Tangaek — Decoctions · Herbs

馬鞭草 Vervain

Related Crop · Vervain →

Mapyeoncho is a perennial of open ground. It looks like motherwort but with a round stem, and the three or four slender spikes it throws up resemble the lash at the end of a horsewhip, which is where the name comes from. The same genus is grown today as verbena, in gardens and in herbal tea.

Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · Tangaek — Decoctions vol. 3

  1. 性凉, 味辛一云苦, 無毒一云有毒.

    Its nature is cool and its flavor pungent, though some say bitter. It is generally considered non-toxic, though some sources note mild toxicity, so caution is advised.

  2. 主癥癖血瘕久瘧.

    It treats abdominal masses, blood stagnation lumps, and chronic intermittent fevers that linger without resolution.

  3. 破血, 通月經, 殺蟲良.

    It breaks up stagnant blood, regulates menstruation, and is excellent for expelling parasitic worms.

  4. 治下部䘌. 《本草》

    It treats ulcerative sores in the lower body, as recorded in the Bencao.

  5. 似益母而莖圓.

    It resembles motherwort in appearance, but its stem is round rather than square, which sets it apart.

  6. 抽三四穗, 類鞭鞘, 故以爲名.

    It puts forth three or four spike-like flower stalks that resemble the lash of a horsewhip, which is the origin of its name.

  7. 七月八月採苗, 日乾. 《入門》

    The young shoots are gathered in the seventh and eighth lunar months and dried in the sun, as noted in the Yixue Rumen.

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This is a cultural and historical record from a classical text, not a claim about any food’s effects. Nothing here is a health supplement or intended to prevent or treat disease. Consult a medical professional about health concerns. · Text: Korean Medicine Classics DB · Reading: Homiclub