Chinese lobelia (BAN BIAN LIAN)
Lobelia chinensis Lour. (Fam. Campanulaceae)
Pharmaceutical Name:
Herba Lobeliae Chinensis
Botanical Name:
Lobelia chinensis Lour. (Fam. Campanulaceae)
Common Name:
Chinese lobelia
Part Used:
Entire plant
Herba Lobeliae Chinensis is produced chiefly in the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Sichuan, Jiangsu, and Guangdong. It is collected in summer, cleaned, and dried in sunlight.
Properties Taste & Meridians:
Pungent in flavor, cold in property, acts on the Heart, Small Intestine, and Lung channels.
Functions:
Clears Pathogenic Heat, is a diuretic.
Indications & Combinations:
1. For snake or insect bites, carbuncles, and boils at the initial stage, it is used orally or for external application.
2. For anasarca and ascites, it is used alone or with Rhizoma Alismatis (Ze Xie), Sclerotium Poriae Cocos (Fu Ling), and Sclerotium Polypori Umbellati (Zhu Ling).
Dosage and administration:
10–15 g of dried Herba Lobeliae Chinensis; 30–60 g of fresh Herba Lobeliae Chinensis. Appropriate quantity for external use.
Precautions:
Contraindicated for use in patients with Deficiency type syndromes with anasarca and ascites.
