Evodia rutaecarpa is often used for a variety of pains

What is Evodia rutaecarpa(Wu Zhu Yu)? To answer question like that, let’s figure out what Evodia is in the first place. Evodia, the misspelling of Euodia, is actually a plant genus in the family Rutaceae. However, the direct genus Evodia rutaecarpa belongs to is not Euodia but Tetradium, a genus of 9 species of trees. It is known as Euodia or Bee bee tree in the west because it was classified to the genus Euodia in the ancient literature.

As mentioned above, medicinally it mainly refers to the dried nearly ripe fruit of Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss) Benth., Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. var. officinalis (Dode) Huang, and Evodia rutaecarpa (JUSS.) BENTH. var. bodinieri (DODE) HUANG. Other common names of it include Wu-Chu-Yu, Evodia Fruit, Gosyuyu, Wu Yu, San Cha Ku, and so on. In China it is mainly produced in provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, and Sichuan. The fruit-bearing shoots are usually cut with scissors when the fruits have not been cracked during August to October. And then it is dried in the sun or low temperature before branches, leaves, stems and other impurities are removed. Medicinally it should be processed by licorice decoction.

Evodia rutaecarpa benefits
On September 9th, the double ninth festival, the ancient Chinese would wear Evodia, climb mountain, and drink chrysanthemum wine. This is simply because it is considered a unique amulet and wearing Evodia was once the main symbol of the double ninth festival, which thus sometimes is also known as "Evodia Festival." Today this custom is still popular and people believe that this custom can make bad luck go away. This may be a myth, but it is certain that this is indeed a good medicine.

Evodia has long been used as a medicinal medicine, which is included in the "Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic", the earliest extant medical works in China. In the clinical treatment of TCM, it is often used to treat a variety of pains, e.g. Jueyin headache (pain at the top and the corners of the head), cold in women’s lower abdomen, diarrhea at dawn, Dysmenorrhea, Amenorrhea, hiccup, excessive salivation disorders in children, children with bronchial pneumonia, high blood pressure, mumps, enterobiasis, scabies, Eczema, recurrent oral ulcers, and the like.

When it comes to Evodia fruit, the herbal formula must be mentioned is the Wu Zhu Yu Tang, which is from Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases). Besides of headache, vomiting, and stomach pain, this herb is still ideal for the treatment of vertigo and cold-induced hernia. However, clinically flexibility and small change is still required according to the individual situation. It makes sense to add Fu Zi (monkshood) for patients with heavy chill, Ding Xiang (Cloves) and Ban Xia (Pinellia) for patients with severe vomiting, Bai Dou Kou (Round Cardamon Fruit) for patients with bloating, Hai Piao Xiao (Cuttlefish Bone) for patients with acid regurgitation, and Dang Gui (Dong Quai) for patients of blood deficiency.