Fructus Viticis

Name

Man Jing Zi (Fructus Viticis)——Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Shen Nong’s Herbal)

The Processing of Fructus Viticis

Origin

Mature fruit of shrubby plant Vitex trifolia L. var. simplicifolia Cham. or V. trifolia L. of family Verbenaceae.

Location

Vitex trifolia L. var. simplicifolia Cham. mainly grows in Shandong, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces while V. trifolia L. mainly grows in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces of China.

Harvest

Collected in autumn after fruits mature.

The real smell and taste

Special and fragrant smell, bland taste, slightly pungent.

Best quality

Big grain and full fruit with grayish white frost and fragrant smell.

Processing

Unprocessed or stir-baked.

The Effect of Fructus Viticis

Property

Pungent, bitter, slightly cold; bladder, liver and stomach meridians entered.

Actions

Disperse wind-heat, relieve pain.

Indications

A. Wind-heat exterior syndrome

Being able to disperse wind-heat, but not good at releasing exterior, and good at dispelling wind to relieve pain, clearing the head, it is often decocted for wind-heat exterior syndrome with dizziness, headache and blood-shot eyes with lacrimation. It is usually used in conjunction withBo He and Ju Hua to strengthen the effect of dispelling wind-heat. It can be used with wind-cold dispersing herbs such as Zi Su and Fang Feng to treat the common cold due to wind-cold, with painful sensation in the head and body.

B. Pain syndrome

Being able to relieve pain, it is indicated for recurrent headache, anthralgia, toothache and epigastric pain. And it is often used with wind-dispelling and pain-relieving herbs for a strengthened action of eliminating pain. Just as Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang in which Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Chuan Xiong and Fang Feng are used together to treat wind-damp arthralgia.

Dosage and Administrations

Decoct 6~12 g.