The efficacy and function of white hemp leaves

White hemp leaf is a relatively common plant. It is mainly divided into two types. One can be eaten as a vegetable, and the other is Apocynaceae. It has certain therapeutic effects, and plays a certain role in alleviating aging and lowering blood pressure. It can also improve heart function and has a certain effect on lowering blood lipids. It should be noted that Apocynaceae has certain toxicity. It has certain effects in treating ascariasis and malaria.

Medicinal material source: the leaves of cannabis plant of the Moraceae family.

Latin plant, animal and mineral name: Cannabis sativa L.

Harvesting and storage: Harvested in summer and autumn when the branches and leaves are lush, used fresh or dried.

[Original form] Annual herb, 1-3m tall. The stem is erect, with longitudinal grooves on the surface, densely covered with short soft hairs, fibrous cortex, and lignified at the base. The palmate leaves are alternate or opposite at the bottom, completely divided, with 3-11 lobes, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, gradually pointed at both ends, with coarse serrations on the edges, dark green with coarse hairs on the upper side, and densely covered with grayish-white felt hairs on the lower side; the petioles are 4-15cm long and covered with short cotton hairs; the stipules are small, free, and lanceolate. The flowers are unisexual and dioecious; the male inflorescence is a sparse panicle, terminal or axillary; the male flowers have 5 tepals, 5 stamens, slender filaments and large anthers; the female flowers are clustered in the leaf axils, green-yellow, each flower has an ovate bract on the outside, the tepals are small and membranous, and there is 1 pistil; the chamber is spherical and the style is dichotomous. Achenes are oval, 4-5mm long, hard, gray-brown, with fine reticular patterns, and covered by persistent yellow-brown bracts. The flowering period is May to June, and the fruiting period is July to August.

[Preparation] Wash, dry and set aside.

【Nature and flavor】Pungent; Toxic

【Meridian】Lung; Bladder; Large Intestine

Function and indications

It can relieve asthma and stop malaria; it can detoxify and kill insects. Mainly malaria; asthma; ascariasis

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: mash into juice and make into pills or powder. For external use: mash and apply.

[Additional prescription] For the treatment of malaria: Put hemp leaves, regardless of whether they are fresh or withered, into a pot, and slowly fry over low heat until fragrant. Take the pot off the stove, cover the patient with paper, let him sweat out all the sweat, and then grind it into fine powder. Mix it with tea or warm wine and take it two hours before the onset of the disease. Move it to the patient's original sleeping place. The patient will look like he is drunk, and will be cured when he wakes up. Or grind it into powder as above, add amomum villosum, cloves, costus root, and dried tangerine peel into powder, half the amount of hemp leaves, and make pills with wine paste or honey, the size of walnuts. Usually take five or seven pills with tea or wine. (Puji Fang)

【Discussions by Various Schools】

1. Compendium of Materia Medica: According to Guo Wen's Essentials of Sore Remedies, Wujin Powder is used to treat carbuncles, swellings, and seasonal ulcers. In the prescription, hemp head and ephedra are used to induce sweat, so it is clear that the leaves are poisonous and can fight poison. The use of it in Puji Fang to stop malaria is particularly worth recommending.

2. "Tang Materia Medica": Crush the leaves, squeeze out the juice and take 50 grams of it, it is used to treat roundworms; crush it and apply it to scorpion mother.

3. "Northeast Medicinal Plants": It has analgesic, anesthetic and diuretic effects.

4. "Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicinal Plants": Put it in tobacco and smoke it to treat wheezing.

[Excerpt] "Chinese Materia Medica"