Chinese medicinal herbs with the main actions of inducing astringency and arresting discharge are called astringents.

This kind of Chinese medicinal herbs are mostly sour and astringent in flavor, respectively having the actions of stopping the excessive perspiration, relieving diarrhea, and nocturnal emission, reducing urination, stopping leucorrhea, bleeding, and cough, etc.. Therefore, they are indicated for abnormal leakage of body substances due to weakness and unconsolidation of healthy essence manifested as spontaneous sweating, night sweating, chronic diarrhea and dysentery, spermatorrhea, seminal emission, frequent micturition, chronic recurring cough and dyspnea, leucorrhea and others.

The purpose of using astringents is to induce astringency to prevent decline of anti-pathogenic factors and appearance of complications caused by involuntary discharge. But the principal cause of abnormal discharging of body substances is due to the deficiency of healthy qi, so astringents should be used in combination with appropriate tonics to treat both the principal and secondary aspects of diseases. For example, in treating spontaneous sweating due to deficiency of qi, or night sweating due to deficiency of yin, they should be used respectively in combination with qi invigorating tonics and yin nourishing tonics; in treating chronic diarrhea, dysentery and leucorrhea due to asthenia of the spleen and kidney, they should be used in combination with the spleen and kidney benefiting tonics; in treating spermatorrhea, seminal emission, enuresis, frequent urination due to kidney deficiency, they should be used in combination with kidney tonifying medicinal herbs; in treating unconsolidation of thoroughfare and conception vessels, metrorrhagia, they should be used in combination with Chinese medicinal herbs that consolidate thoroughfare and conception vessels; in treating lung and kidney diseases due to asthenia of viscera, chronic cough with dyspnea resulting from asthenia, they should be used in combination with medicinal herbs that improve inspiration by invigorating lung and kidney qi.

Astringents have a "closing" effect on the body to prevent further discharge from the body, therefore, they are not suitable in the case with exogenous pathogenic factors that are not removed or interior stagnation of any dampness and domination of sthenia pathogenic factors.

Mahuanggen  Radix Ephedrae

The source is from the root of Ephedra sinica stapf., E. Intermedia Schrenk et C. A. Mey., and E. Equisetina Bunge, family Ephedraceae. The medicinal material is collected in autumn, the fibrous roots being removed, then cut into thick slices and dried in the sun. The raw is used.

Medicinal Properties  Sweet in flavor, mild in nature and attributive to the lung meridian.

Actions  Arrest sweating.

Application

The medicinal herb is indicated for spontaneous perspiration and night sweat. For spontaneous perspiration, it can be used in combination with Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) and Huangqi (Radix Astragali), such as Mahuanggen San (Powder) and also with Muli ( Concha Ostreae) prepared as powder for external use, for night sweat due to yin deficiency, it is usually used together with Shudihuang ( Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata ), Shanzhuyu ( Fructus Corni), Longgu ( Os Draconis) and Muli ( Concha Ostreae ), etc..

Usage and Dosage 3-10 g is used in decoction for oral use. For external use, the amount should be appropriate.

Notes  It is contraindicated in those affected by exogenous pathogenic factors.

Fuxiaomai  Fructus Tritici Levis

The source is from the blighted caryopsis of Triticum aestivum L., family Gramineae. The medicinal material is produced all over China. The wheat is washed, the floated one is picked out, and then dried in the sun. The raw or stir-baked one is used for medication.

Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, cool in nature, and attributive to the heart meridian.

Actions  Replenish qi, clear away heat and arrest sweating.

Application

It is used for spontaneous perspiration and night sweat. It can be used alone to treat night sweat and persistent deficient sweating. For persistent spontaneous perspiration due to weakness of the body, it is usually used together with Muli (Concha Ostreae ), Mahuanggen ( Radix Ephedrae ) and Huangqi ( Radix Astragali ) to compose a formula, that is, Muli San (Powder).

In treating hectic fever and overstrain-fever, it is often used together with the medicinal herbs that nourish yin and clear asthenia-heat such as Shengdihuang (Radix Rehmanniae, unprepared), Maimendong (Radix Ophiopogonis), and Digupi ( Cortex Lycii).

Usage and Dodge  15 -30 g is used in decoction, or stir-fried until burnt and then ground into powder for oral use.

Wuweizi  Fructus Schisandrae

The source is from the ripe fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Tuecz.) Bail. And S. Sphenanthera Rehd. Et Wils., family Magnoliaceae. The former is called Beiwuweizi, mainly produced in the Northeast, Hebei and Shanxi provinces of China. The latter is called Nanwuweizi, mainly produced in the Southwest China and the south areas to the Yangtze River. The medicinal material is collected in autumn when the fruits are ripe and dried in the sun. The raw form can be used, or used after the fruit steamed with vinegar and honey and dried in the sun for medication.

Medicinal Properties  Sour in flavor, warm in nature, and attributive to the lung, heart and kidney meridians.

Actions  Astringe the lung to treat cough and asthma and nourish the kidney, promote the production of body fluid and constrain perspiration, astringe the essence and stop diarrhea, nourish the heart and calm the mind.

Application

It is used for chronic cough and dyspnea resulting from asthenia. In treating chronic cough due to deficiency of the lung, it is used in combination with Wumei (Fructus Mume ) and Yingsuke ( Pericarpium Papaveris ), such as Wuweizi Wan (Pill). For syndrome of kidney deficiency manifested as dyspnea and shortness