Sophora Flower is the dried flower and bud of the Sophora japonica plant from the legume family; Japanese Pagodatree Pod is the mature fruit of the same plant. It is cultivated or wild and is widely produced in most regions of the country. The original plant has strong adaptability to climate and thrives best in moist, deep, fertile, well-drained sandy loam soil. It has a bitter taste and a slightly cold nature. It belongs to the liver and large intestine meridians. Its effects include cooling blood and stopping bleeding, clearing the liver and draining fire. The hemostatic effect of Japanese Pagodatree Pod is weaker than that of Sophora Flower, but its heat-clearing and intestine-moistening effects are stronger. Clinical names include Sophora Flower, fried Sophora Flower, and charred Sophora Flower; Japanese Pagodatree Pod and pagodatree pod.
bubble_chart Compendium of Materia Medica
Shennong Bencao Jing: Bitter in taste, cold in nature. It treats internal pathogenic heat, stops saliva and spittle, repairs severe injuries, treats five types of hemorrhoids, fire sores, breast lumps in women, and acute uterine pain. Long-term use improves vision, tonifies qi, and prevents graying of hair.
Mingyi Bielu: Sour and salty in taste, non-toxic. Harvested on the seventh day of the seventh month, the juice is extracted and placed in a copper vessel, boiled daily until it can be formed into pills the size of mouse droppings. Inserted into the affected area, it heals after three applications. Also used for early abortion. Long-term use improves vision, tonifies qi, prevents graying of hair, and prolongs life.
Bencao Shiyi: In addition to its main effects, it kills worms, dispels wind, and harmonizes the body. Dried in the shade, it can be boiled and consumed like tea. Improves vision, relieves heat-induced tearing, dispels heat and wind from the head, heart, and stomach, calms restlessness, treats wind-induced dizziness, nausea, and drunkenness-like symptoms.
Yaoxing Lun: As a minister herb, it treats severe heat and difficult delivery.Rihuazi Bencao: Treats pudendal sores and itching in both men and women. Promotes labor when seven seeds are swallowed. Sophora Flower is bitter, neutral, and non-toxic. It treats five types of hemorrhoids, heart pain, red eyes, kills intestinal parasites, and treats skin conditions, bloody defecation, and dysentery.
Bencao Tujing: Boiling young pods into a soup treats head wind and improves vision and brain function. Swallowing black seeds turns white hair black. Bian Que's method for improving vision and preventing hair loss: On the tenth day of the tenth month, peel Sophora seeds and place them in a new bottle, sealed for 14 days. Start with one seed, increasing by one each day up to ten, then repeat the cycle. This allows one to read at night.
Bencao Yanyi: Pagodatree pod disperses wind-heat.
Sophora Flower is excellent for treating bloody defecation and heat-induced diarrhea, but should not be overdosed.
Yaolei Faxiang: Benefits chest qi and resolves diaphragm disorders.
Tangye Bencao: Bitter, sour, salty, cold, and non-toxic.
Zhenzhunang: Similar in treatment to Peach Kernel.
Yaoxing Lun: As a minister herb, it treats severe heat and difficult delivery. Boiling the bark and using the juice to wash the scrotum reduces swelling and treats qi tumors (subcutaneous neurofibroma). Sophora bark treats oral and dental wind sores.
《白華子》云: Sophora seeds treat pudendal sores and itching in both men and women, and promote labor when seven seeds are swallowed. The bark treats apoplexy, skin numbness, pharyngitis, washes five types of hemorrhoids, relieves vaginal orifice itching and pain, and treats burns and scalds. Soft extract relieves pain, promotes tissue regeneration, and reduces abscesses.
Bielu: In August, cut large branches of Sophora to encourage new growth. Boil the juice to make wine, which is excellent for treating severe wind wilting impediment. Sophora Flower: Bitter and non-toxic. Treats five types of hemorrhoids, heart pain, red eyes, kills intestinal parasites, and treats skin wind, bloody defecation, and dysentery. Sophora leaves: Neutral and non-toxic, boiled into a soup to wash children with infantile malnutrition involving heart, scabies, boils, and sores. The bark and stem are also effective.Sophora Flower is bitter and thin, yin in nature.
Zhenzhunang: Cools large intestine heat.
Bencao Fahui: Jiegu states: Pagodatree pod is bitter and sour, cools large intestine heat. Sophora Flower has similar effects.
Bencao Gangmu: Sophora Flower is bitter, yellow, and cool in nature, belonging to the Yangming and Jueyin blood aspects. Thus, it primarily treats diseases related to these two meridians.
Frying and chewing frequently treats aphonia and pharyngitis, and also treats hematemesis, nosebleeds, and uterine bleeding.
Japanese Pagodatree Pod,《太清草木方》云: Sophora is the essence of the virtual star. It cures all diseases. The apricot formula states that long-term use improves vision, connects with the divine, and turns white hair black.
It is especially suitable for those with hemorrhoids and bloody stools.
