Trichosanthes kirilowii is the ripe fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii and Trichosanthes kirilowii. Trichosanthes kirilowii is a perennial climbing vine, which grows in forests, shrubs, grasslands and roadsides on slopes below 1800 meters above sea level. Widely cultivated in natural distribution areas, distributed in North China, East China, Central South China, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan. Trichosanthes kirilowii was born in forests, shrubs and grass on the hillside, and distributed in the south of Shaanxi, southeast of Gansu, southwest of Jiangxi, Hubei, east of Sichuan, Guizhou and northeast of Yunnan. When the fruit begins to have white powder and turns pale yellow, pick a batch when it is ripe, cut off the stem with scissors at a distance of 15 cm from the fruit, and hang it in a ventilated and dry place to dry.
The fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii is spherical or wide oval, 7 ~ 15cm long and 6 ~ 10cm in diameter. Its surface is orange-red or orange-yellow, shriveled or smooth, with a round style at the top and a residual fruit stalk at the base. Fragile and easily broken. The inner surface is yellow-white, the flesh is orange-yellow, with caramel flavor, and the taste is slightly sour and sweet. The fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii is also used as medicine in some areas such as Sichuan. It is best to be complete, thick, elastic, shriveled, apricot yellow or red yellow, and full of sugar.
Nature and taste: Trichosanthes kirilowii is sweet and slightly bitter, cold in nature, and belongs to lung, stomach and large intestine meridians;
Use with caution those with deficiency of spleen and stomach, cold food, less loose stool, cold phlegm and wet phlegm.
Function: moistening dryness and dispersing mass; Has the effects of clearing away heat, moistening lung, resolving phlegm, broadening chest, resolving stagnation, quenching thirst, relaxing bowels and relieving swelling;
Indications: phlegm-heat cough, lung flaccidity and dry cough, chest obstruction, chest obstruction, thirst quenching, constipation, carbuncle, swelling, sore and toxin.
The food is similar: Trichosanthes root, dried ginger, Achyranthes bidentata, dried lacquer and anti-aconite root.
Use:
1. It is compatible with Radix Scutellariae, Fructus Aurantii Immaturus, Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae, Radix Platycodonis, etc.
2. Phlegm blocks chest yang, causing dyspnea, cough and spitting, chest pain and shortness of breath. It can be used with Bulbus Allii Macrostemon and white wine.
3. Yin deficiency of lung and stomach accompanied by fever, thirst and frequent urination is often used with Coptidis Rhizoma and Glycyrrhizae Radix.
4. It can be used with frankincense, pangolin and licorice for treating swelling and pain of breast abscess.