Cynanchum root for treating coughs

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the stem of the plant has a sweet and bitter taste, is non-toxic, and has the effects of moistening the lungs, relieving coughs, and killing germs. It is often used to treat coughs, roundworms, pinworms, etc.

Stemona tuberosa, also known as thirty-day vine, sam sip lac (Tay), ban sam sip (Thai), pe chau chang (Mong), ho linh (K'ho), det ac vine, mui say doi (Dao), is a herbaceous, perennial vine that can grow up to 5-6 meters long.

The roots are fleshy and tuberous. Leaves are opposite or alternate, heart-shaped, with an arc-shaped main vein and many small transverse veins. Flowers grow in the leaf axils, are yellowish-green with a purplish-red inner surface, and have a foul odor. The fruit is a capsule with many seeds.

The vine commonly grows wild in mountainous areas, and the medicinal part is the tuberous root. It is best harvested in the autumn, washed clean, the ends cut off, and then steamed until just cooked or blanched in boiling water. Small roots are left whole, while larger ones are cut in half lengthwise and sun-dried or oven-dried until completely dry.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the plant *Stemona tuberosa* has a sweet and bitter taste, is non-toxic, and has the effects of moistening the lungs, relieving coughs, and killing germs. It is often used to treat coughs, roundworms, pinworms, etc. For external use, a decoction is made into a wash or a paste is applied to treat scabies and sores. It also has the effect of killing insects, mosquito larvae, and lice.

The following is a herbal remedy containing stemona root:

- Treats coughs caused by colds, sore throats, and low phlegm:16g of Stemona tuberosa, 12g of Mentha arvensis, 12g of Platycodon grandiflorus, 12g of Platycodon grandiflorus. Decoction to be taken once a day for 5 days.

- Treating a persistent cough with natural remedies:Fresh Cynanchum stauntonii is roasted over a fire until dry, then a small amount of its juice is taken and swallowed.

- Treating whooping cough:Take 12g of stemona root, 12g of white peony root, and 4g of licorice root, decoct with sugar, and drink three times a day for 3-4 consecutive days.

- Treating coughs in children caused by colds:30g of processed stemona root, 30g of destemma root (without nodes), peeled and pointed apricot kernels (processed and ground), decocted thoroughly to extract the liquid, then mixed with the stemona root and mahuang, forming pills the size of a soapnut seed. Take 2-3 pills with warm water each time.

- Deworming:Take 10g of fresh stemona root decoction daily in the early morning on an empty stomach for 5 days to expel worms; Boil 40g of fresh stemona root (equivalent to 20g of dried stemona root) in 200ml of water for half an hour, then reduce to about 30ml. Use this decoction as an enema, retaining it for 20 minutes. Treatment in this way for 10-12 days will cure pinworm infection.

Note: People with weak digestive systems should not use this product.

According to the American Beauty Queen - Vietnam Agriculture