Febrile Diseases. For patients with internal heat and qi deficiency, it should be used together with tonics to treat both the symptoms and root causes. If the heat is depressed and the qi and blood are insufficient, use ginseng, angelica and other drugs, such as Huang Longtang (six books on typhoid fever); For patients with stagnation of body fluid caused by heat, Ophiopogon japonicus, Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Scrophulariae, etc. It can be used as a decoction for increasing fluid and bearing qi (on febrile diseases); If spleen yang is insufficient and constipation is caused by cold accumulation, it should be combined with aconite and dried ginger, such as Wenpi Decoction (Qianjinfang).
2, vomiting due to blood heat, red eyes and swollen throat. It tastes bitter, purges, can release the fire of inflammation, and has the functions of clearing away heat and purging fire, cooling blood and stopping bleeding. It is often used with Coptidis Rhizoma and Scutellariae Radix to treat hematemesis, epistaxis and hemoptysis due to blood heat, such as Xiexin Decoction (Synopsis of Golden Chamber). In modern clinic, rhubarb powder alone is effective in treating upper gastrointestinal bleeding. If it is used together with herbs such as Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and Gardenia, it can also treat red eyes, sore throat and swollen gums caused by fire pathogen, such as Geliang Powder (and the prescription of Heji Bureau).
3, hot sores, burns. This product can be used for both internal and external use. Oral administration can clear away heat and toxic materials, and expel heat toxin by virtue of its purgative effect. For heat-toxic carbuncle, it is often combined with honeysuckle, dandelion and forsythia. Treat abdominal pain caused by intestinal carbuncle.
It can be combined with Cortex Moutan, Semen Persicae and Natrii Sulfas, such as Dahuang Peony Decoction from Synopsis of Golden Chamber. For external use, this product can purge fire and detoxify, cool blood and reduce swelling, and treat carbuncle and furuncle caused by heat toxin. If it is used to treat breast furuncle, it can be ground into powder and boiled into paste with wine (a good prescription for women); In order to treat aphtha erosion, dry alum is usually used to wipe the affected area (Sheng Huifang). For the treatment of burns and scalds, powder can be used alone, or mixed with Sanguisorba powder, and applied to the affected area with sesame oil.
4. Blood stasis syndrome. This product has good effects of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis and dredging meridians, which can not only remove blood stasis, but also clear blood stasis and clear heat. It is a commonly used drug for treating blood stasis syndrome. For women with postpartum abdominal pain and lochia, it is often used with peach kernel and ground beetle, as follows: blood stasis decoction (synopsis of the golden chamber); For women with amenorrhea due to blood stasis, Taohe and Guizhi can be combined, such as Taohe Chengqi Decoction (Treatise on Febrile Diseases); For traumatic injury, blood stasis, swelling and pain, it is often used with angelica, safflower and pangolin, such as Fuyuan Huoxue decoction (medical invention).
5, damp-heat dysentery, jaundice, gonorrhea. This product has the function of inducing diarrhea, so it can be used to treat damp-heat accumulation. To treat dysentery with damp-heat accumulation in intestine, rhubarb alone can be effective (the pathogenesis of Su Wen is a bag of Ji Shou), or it can be used equally with Coptidis Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix and Radix Paeoniae Alba; Damp-heat jaundice is often combined with Yinchen and Gardenia, such as Yinchen Decoction (Treatise on Febrile Diseases); For damp-heat stranguria, Akebia stem, Plantago seed, Gardenia, etc. They are often combined, such as Bazheng Powder (a mixture).
In addition, rhubarb can also break phlegm, dredge viscera, and eliminate dampness and turbidity. For the elderly with phlegm obstruction, dyspnea and constipation, such as Hushi Guntan Pill (the main theory of health preservation).