Semen Strychni
From HerbLab, herbal encyclopedia of Chinese traditional medicine
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Semen strychni(马钱子)
It is defined in Dictionary of Chinese Materia Medica that: "The drug is bitter in taste, cold and toxic in nature, clearing away heat accumulated in blood and subsiding swelling to stop pain." The drug is the fruit of Strychnos nux-vomica L. of the Loganiaceae family, mainly produced in Yunnan. S. wallichiana Steud, ex DC. of the same family, produced in India, Sikkim and Hainan Island in China, is used as the substitute for the drug.
ANTICANCER PHARMACOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
1. The drug inhibits mice sarcoma-180. 2. The drug inhibits the activity of the cells of leukemia.
EXPERIMENTAL FORMULAS
For acute leukemia:
Semen Strychni 1.5g Radix Glycyrrhizae 4g Rhizoma Paridis 12g Radix Sophorae Subprostratae 9g Rhizoma Belarncandae 6g Radix Rubiae 9g Radix Angelicae Sinensis 6g Radix Codonopsis Pilosulae 6g Radix Astragali 30g Herba Pteridis Multifidae 16g Calculus Bovis 0.6g
The prescription is taken in decoction one dosage a day. (Research and Prevention of Tumor, Vol. 2,1976)
For dermatocancer:
Semen Strychni Radix Amebiae Scolopendra Rhizoma Polygoni Vivipari
Equal portions of the above herbs are made into a paste and applied to the lesion three times a day.
For uterine cancer:
Semen Strychni Semen Persicae Lacca Sinica Exsiccata Agkistrodon Pericarpium Zanthoxyli Bungeani Radix et Rhizoma Rhei Scolopendra Scorpio
Equal portion of the above herbs and two portions of Radix et Rhizoma Rhei are ground and made into pills with honey. 3 pills are taken a day. Patients with weak physique should take the pills with great caution. (Journal of Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vol. 7, 1960)
For nasopharyngeal cancer, cancer on the digestive tract and breast cancer:
Semen Strychni 9g Radix Glycyrrhizae 2.5g Rhizoma Chuanxiong 6g Realgar 3g Squama Manitis 9g Radix Angelicae Sinensis 9g Comu Rhinoceri 6g Scorpio 6g Scolopendra 6g Semen Strychni is roasted yellow in oil, ground into powder with other ingredients and rolled with honey into pills of 1.5g each. The pills are taken one a time and twice a day. (Diagnosis and Treatment of Tumor)
For anal cancer:
The drug is ground into powder, blended with vinegar and applied to the lesion. (Handbook of Practical Anti-cancer Drugs) For brain cancer: Semen Strychni 120g Scorpio 30g Herba Ephedrae 15g Rhizoma Gastrodiae 15g Radix Glycyrrhizae 15g Radix Aucklandiae 15g Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae 15g Rhizoma sou Radix Notopterygii 15g Cortex Eucommiae 15g Olibanum 15g Myrrha 15g Radix Morindae Officinalis 15g
The prescription is ground into powder, blended with old vinegar and flour and made into pills of mung bean size. The pills are taken 0.3-0.5g after each meal with boiled water and three times a day. There should be one day interval after each six days of administration. The dose can not be increased. (National Collection of Prescriptions of Famous Doctors in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
For cancer on the digestive tract:
30 grams of Semen Strychni is steeped in water and then, peeled, dried, cut into slices, roasted yellow in sesame oil, ground into powder with 9 grams of Radix Glycyrrhizae and made into pills with rice flour coating of the size of Semen Firmianae. The pills are taken 0.3-0.6g a time and 2 to 3 times a day with boiled water. (National Collection of Prescriptions of Famous Doctors in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
HISTORICAL COMMENTS
It is recorded in Tang Yao's Experienced Prescriptions that: "To cure pharyngitis, one of the drug and 0.9 gram of Radix Auckandiae are ground with water and then mixed with 9 grams of Fel Ursi and 1.5 gram of Chalcanthitum for application to the throat."
It is said in Selected Prescriptions of Yang Qi's Recipes that: "Radix Aucklandiae and Radix Sophorae Subprostratae, when ground and blown into the throat, is effective for pharyngitis. "
It is reported in Materia Medica that: "The drug cures exogenous febrile disease, pharyngitis and abdominal mass when sucked."
It is said in Origin of Materia Medica that: "The drug is violently toxic for birds, dogs and human beings. "
It is suggested in Elucidation on Materia Medica that: "The drug is forbidden for patients with deficiency of qi, blood, spleen and stomach."
THE HERBLAB.ORG'S NOTE
54 cases of esophageal cancer were treated with the drug in the Second Hospital in Luda City and it was found effective in 45 cases, not effective in 5 and 3 patients became worse after the administration and I died. The total effect rate was 83.3%. The drug is highly toxic, therefore it must be used with great caution. Emergent measures for its poisoning: 1) 1:2000 KMnO4（4下标） for gastric lavage; 2) Ether for mild anesthesia or barbital for intravenous injection if convulsion occurs; 3) Morphine is forbidden; 4) The patient is moved to a darkroom to prevent convulsion. The toxic element is strychnine, 5-10mg of which will result in poisoning and 30mg will cause death. Therefore, the drug must be processed before using. The procession pattern is: boiled First, steeped in water, stripped off the peel, cut into slices, and roasted yellow in sesame oil.
