Herb

Cucumber (Hu gua)

胡瓜hu gua
1 sourceSafety notes recordedCucumis sativus L.

Modern safety information is being compiled for this entry.

Recorded for childhood food-lump (a leaf as emetic-purgative), clearing heat, disinhibiting water and resolving toxin; the fruit clears heat and relieves thirst. Marked toxic in the source's flavour note.

Source

Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu)卷二十八·蓏菜·胡瓜·主治

References
  • functions_en self-translated from 本草纲目 traditional_functions (public domain; the Chinese tf carries verbatim excerpt_hash citations). No modern work consulted.
  • WHO IST-TCM terminology-aligned for the English rendering.
  • public pharmacopoeia & botanical facts (public-domain reference facts; no proprietary modern source).
Traditional functions

Classical source text (Chinese) — English summary above.

传统中医记载：主小儿闪癖，一岁用一叶、生挼搅汁服，得吐下；清热利水、解毒（瓜清热止渴）。

Nature, flavor & meridians

Nature & flavor: 苦，平，有小毒。

Citations
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十八·蓏菜·胡瓜·气味Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its classification.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十八·蓏菜·胡瓜·气味Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its nature & flavor.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十八·蓏菜·胡瓜·主治Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十八·蓏菜·胡瓜·气味Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its safety notes.
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