INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Medulla Tetrapanacis
Common English:	Tetrapanax Rice Paper Plant Pith

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet Bland	Slightly Cold (Cool) (Cold)	Lung Stomach (Bladder)	2-10g To promote lactation: 15-18g Tincture: 1-3ml

Actions

Indications/Syndromes

Promotes urination, resolves Dampness and
clears Heat

Damp-Warm febrile disease

Damp-Heat painful urinary dysfunction

It is usually used as an assistant

Promotes lactation

Insufficient or absent lactation

CONTRAINDICATIONS

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Concurrent use with diuretics such as chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, furosimide (Lasix), bumetanide (Bumex) and torsemide (Demadex) may lead to increased elimination of water and electrolytes.

Talcum Hua Shi Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren	Per. Arecae Da Fu Pi	Hb. Dianthi Qu Mai Fol. Pyrrosiae Shi Wei
Summerheat with Turbid Dampness causing painful urinary dysfunction, a stuffy chest, heaviness in the body, and headache.	Damp-Heat Obstructing the Middle with edema, and abdominal distention.	Bloody Lin. Dysuria. Pain due to Damp-Heat in the Bladder.
Sm. Vaccariae Wang Bu Liu Xing Squama Manitis Chuan Shan Jia	Sm. Vaccariae Wang Bu Liu Xing Squama Manitis Chuan Shan Jia Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui Rx. Astragali Huang Qi Rx. Chuanxiong Chuan Xiong	Fr. Amomi Bai Dou Kou Talcum Hua Shi Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren
Insufficient lactation.	Insufficient lactation. (stronger effect)	Painful urination, cloudy urination and heaviness of the body due to Damp-Heat.
Poria Fu Ling Polyporus Zhu Ling Per. Arecae Da Fu Pi	Talcum Hua Shi Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis Hou Po Fr. Amomi Bai Dou Kou
Edema with dysuria.	Damp febrile disorders with sensations of heaviness of the body, lack of thirst, chest oppression afternoon fever and dysuria.

The processed pith of this herb is made into handicraft material. It is the source of rice paper for calligraphy.
This herb has a dual ability to raise and descend. It facilitates urination and raises Qi to the breast to promote lactation.
Both Tong Cao and Caul. Akebiae Mu Tong facilitate urination, unblock and promote the flow in the channels and collaterals, cool Heat and promote lactation. Tong Cao is better at leaching out Dampness, but less effective at clearing Heat than Mu Tong. It is bland and without the bitterness and drastic harshness of Mu Tong. It does not injure the Yin and is appropriate for mild Damp-Heat. Mu Tong is bitter and cold. It clears and descends Heart and Small Intestine Fire and is used more for mouth and tongue ulcers, rough urination, and hematuria and is better at eliminating accumulated blocked clumps.
Ram. Aeschynomene Indicae Geng Tong Cao promotes diuresis, treats Lin syndrome and promotes lactation. The dosage is 3-6g.