Caulis Bambusae (Zhuru)

Naming
Zhu Ru (Caulis Bambusae in Taeniam) -Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu (Explanation Collection of Materia Medica)

Origin
The dry stratum intermedium of haulm of perennial evergreen plant Bambusa tuldoides Munro or Sinocalamus beecheyanus (Munro) McClure var. pubescens P. F. Li or Phyllostachys nigra (Lodd.) Munro var. henonis (Mitf.) Stapf. ex Rendle of family Gramineae.

Location
The Yangtze River areas and south provinces in China.

Harvest
Collected all the time.

The actual smell and taste
Light smell and taste.

Best quality
Yellow and green, thin, regular and soft filament with elasticity.

Processing
Unprocessed or stir-baked or processed with ginger juice.

Property
Sweet, lightly cold; lung, heart and stomach meridians entered.

Actions
Clear and resolve heat-phlegm, relieve restlessness and stop vomiting.

Indications
A. Cough due to phlegm-heat and lung heat, restlessness, Insomnia

This herb is sweet and cold and good at clearing and resolving heat-phlegm. When phlegm-heat removed, lung qi is purified and cough is stopped. When phlegm-fire is cleared, heart spirit is calmed and restlessness and insomnia will disappear. For cough due to lung heat and yellow and sticky phlegm, it is usually combined with other heat-clearing and phlegm-resolving antitussives such as Gua Lou, Sang Bai Pi , Radix Scutellariae (Huangqin). For phlegm-fire stirring up manifested by chest oppression, profuse phlegm, restlessness and insomnia, it is combined with phlegm-resolving and tranquilization herbs so as to obtain the action of clearing and resolving heat-phlegm as well as tranquilization and removing restlessness. For instance it is combined with Zhi Shi, Rhizoma Pinelliae (Banxia), Poria (Fuling), in Wen Dan Tang from Qian Jin Fang. For restlessness due to deficiency and insomnia caused by yin deficiency with phlegm-fire, it is combined with yin-nourishing and heart-calming herbs. For instance it is combined with Mai Dong, Xiao Mai and Da Zao in Dan Zhu Ru Tang from Qian Jin Fang.

B. Vomiting due to stomach heat, morning sickness during pregnancy

This herb can clear stomach heat to check adverse rising of qi and relieve vomiting. It works as a key herb for vomiting due to stomach heat. It is usually combined with other stomach-clearing and vomiting-relieving herbs. For instance it is combined with Rhizoma Coptidis (Huanglian), Radix Scutellariae (Huangqin), and Sheng Jiang in Zhu Ru Yin from Yan Nian Mi Lu (Mysterious Records for Life Prolonging). For vomiting and belching due to stomach deficiency with heat, it is combined with qi tonics and stomach-harmonizing and adverse rising of qi-checking herbs. For instance it is combined with Ginseng-(Renshen).shtml" target='_blank' title="Radix Ginseng (Renshen)">Radix Ginseng (Renshen), Ju Pi and Sheng Jiang in Ju Pi Zhu Ru Tang from Jin Kui Yao Lue. For morning sickness due to obstruction of phlegm and retained fluid, it is combined with damp-drying and phlegm-resolving herbs and adverse rising of qi-checking and vomiting-relieving herbs. For instance it is combined with, Poria (Fuling), and Chen Pi in Qing Zhu Ru Tang from Ji Yin Gang Mu (Compendium of Yin-Saving).

Additionally, it also has the action of cooling blood to stop bleeding. When it is combined with heat-clearing and blood-cooling herbs, it is indicated for hematemesis, epistaxis and metrorrhagia and metrostaxis.

Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 6~10 g. Unprocessed for clearing heat and resolving heat-phlegm; processed with ginger juice for stopping vomiting.