Smilax, also known as cold rice balls and red soil, is the rhizome of the Liliaceae plant Smilax, which was first recorded in "Compendium of Materia Medica". Smilax cocos is mild in nature and sweet in taste. It enters the liver and stomach meridian and has the effects of detoxification, dehumidification and joint relief. It is used to treat syphilis, stranguria, muscle cramps, athlete's foot, boils, carbuncles, scrofula and other diseases. There are rhizomes of the Polygonaceae plant Golden Buckwheat on the market pretending to be Smilax Poria, so you should be careful to identify them.

Genuine Smilax smilax

The appearance is flat cylindrical but not straight, with many short branches. The surface is earthy brown or gray brown, rough, and often has knife wounds and lateral roots. The remaining part is 5 to 22 cm long, 2 to 5 cm in diameter, and is relatively large; the cross section is off-white to light reddish brown

The veins and many small bright spots can be seen; the smell is slight

It tastes slightly sweet and astringent.

The roots of counterfeit golden buckwheat

The appearance is irregular and lumpy, with raised bumps. The surface is gray-purple or tan, 3 to 15 cm long, and 1 to 1 in diameter. 4 cm, small in size; the cross section is yellow-white or yellow-brown

There is a pith in the center; there is no sweet taste in the mouth

It is just slightly astringent.

Clinical reports indicate that Smilax cocos is combined with silver flowers and licorice, or with cocklebur, white bark, licorice, or decoction with honeysuckle, purslane, licorice, etc., to treat existing syphilis and latent syphilis. For sexual syphilis, the seroconversion rate is around 90%. For late-stage paralytic dementia, mental symptoms have been improved to varying degrees; for the prevention and treatment of leptospirosis, take 30 grams of Smilax cocos, decoct it in water, take it for 3 days a week, and take it for 5 weeks, there is a good effect preventive effect. Smilax cocos also has satisfactory effects in treating measles and acute bacillary dysentery. However, the root of the counterfeit golden buckwheat is neither a plant in the same family as Smilax cocos nor has the above-mentioned effects, so it cannot be used as a substitute for Smilax cocos in medicine.