Fructus Rosae Laevigatae

Naming

Jin Ying Zi (Fructus Rosae Laevigatae)——Lei Gong Pao Zhi Lun (Lei’s Treaties on Preparation of Drugs)

The Processing of Fructus Rosae Laevigatae

Origin

The ripe fruit of the perennial woody plant Rosa laevigata Michx. of the family Rosaceae.

Location

Guangdong, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China.

Harvest

Collected in September to October. Removed the thorn and core, dried in the sun.

The actual smell and taste

Slight smell, sweet, slightly astringent.

Best quality

Big, yellow-red, lustrous, without thorn.

Processing

Unprocessed.

The Effect of Fructus Rosae Laevigatae

Property

Sour, astringent, neutral; kidney, bladder and large intestine meridians entered.

Actions

Secure essence, reduce urination and stop leukorrhagia, astringe intestines to check diarrhea.

Indications

A. Seminal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination and leukorrhagia

It enters kidney and bladder meridians, with its main action of astringing and it can secure essence, reduce urination and stop leukorrhagia. For seminal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination and leukorrhagia due to kidney deficiency, it could be used as decoction plaster singly or combined with Qian Shi for mutual reinforcement of astringency, such as in the formula Shui Lu Er Xian Dan from Ren Chun Tang Jing Yan Fang (Experiential Prescriptions from Renchun Clinic). To get more effect, it could he combined with kidney-tonifying herbs and astringents. For instance, it is used with Tu Si Zi, Bu Gu Zhi and Hai Piao Xiao.

B. Chronic diarrhea and dysentery

It enters large intestine meridian and can astringe intestines to check diarrhea. For chronic diarrhea and dysentery due to spleen deficiency, it could be decocted in thick tea singly or combined with herbs to astringe intestines, check diarrhea. For instance, it is used with Ying Su Qiao, or combined with spleen-tonifying and intestines-astringing herbs to treat both the branch and root of disease, such as Dang Shen, Bai Zhu, Qian Shi and Wu Wei Zi in the formula Mi Yuan Jian from Jing Yue Quan Shu.

Besides, it can be applied for metrorrhagia, metrostaxis, anal prolapse, and prolapse of uterus, and other symptoms due to its astringent action.

Dosage and Administrations

Decoct 6~12 g.