Polygonum chinense L.
Indigenous language names: malisya, manisyar, mennisya no smel, mennisya: sour; smel: grass, tu?a?atu u?a?atu which means to possess an odor like that of a dog.
Other name used locally: Leng fan teng
Diseases of the organs:
For bleeding of the stomach, mash and drink the juice.
The Thao people use the whole creeping smartweed plant as medicine. For stomachache with bleeding or abdominal pain, they pick tapering leaf basektvine (note: should be creeping smartweed) and add the young shoots to salted water and boil, then drink the broth to ease abdominal pain.
Physiological discomfort: For dry-heat, drink water in which has been boiled creeping smartweed to reduce internal heat.
A decoction of dried creeping smartweed can be used to treat night sweats and profuse sweating.
Skin and musculoskeletal system: Creeping smartweed can be mashed and salt added to the extracted juice to treat wounds and ke.
To treat bruises, ingest an extract of mashed creeping smartweed to which salt has been added.
If there is vomiting of blood, add some liquor to creeping smartweed or mash club moss (Lycopodium serratum) and drink the extract with liquor. However, do not ingest too much club moss as it will cause the dissipation of qi, resulting in weakness.
Maternal and pediatric health care: If an infant is bloated due to gas buildup, regurgitates milk, or suffers from diarrhea, to creeping smartweed hearts add Asian ponysfoot (Dichondra micrantha) and two grains of salt to provide relief.
Other: When cattle refuse to eat, boil creeping smartweed and add human urine and 1-2 chicken eggs, then force-feed this mixture to the cattle. When cattle refuse to eat, blanch creeping smartweed, then boil it to make a broth to which a young boy’s urine is to be added.
Creeping smartweed with eggs can be used to treat heatstroke in cattle caused by overwork in hot weather.
Interview and specimen numbers: Yen 22662, 41607, 43132, 44088
Zhong Hua Ben Cao
Pharmacological properties: Tastes pungent and bitter; cool in nature; toxic.
Functions and indications: Clears away heat and dampness, cools the blood, detoxifies, soothes the liver and eyes, activates blood circulation, and relaxes the muscles. Mainly used to treat dysentery, diarrhea, sore throat, diptheria, coughs due to lung heat, whooping cough, hepatitis, leucorrhea, boils that are swollen, otitis media, eczema, dizziness, tinnitus, caligo corneae, and bruises.
