Present Day Applications:

1. For tumors of different types: use huang yao zi, shan dou gen, bai yin in decoction

2. For swelling of thyroids: use huang yao zi, xia ku cao, kun bu in decoction

3. boils, snake bites, dog bites: use fresh or dry huang yao zi; make into powder and make into paste with vinegar. Apply externally.

4. For bleeding: vomiting blood, nose bleeding, menopausal bleeding, acute tonsillitis: combine with other herbs.

Pharmaceutical name:

英文药名：

Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae

Biological name:

拉丁學名：

Dioscorea bulbifera L.

Pron. in Japanese:

日語發音：

oykushi

Pron. in Korean:

韓語發音：

hwangyakcha

Pron. in Cantonese:

粤語發音：

wong4 joek6 zi2

Common Name:

英文名：

Tuber Dioscoreae

Other Name:

別名﹕

huang du, ling yu shu, jin xian diao xia mo, xiang yu, huang gou tou

黃獨﹐ 零餘薯﹐金線吊蝦蟆﹐ 香芋﹐黃狗頭。

Distribution:

分佈：

Widely distributed in Asia and Africa in the wild state

Properties (characteristics):性味:

bitter, acrid, cool, slightly toxic

苦﹐辛，涼。有小毒。

Channels (meridians) entered:

歸經:

liver, lung

肝﹐肺

Actions & Indications:

主治：

rid of toxin, relieves swelling, reduces phlegm, cools blood, stops bleeding.

解毒消腫，化痰散結， 涼血止血。

Medical function:

藥理作用﹕

Huang yao zi is effective in reducing swelling of the thyroid glands due to lack of iodine. It is also effective in reducing some of the swelling with unspecified causes.

Huang yao zi is effective in reducing swelling of the thyroid glands of animals caused by consuming a small amount of potassium thiocyanate (硫氰酸鉀).

It has no effect on the swelling of thyroid glands caused by the anti thyroid drugs  thiouracil (Tu) and Sod  Sulfadiazine

Bleeding inhibiting effects: abdominal injection of huang yao zi decoction to mice half an hour before surgically remove their tails, proved that it has bleeding inhibition effect.

Huang yao zi can damage the tissues of liver and kidney. Short term usage can show the damaging effect on the liver. It takes long term usage to show the damage of kidneys.

Huang yao zi extract if effective for herpes infection of the retina.

Huang yao zi can inhibit the tumor S₁₈₀ and the uterus neck tumor U₁₄  of mice.

Huang yao zi combined formula and decoction can inhibit the heart of frogs. It also can inhibit the in vitro intestine of rabits. It can stimulate the non pregnant uterus of rabbits and guinea pigs. Its effect on uterus can be suppressed by diphenhydramine (Benadryl).

Its decoction has varying inhibiting effect on fungi that cause skin infections.

1. 黃藥子對缺碘食物所致的甲狀腺腫具有一定的療效。一些原因不明的甲狀腺腫也有一些治療作用。
2. 黃藥子對於動物飲用含小量硫氰酸鉀所致的輕度甲狀腺腫有治療作用。
3. 黃藥子對於硫尿嘧啶(TU thiouracil)和磺胺嘧啶(Sod. Slufadiazine)等抗甲狀腺藥物所造成的甲狀腺腫無治療作用。
4. 止血試驗：
在小鼠剪尾前半個小時給與小鼠腹腔注射黃藥子流浸膏，證明有止血作用。
5. 黃藥子對肝腎組織有一定損害，對肝組織的損害在短時間內即可表現出來，對腎組織的損害較長時間才能表現出來。對狗的慢性毒性試驗可見黃藥子能引起食欲減退、厭油膩、惡心、嘔吐及肝功能不正常。
6. 黃藥子提取物對實驗性單純疱疹病毒性角膜炎有治療作用。
7. 黃藥子對小鼠肉瘤S180和子宮頸癌U14有抑制作用。
8. 黃藥子配劑和煎劑對離體蛙心和在位蛙心均有抑制作用；對離體兔腸亦有抑制作用；對未孕家兔和豚鼠子宮有興奮作用，呈現強直性收縮和節律性收縮，對子宮的興奮作用可被苯海拉明所取消。
9. 抑菌試驗：
水煎劑對常見致病性皮膚真菌均有不同程度的抑制作用。

Samples of formulae:

處方舉例：

黃藥子散 - 方劑3

【處方】黃藥子1兩，當歸1兩，芍藥1兩，生地黃1兩，黃芩1兩，人參1兩，白術1兩，知母1兩，石膏1兩，川芎1分，桔梗1分，甘草1兩，紫菀1分半，槐花子1分半，柴胡1分半。

【制法】上為粗末。 [1]

【功能主治】月事不止，煩渴悶亂，心腹急痛，肢體困倦，不美飲食。

【用法用量】每服3錢，水1盞，煎至7分，濾汁溫服，食前但1服。

【摘錄】《宜明論》卷十一

 Chemical ingredients:

化學成份﹕

Dosage:

用量:

9 to 15 g. For external use: smash or grind and extract juice to apply to affected areas.

用量9～15克 ；外用適量，搗爛或磨汁塗敷患處。

Cautions:

毒性﹕

The roots of huang yao and ling yu zi (the pearly sprouts under the leaves) contain toxin. Over- consumption can cause burning sensation of the mouth and tongue, dripping of saliva, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constriction of pupils; if serious, cardiac paralysis, difficulty in breathing, coma and death.

Antidode: empty stomach, promote diarrhea, take egg white, or arrow root (ge gen) starch porridge,  and activated carbon; drink cane sugar solution, or intra venous feeding of glucose solution. Taking mug bean soup or boil 250 grams of gang mei with 5 bowls of water and simmer till 2 bowls and use as tea.

The roots of huang yao is toxic to the liver.

Large dosages and/or long term usage can be toxic to kidneys.