Eucommia Bark (Du Zhong, Cortex Eucommiae)

This herb is the trunk bark of Eucommia ulcommia ulmoides Oliv., deciduous tree of the family Eucommiaceae. The bark is stripped off between April and June. After scraping off the cork, the bark pieces are piled up to be sealed till purple brown, and dried in the sun. When using, it is cut into segments or stir-baked with salt.
Properties: Sweet in flavor, warm in nature, it acts on the liver and kidney meridians. Being sweet, it functions in tonification; as a warm agent, it can strengthen yang; and being mild in action and not very dry in nature, it can reinforce the kidney, prevent abortion and strengthen skeletal system, serving to treat syndromes of deficiency of both the liver and kidney, lumbago, weak extremities, deficiency-cold of the Chong and Ren Meridians, threatened abortion, etc.

Effects: Tonifying the liver and kidney, strengthening skeletal system, and preventing abortion.
Indications:
1. For insufficiency of the liver and kidney, cold pain in the loins and knees, weakness of muscles and bones, spermatorrhea and frequent micturation, it is often used with herbs for tonifying the liver and kidney, such as Semen Juglandis, Fructus Psoraleae, Ramulus Loranthi, Radix Dipsaci, Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae, etc.
2. For deficiency and impairment of Chong and Ren Meridians, threatened abortion, hyperactivity of the fetus with vaginal bleeding, it is often used with herbs for tonifying the kidney, preventing rniscarriage and hemostasis, such as Colla Corii Asini, Folium Artemisiae Argyi, Radix Dipsaci, Ramulus Loranthi, etc.
Dosage and Administration: 6-10g.
Modern Researches: The extract and decoction of this herb have a lasting action in hypo-tension, and the effect of the decoction preparation is stronger than that of tincture, and that of the parched stronger than that of the unprepared.
It can induce diuresis in the dog, rat and mouse; and can make the animal calm, drowsy and not sensative to external stimulation. It also can relax the uterus of the rat and rabbit. When the alcohol extract of this herb infused into the isolated heart of the rat, it can make the heart beat more rapidly, diastole more completely and the amplitude of beat increase. Its decoction can also excite the isolated heart of the rabbit, and has a sedative action.
It is capable of strengthening the adrenocortical function and thus has anti-inflammatory action, It can also enhance the immunity. In vitro, its decoction has bactero-static effect on various bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus, Flexner's bacillus,etc.

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