Purging and attacking accumulation, clearing heat and purging fire, cooling blood and detoxifying, removing blood stasis and dredging channels.
The role of rhubarb:
Rhubarb can increase intestinal peristalsis, inhibit intestinal water absorption and promote defecation; Rhubarb has anti-infection effect, and it can inhibit a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, among which Staphylococcus and Streptococcus are the most sensitive, followed by diphtheria, typhoid and paratyphoid, pneumococci 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 cleanse the stomach, promote the old and bring forth the new, and is an important medicine for treating constipation. Because it is bitter and cold, it is good at releasing heat, so constipation due to excess heat is especially suitable. It is often combined with Natrii Sulfas, Magnolia Officinalis and Fructus Aurantii Immaturus to enhance the power of purgation and accumulation. It is an urgent purgative and is used to treat excess syndrome of Yangming fu-organs, such as Dachengqi Decoction (Treatise on Febrile Diseases). If the dosage of rhubarb is light, and it is used together with intestine-moistening drugs such as hemp seed, almond and honey, the diarrhea force will be eased, such as Maziren Pill (Treatise on Febrile Diseases). If the interior is full of heat and the qi is deficient, it should be combined with tonics to attack and tonify both the symptoms and the root causes. Such as heat stagnation and deficiency of qi and blood, with ginseng, angelica and other drugs, such as Huang Longtang (six books on typhoid fever); For patients with heat-induced fluid stagnation, Ophiopogon japonicus, Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Scrophulariae, etc. can be used as Zengye Chengqi Decoction (Treatise on Warm Diseases); If spleen yang is insufficient and constipation is caused by cold accumulation, it should be combined with aconite root and dried ginger, such as Wenpi Decoction (Qianjinfang).
2, blood heat vomiting, red eyes and swollen throat. This product is bitter and purgative, which can release the fire of upper inflammation, and has the functions of clearing away heat and purging fire, cooling blood and stopping bleeding. It is often combined with Huanglian and Scutellaria to treat hematemesis, epistaxis and hemoptysis caused by 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, swollen gums and other symptoms caused by fire pathogen, such as Liangge Powder (Hejiju Prescription).
3, hot sores, burns. This product can be used both orally and externally. Oral administration can clear heat and detoxify, and by virtue of its purgative effect, heat toxin can be discharged. For heat-toxic carbuncle and furuncle, it is often used with honeysuckle, dandelion and forsythia. Treat abdominal pain caused by intestinal carbuncle.
It can be used with Cortex Moutan, Semen Persicae and Natrii Sulfas, such as Dahuang Peony Decoction (Synopsis of the Golden Chamber). For external use, this product can purge fire, detoxify, cool blood and reduce swelling, and treat heat-toxic carbuncle, swelling and furuncle. If it is used to treat breast furuncle, it can be ground with powder grass and boiled with wine into a paste (A Good Prescription for Women); For the treatment of aphtha erosion, it is often rubbed with dried alum as the end of the affected area (Sheng Hui Fang). To treat burns and scalds, powder can be used alone, or mixed with Sanguisorba powder, and sesame oil can be used to apply to the affected area.
4. Blood stasis syndrome. This product has a good effect of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis and dredging channels, which can not only remove blood stasis, but also clear blood stasis and heat, and 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 Eupolyphaga Seu Steleophaga, as follows: Blood Stasis Decoction (Synopsis of Golden Chamber); For women with blood stasis amenorrhea, it can be combined with Taohe and Guizhi, such as Taohe Chengqi Decoction (Treatise on Febrile Diseases); For traumatic injury, blood stasis and swelling and pain, it is often used with Danggui, Honghua and Pangolin, such as Fuyuan Huoxue Decoction (Medical Invention).
5, damp-heat dysentery, jaundice, gonorrhea. This product has the functions of catharsis and catharsis, so it can be used to treat damp-heat accumulation. For the treatment of dysentery with damp-heat accumulation in intestinal tract, rhubarb alone can be effective (Su Wen Pathogenesis Qi Yi Bao Shou Ji), or it is used equally with Coptidis Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix and Radix Paeoniae Alba; For damp-heat jaundice, it is often combined with Herba Artemisiae Scopariae and Fructus Gardeniae, such as Herba Artemisiae Scopariae Decoction (Treatise on Febrile Diseases); For damp-heat stranguria, Akebia stem, Semen Plantaginis, Gardenia, etc. are often combined, such as Bazhengsan (Hejijufang).
In addition, rhubarb can break phlegm, dredge viscera, and reduce dampness and turbidity. It is used for patients with old phlegm obstruction, dyspnea and constipation, such as Hushi Guntan Pill (The Main Theory of Health Preservation).