Name of herb：Musk

Name and Origin: "Raw Herbs and Medicinal Properties

General information
Synonyms: Cakes and grasses (Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine), Liangcao, Wulangcao, Bluebonnets (Guangzhou Army Handbook of Common Chinese Herbs), Wulangcao (Lingnan Caiyun Lu), Spicy thistle, Spicy chicken (Luchuan Bencao).

Origin and Sources: The whole herb of the genus Musculus of the genus Xanthaceae. There are about 10 species of the genus Musculus worldwide. There are about 4 species in China.

Original plant: Adenosma glutinosum (L.) Druce (Adenosma grandiflorum Benth.; Adenosma caeruleum R. Br. Prodr.)

Morphology: Erect herb, up to 1 m tall, densely multicellular glandular hairy and villous throughout. Stem cylindrical, base lignified, upper part slightly tetragonal, hollow, often branched. Leaves opposite, leaf blade ovate-lanceolate to broadly ovate, 2-10cm long, 1-5cm wide, apex acute, base cuneate or subcordate, margin unevenly denticulate, lower surface densely covered with yellow glandular dots, glandular dots fall off leaving brown pits, petiole 3-20cm long. flowers solitary in leaf axils or in racemes terminal; pedicel 5-15mm long, its tip with a pair of bracteoles, 5-9mm long; calyx 5, slightly enlarged and persistent in fruit; corolla purple-blue or purple-red, 9-28 mm long; upper lip ovoid, apex truncate or retuse, lower lip 3-lobed, apex obtuse-rounded or retuse; anther locules separate, only 1 locule mature, the other reduced to glandular; style with thin wings at upper end. Capsule ovate-conical, with 2 longitudinal grooves, 4-valved. Seeds rectangular, brownish, reticulate. Fl. July-September, fr. August-October. (For the figure, see FRPS, vol. 67. Subvol. 2. Plate 71-4)

Habitat and distribution: Born on barren mountain slopes or in the grasses of sparse forests at altitudes of 300 to 2000 m. It is distributed in Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan.

Raw Medicine
Collection: Harvested in autumn and dried in the sun. The herb is produced in Guangdong.

Identification: The whole herb is 20-30 cm long. root remains. Stem is about 2-4mm thick, branched, black-brown in appearance, with shallow longitudinal wrinkles, covered with sparse long hairs; firm and easily broken, hollow, slightly fibrous. Leaves extremely crinkled, black-brown above, light brown below, pilose, densely concave with glandular dots. Flowers mostly fruiting, calyx persistent, tea-brown, 5-lobed, one lobe conspicuously larger. Capsule tea-brown to yellow-brown. Strong fragrance, slightly spicy and cool taste. To aromatic, no impurities for the best.

Storage: in a dry place.

Chemical properties
Contains flavonoid glycosides, phenols, triterpenoids, volatile oils and amino acids [1, 2].

References
[1] Fujian Medicine Journal. Book 2. Fujian Science and Technology Press, 1983: 287 .
[2] Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The first volume. Shanghai People's Publishing House, 1977: 445.

Medicinal Properties
Taste: Pungent, warm. ①"Lingnan Caiyun Lu": "Pungent." ②Nanning Medicine Zhi: "Pungent and slightly astringent." ③ "Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine": "Bitter, pungent, warm." ④The National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicine: "Pungent, bitter, warm."

Effects: Dispelling wind and dampness, promoting circulation and relieving pain, dispersing blood stasis and swelling, detoxifying and relieving itching.

Indications: wind-dampness and bone pain, abdominal pain with stagnation of Qi, sores and swellings, skin eczema, itching, bruises and injuries. ①"Raw Herbs and Medicinal Properties Preparation": "Dispelling wind and disinfection." ②"Lingnan Caiyun Lu": "It is used to treat bruises and battering injuries, to relieve swelling and pain, and to disperse sores and ulcers. Cure gas pain." ③ "Nanning City Drug Zhi": "stop bleeding, stop pain, dissipate blood stasis and swelling. Cures bruises and cuts, rheumatic sores and ulcers." ④《Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine》："Treats miasms in mountainous areas, water and soil, postpartum liver wind and thirst, and treats itchy skin." ⑤ "Handbook of Commonly Used Chinese Herbs", Guangzhou Army, "Dispelling wind-dampness and eliminating swelling and pain. Treats pediatric paralysis, rheumatic bone pain, wind-cold abdominal pain, poisonous snake bites, bruises and injuries, sores and swellings." (6) "Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine", "Treats skin eczema and wasp stings." (7) National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicine: "Early stage of polio, cold abdominal pain, rheumatic bone pain, bruises, swelling pain, carbuncle and swelling poison, wasp stings, eczema, urticaria."

Usage and dosage: For internal use: decoction, 10-15. For external use: decoction and wash or pounding.

Clinical Applications
Selected formulae and experimental prescriptions: National Compendium of Chinese Herbal Medicine: "Treatment of dermatitis in water fields: equal amounts of musk, feiyang grass, dry lotus grass, hairy fruit abacus, black-faced leaf, two-sided needle and heartwort. The musk and heartwort together with fine powder, other drugs with water decoction 4 to 5 hours, filtering dregs, add 2 drugs powder and then decoction for a few moments (to 500g of medicine decoction into 500g of liquid is appropriate). Apply the liquid to the affected area 4 to 5 times a day."

Single application: ① "Dictionary of Chinese Medicine": "Treatment of early polio, rheumatism paralysis, abdominal pain: 9-15g of musk. decoction with water." ② "National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Treatment of rheumatic pain: fresh musk, decoction of water to wash the affected area." ③ "Concise Chinese Medical Dictionary": "Treatment of bruises, sores, eczema: fresh musk, pounded and applied to the affected area or decocted and washed." ④"Selected Chinese herbal medicines of Guangxi": "Treating poisonous snake bite, urticaria: fresh hair musk in appropriate amount, pounded and applied externally or decocted and washed on the affected area." ⑤《Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine》："Treating asthma: cut shredded net leaves of Musk, and smoke it with the rolled cigarettes of Yang Jin Hua." (6) "Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine": "For the treatment of miasms in mountainous areas, water and soil, postpartum liver wind and thirst: 9~15g of Musculus officinalis. decoction with water."

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