Gua Lou Ren
Trichosanthis Semen
sweet, cold
PRIMARY FUNCTION:
Transforms Hot Phlegm
CLASSICAL MANIFESTATIONS:
- Cough
- Chest pain
- Constipation
- Thirst
- Dry mouth
- Irascibility
- Sores
- Breast abscess
Gua Lou Ren is sweet and cold to treat heat patterns. Gua Lou Ren enters the lung, large intestine, and stomach systems to resolve phlegm from a heat pattern. As a seed, Gua Lou Ren is also useful in treating constipation when the pattern originates from heat drying the intestinal fluids resulting in dry hard stool.
Channels: lung, stomach, large intestine
COMMON APPLICATIONS AND CLINICAL POSSIBILITIES:
- Constipation
- Dyslipidemia
- Dysglycemia
- Cough with chest pain
- Sore throat
- Antimicrobial
- Breast abscess
- Antitumor
- Jaundice
- CAD
Formulas:
- Bei Mu Gua Lou San
- Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan
- Qing Zao Run Chang Tang
Contraindications: do not prescribe Gua Lou Ren with Cao Wu, Chuan Wu, Fu Zi, Gan Jiang, or Niu Xi
Zoo Image: a train conductor Saint Bernard is playing with a hot cough train headed for his intestines while the water tower splashes his chest