Fructus Rosae Laevigatae (Jinyingzi)

Naming
Jin Ying Zi (Fructus Rosae Laevigatae)-Lei Gong Pao Zhi Lun (Lei’s Treaties on Preparation of Drugs)

Origin
The ripe fruit of the perennial woody plant Rosa laevigata Michx. of the family Rosaceae.

Location
Guangdong, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China.

Harvest
Collected in September to October. Removed the thorn and core, dried in the sun.

The actual smell and taste
Slight smell, sweet, slightly astringent.

Best quality
Big, yellow-red, lustrous, without thorn.

Processing
Unprocessed.

Property
Sour, astringent, neutral; kidney, bladder and large intestine meridians entered.

Actions
Secure essence, reduce urination and stop leukorrhagia, astringe intestines to check diarrhea.

Indications
A. Seminal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination and leukorrhagia

It enters kidney and bladder meridians, with its main action of astringing and it can secure essence, reduce urination and stop leukorrhagia. For seminal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination and leukorrhagia due to kidney deficiency, it could be used as decoction plaster singly or combined with Qian Shi for mutual reinforcement of astringency, such as in the formula Shui Lu Er Xian Dan from Ren Chun Tang Jing Yan Fang (Experiential Prescriptions from Renchun Clinic). To get more effect, it could he combined with kidney-tonifying herbs and astringents. For instance, it is used with Semen Cuscutae (Tusizi), Fructus Psoraleae (Buguzhi), and Hai Piao Xiao.

B. Chronic diarrhea and dysentery

It enters large intestine meridian and can astringe intestines to check diarrhea. For chronic diarrhea and dysentery due to spleen deficiency, it could be decocted in thick tea singly or combined with herbs to astringe intestines, check diarrhea. For instance, it is used with Ying Su Qiao, or combined with spleen-tonifying and intestines-astringing herbs to treat both the branch and root of disease, such as Radix Codonopsis (Dangshen), Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Baizhu), Qian Shi, Fructus Schisandrae (Wuweizi), in the formula Mi Yuan Jian from Jing Yue Quan Shu.

Besides, it can be applied for metrorrhagia, metrostaxis, anal prolapse, and prolapse of uterus, and other symptoms due to its astringent action.

Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 6~12 g.