Snakebites, overexcitation treated with TCM skullcap herb

What is skullcap herb(Ban Zhi Lian)? Scullcap herb is one of perennials, 15 to 50cm high, sparsely pubescent on rachis to glabrous. Roots are rather slender. Stems are usually cespitose, thinner, square-column-shaped, and with dark purple or brownish green surface. Leaves are usually opposite, with short petiole, most shrinking but triangular ovate or lanceolate after flatten, 1.5 to 3cm long, 0.5 to 1cm wide; blunt at front end, broadly cuneate at base, integrifolious or margin few unsharp obtusely dentate; upper surface dark green, and lower surface grayish green. Flowers are solitary in axils of upper branches and stem, calyxlobes blunt or rounder; corolla bilabiate, brownish yellow or light bluish violet, about 1.2cm long, and pubescent. Fruits are oblate and light brown. And it is nearly odorless and slightly bitter.

What is it used for?
Medicinally there are two major species of skullcap plant – scutellaria lateriflora (American Skullcap) and herba scutellariae barbatae (Chinese skullcap). Since these two medicinal herbs are native to different continents respectively, they are used for different medicinal purposes by local residents.

Scutellaria lateriflora
Main benefits of this healing herb are to eliminate anxiety and thus help stabilize physical condition. In the past, North American Indians used it in herbal remedies for insect-bite and snakebites, overexcitation, painful menstruation, and rabies, etc. Later skull cap herb was introduced to European countries as a hydrophobic drug, which hence earned it other nicknames like maddog weed, maddog skullcap, and mad weed.

Now it has been made into herbal supplements, tea, extract, and tinctures because of containing many flavonoids and active mineral elements, which help stimulate and strengthen the nervous system so that it is frequently used as central nervous system agent. As the supplement, it effectively eases abnormal emotions caused by busy life such as jitter, nervousness, hysteria, Neurasthenia, depression, and crisis awareness, etc.

Scutellaria barbata
From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is acrid, bitter, and cold in nature and covers meridians of lung, liver, and kidney. Main functions are to clear heat-toxicity, eliminate blood stasis, and promote diuresis. Main uses and indications are furunculosis, pyogenic infections, venomous snake bite, traumatic injury, Edema, and Jaundice. Usual dosage is 15 to 30 grams, or 30 to 60 gram of freshly harvested, in decoction. And more can be used externally.