Corn silk

("Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine")

Synonyms: jade wheat silk ("Southern Yunnan Materia Medica"), corn silk ("Modern Practical Traditional Chinese Medicine") "), Bangzi Mao ("Hebei Medicinal Materials").

The source is the style of the grass plant Zea mays. The plant morphology is detailed in the "Maize" article.

The chemical composition contains 2.5% fatty oil, 0.12% volatile oil, 3.8% gum-like substance, 2.7% resin, 1.15% bitter glycoside, 3.18% saponin, and 0.05% alkaloid. It also contains cryptoflavin, ascorbic acid, pantothenic acid, inositol, vitamin K, sitosterol, stigmasterol, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, oxalic acid, etc.

Pharmacological effects ① Diuretic effect

Corn silk has a diuretic effect on humans and rabbits, and can increase chloride excretion, but the effect is weak. The methanol-insoluble part of the water extract that has been dialyzed (A) has the strongest diuretic effect, and has significant effects whether taken orally, subcutaneously or intravenously. The diuretic effect is mainly extrarenal and has very weak effect on the kidneys.

②Effect on the circulatory system

. Intravenous injection of the decoction in dogs has a significant antihypertensive effect, but for dogs with chronic carotid artery skin bridge, taking the medicine every day for 3 weeks will It has no antihypertensive effect. A dilates peripheral blood vessels at low concentrations.

③The effect of lowering blood sugar

The fermentation preparation of corn silk has a very significant effect of lowering blood sugar in rabbits.

④ Choleretic and hemostatic effects

Corn silk preparations can promote bile excretion, reduce its viscosity, and reduce its bile pigment content, so it can be used as a choleretic drug for patients without complications. Patients with chronic cholecystitis and cholangitis with bile discharge disorder. It can also accelerate the blood coagulation process, increase the content of thrombin in the blood, and increase the number of platelets. Therefore, it can be used as a hemostatic and diuretic for bladder and urinary tract stones.

Its nature and flavor are sweet and flat.

①"Southern Yunnan Materia Medica": "Lightly warm in nature and sweet in taste."

②"Modern Practical Chinese Medicine": "Sweet and flat."

③ "Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine": "Placid in nature, sweet and light in taste, non-toxic."

Its main functions are diuresis, heat dissipation, liver calming and choleretic. Treat nephritis and edema, athlete's foot, jaundice and hepatitis, hypertension, cholecystitis, gallstones, diabetes, hematemesis and epistaxis, rhinophyma, and mastitis.

① "Southern Yunnan Materia Medica": "It can widen the intestines and lower the qi. It can treat women's breast knots, milk obstruction, redness, swelling and pain, cold and fever, headache and sleepiness."

②" "Lingnan Medicine Collection Record": "Decoction with pork to cure diabetes. It also cures stranguria and gravel in urine. The pain is unbearable. Decoction should be taken frequently."

③"Modern Practical Chinese Medicine": "It is a diuretic. , effective for kidney disease, edema, diabetes, etc. It is also an effective medicine for cholecystitis, gallstones, hepatitis jaundice, etc. "

④ "Compilation of Commonly Used Folk Herbal Medicines": "It can lower blood pressure and be a diuretic. Reduce swelling. Treat nosebleeds and redness. "

⑤"Hebei Medicinal Materials": "Cure edematous athlete's foot""

⑥"Zhejiang Folk Herbal Medicine": "Appetite, soothe the liver. Dispelling wind. "

"Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine": "Clears blood and heat, facilitates urination. Treats jaundice, wind-heat, rash, vomiting blood and redness and collapse."

Usage: Dosage for oral administration: decoction, 1 to 2 taels; or burn and grind into powder. External use: Inhalation of burning smoke.

Choose prescription ① to treat edema: two ounces of corn. Take it with boiled water and avoid salt. ("Guiyang City Secret Recipe")

②Treatment of nephritis and early kidney stones: Corn mustard, in any amount, decoction in thick soup and taken frequently. ("Guiyang City Secret Recipe")

③Treat hepatitis jaundice: decoction of corn silk, Desmodium, gypsophila, turmeric, and artemisia.

④Treatment of labor injury and vomiting blood: corn silk. Thistle, stewed pork belly.

⑤Treatment of vomiting blood and redness and collapse: boil corn silk and stew meat in water and take it.

⑥Treatment of rubella (commonly known as Fengdan) and heat poisoning: burn corn silk ashes and mix it with glutinous rice. (③The following prescription is from "Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine")

⑦To treat diabetes: one or two corns are required. Decoct and take. ("Zhejiang Folk Herbal Medicine")

⑧Treatment of essential hypertension: corn silk, watermelon peel, banana. Decoct and take. ("Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine")

⑨Cure brain leakage: Corn must be dried in the sun and smoked in a dry pipe.

("Zhejiang Folk Herbal Medicine")

Clinical Application ① Treatment of Chronic Nephritis

Take 50 grams of dried corn silk, add 600 ml of warm water, and simmer over a slow fire for 20 to 30 minutes. 300 to 400 ml of medicinal solution, filtered and taken orally, once a day or in divided doses. Nine cases of chronic glomerulonephritis were treated. After more than 10 months of observation, 3 cases were cured, 2 cases improved, and the remaining 4 cases had no obvious effect. The main effects of corn silk are diuresis, improvement of kidney function, subsidence or reduction of edema, disappearance or reduction of urinary protein, etc. In some cases, no toxic side effects were seen after continuous use for 6 months.

②Treat nephrotic syndrome

Use 60 grams of dried corn silk each time, wash and decoct. Twice a day, morning and evening. At the same time, take 1 gram of potassium chloride, 3 times a day. Twelve cases were treated clinically, of which 10 cases were accompanied by severe systemic edema, or pleural effusion and ascites, and 2 cases had mild edema. After 3 months of treatment, the edema completely subsided in 9 cases and mostly subsided in 2 cases. In one case, the edema completely disappeared within 15 days after taking the medicine. Generally, diuresis begins within 3 days of taking the medicine. At the same time, urinary protein and non-protein nitrogen decrease to varying degrees. In a few cases, plasma protein increases. In some cases, the phenol red test and blood pressure return to normal.

③Treatment of acute hemolytic anemia complicated by hemoglobinuria

Have treated 2 cases of this disease caused by eating wild plant "bird attracting stick" poisoning, that is, decocting 1 to 2 liang of corn silk The medicine was taken orally. In 2 cases, the urine output increased 4 hours and 6 hours after taking it, and the soy sauce-like hematuria could no longer be seen with the naked eye; the jaundice subsided or disappeared later. During the treatment process, all patients received intravenous infusion of 5% glucose saline, vitamin C and blood transfusion at the same time. It has been observed that corn silk is not only a diuretic, but may also have anti-hemolytic, anti-allergic and detoxifying effects.