Tu Si Zi (Chinese Dodder Seed)

Name

Tu Si Zi (Semen Cuscutae), from Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Shen Nong's Herbal)

Source and quality

The ripe fruit of the annual parasitic herbaceous plant Cuscuta chinensis Lam. of the family Convolvulaceae. It is mainly produced in Liaoning, Jilin and Hebei provinces, and the ripe fruit is collected in autumn.

It has a slight odor and a light taste. The best grade is full and yellow-grey.

It is used unprocessed, or made into a cake after being boiled and pulped.

Nature and action

Sweet, astringent and slightly warm. It enters the kidney, spleen and liver meridians.

It tonifies the kidney, nourishes essence, nourishes the liver and improves vision, secures essence, reduces urination and stops leukorrhagia, tonifies the spleen to check diarrhea and prevents abortion.

Indications

Impotence, seminal emission, sterility, enuresis, frequent urination and leukorrhagia due to kidney deficiency

It can be used widely in the various syndromes of kidney yang deficiency and insufficiency of kidney essence, because its tonifying action is mild and it is warm without being dry, and because it can both tonify kidney yang and supplement kidney essence, which means it tonifies yin and yang alike. In addition, it secures essence, reduces urination and stops leukorrhagia.

• For impotence, seminal emission, sterility, enuresis and frequent urination due to kidney deficiency, it is combined with herbs that tonify the spleen and kidney, nourish essence and astringe, such as Gou Qi Zi, Wu Wei Zi and Fu Pen Zi in Wuzi Yanzong Wan.
• For leukorrhagia and turbid urine due to insecurity of the kidney, it is combined with herbs that tonify the kidney and spleen, dispel dampness and stop leukorrhagia, such as Lian Zi, Qian Shi and Fu Ling.

Deficiency of the liver and kidney, with dim and poor vision

It is indicated for dim and poor vision and for hazy vision due to deficiency of both the liver and kidney, because it tonifies the liver and kidney, nourishes kidney essence and improves vision. It is combined with herbs that tonify the liver and kidney, nourish essence and blood and improve vision, such as Shu Di Huang and Gou Qi Zi in Zhu Jing Wan from Zheng Zhi Zhun Shen.

Deficiency of both the spleen and kidney, with loose stool and diarrhea

It is indicated for loose stool and diarrhea due to spleen deficiency or to deficiency of both the spleen and kidney, because it tonifies the spleen and kidney and checks diarrhea.

• For loose stool and diarrhea due to spleen deficiency, it is combined with herbs that tonify spleen qi, such as Ren Shen, Bai Zhu and Shan Yao in Zhu Jing Wan from Zheng Zhi Zhun Shen.
• For chronic diarrhea due to deficiency of both the spleen and kidney, it is combined with herbs that tonify the spleen and kidney and astringe the intestines to check diarrhea, such as Bu Gu Zhi, Sha Ren and Rou Dou Kou in Pi Shen Shuang Bu Wan from Xian Xing Zhai Yi Xue Guang Bi Ji (Comprehensive Medical Notes of the Xianxingzhai Studio).

Threatened abortion, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis due to deficiency of the liver and kidney with insecurity of the Chong Mai and the Ren Mai

It is indicated for threatened abortion due to deficiency of the liver and kidney with insecurity of the Chong Mai and the Ren Mai and malnutrition of the fetus, and for metrorrhagia and metrostaxis due to disharmony of the sea of blood, because it tonifies the liver and kidney, strengthens the Chong Mai and the Ren Mai so as to prevent abortion, and relieves metrorrhagia and metrostaxis.

• For threatened abortion, it is combined with herbs that tonify the liver and kidney and prevent abortion, such as Sang Ji Sheng, Xu Duan and E Jiao in Shou Tai Wan from Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu.
• For metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, it is combined with herbs that tonify the kidney, strengthen the Chong Mai, warm the meridians and stop bleeding, such as Du Zhong, Xu Duan, Ai Ye and Hai Piao Xiao.

It can also be used for diabetes due to kidney deficiency; it is made into pills on its own in Tu Si Zi Wan from Quan Sheng Zhi Mi Fang (Secret Prescriptions of Quanshenzhi).

Dosage and administration

Decoct 10~15 g.

Cautions

Contraindicated in yin deficiency with effulgent fire and in difficult urination, because of its warm nature and its tonifying and astringent actions.