Bencao Jingshu: The pagoda tree pod senses the qi of heaven and earth, and combines the transformations of wood and water. Therefore, its taste is bitter, its qi is cold, and it is non-toxic. Bielu It is further enhanced with sour and salty properties, making it suitable for the hand and foot Yangming meridians, as well as the foot Jueyin meridian. Its main function is to address pathogenic qi heat in the five viscera, which is actually pathogenic heat. Excessive saliva and sputum indicate heat in the spleen and stomach. In cases of severe injury, the blood is necessarily hot, and hemorrhoids are caused by intense heat in the large intestine. Fire sores result from blood being injured by fire. Breast lumps in women are formed by qi stagnation and blood heat in the liver. Acute pain in the uterus is due to blood heat and dry fire. The pagoda tree, being a bitter and cold pure yin herb, is essential for cooling blood, thus capable of eliminating all types of heat, dispersing all types of stagnation, and clearing all types of fire. The aforementioned diseases all arise from these three factors, hence it can treat them all. Long-term use improves vision and tonifies qi, prevents graying of hair, and prolongs life. Without heat in the blood aspect, the eyes naturally become clear. Heat can damage qi; by removing heat, qi is naturally replenished. Cooling blood prevents hair from turning white, and removing heat ensures that yin essence is not harmed, thus prolonging life. The flowers, with their predominantly bitter taste, are particularly effective in treating various heat pattern in the hand and foot Yangming and foot Jueyin meridians.
Mistakes to Avoid: Sophora is bitter and cold in nature, belonging to pure yin. It is not suitable for patients with deficiency-cold, spleen and stomach diarrhea, and yin deficiency with blood heat but not real heat. Although the external symptoms may appear similar, the internal causes are actually different, and thus it should not be taken.Bencao Mengquan : It tastes bitter, pungent, and salty, with a cold qi. It is non-toxic. It mainly treats internal pathogenic heat, removes the swelling and pain of five types of hemorrhoids, stops saliva and spittle, repairs severe injuries, cools the large intestine, and dissolves breast lumps. It eliminates persistent damp itching of the male pudendal area and relieves unbearable pain and itching of the female birth canal. It also treats fire sores and can cause early abortion. Taking seven pills with wine is especially effective in inducing labor. The flowers, which are very bitter, are stir-fried until yellow and also cool the heat of the large intestine. They regulate bloody defecation, diarrhea with blood, and skin wind, stop hemorrhoidal bleeding and red and white dysentery, relieve sudden stomach pain, and kill intestinal worms.
Bencao Chengya: The pagodatree pod, also known as the house guardian, closes during the day and opens at night, thus it gains qi from yin. Therefore, it enters the five zang organs, the blood aspect, and hidden areas. If qi can exit but not enter, and yin can close but not open, there is no other way but to use this.
In winter, the fire of the pagodatree and sandalwood is taken. The pagodatree should enter the kidney, and it is appropriate to favor the right side, as the right is the fire storage of the life gate. Huainanzi says: Old pagodatrees produce fire, truly a sign of extreme yin producing yang. It can also enter the liver. The pagodatree grows luxuriantly, and its leaves are especially delightful, often emitting a fragrance like pine wind, thus it obtains the softness of the wood body, truly serving the kidney and liver. Zhuangzi says: There is fire in water, which burns the great pagodatree. Therefore, it treats the invasion of strong fire into the skin and flesh, and the pathogenic fire that blazes when the true fire of the five zang organs is extinguished. The explanation of wood says: Pagodatree leaves close during the day and open at night. Therefore, it treats the inability of the taiyin to close after opening, leading to uncontrolled saliva and spittle, and the inability of the jueyin to open after closing, leading to acute pain of breast lumps, and wind stagnation leading to worm erosion and hemorrhoids. Thus, all cases of being able to open but not close, or close but not open, are resolved effortlessly. If there is any mistake, it will inevitably exacerbate the excess or deficiency.
Yaoxing Jie: The pagodatree pod tastes sweet, sour, and salty, is cold in nature, non-toxic, and enters the heart, liver, and large intestine meridians. It mainly treats internal pathogenic heat, bloody defecation, five types of hemorrhoids, burns and scalds, swelling and pain of the male scrotum, damp itching of the pudendal area, vulvar pain and itching in women, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, improves vision, nourishes the brain, kills worms, dispels wind, blackens hair, and prolongs life. Taken with wine, it can induce labor and cause early abortion. The branches are specifically used to wash damp-heat sores and treat nine types of heart pain. The bark treats apoplexy, spasms, toothache, hidden sores, dissolves abscesses, removes toxins, relieves pain, and promotes flesh growth. The resin treats liver wind, tendon and vessel spasms, acute wind stroke lockjaw, inability to control the limbs, or toxic wind causing sensations of insects crawling all over the body, and critical conditions of tetanus. The flowers have the same effects as the fruit and also treat heart pain, boils and sores, heat toxin, red and white dysentery, and infantile fright epilepsy. Jingtian is used as a guide.
Note: The bitterness of the pagodatree pod can drain heart fire; its sour and cold nature can subdue liver evil. The classic says: Sour and bitter with emetic and purgative effects pertain to yin, its function is mainly descending, thus it also enters the large intestine to regulate lower energizer syndromes and induce difficult labor. Worms are born from dampness, and wind is born from heat. Once damp-heat is removed, there is no need to worry. The flowers, branches, bark, and resin have similar but slightly different effects, and are especially important for treating hemorrhoids.
Jingyue Quanshu : Sophora Flower tastes bitter and is cold in nature. It clears fire from the heart, lungs, spleen, liver, and large intestine, and removes internal heat and vexation. It treats heat pain in the heart and abdomen, and eye pain with heat tearing. Stir-fried until fragrant and chewed, it treats aphonia and pharyngitis, stops hematemesis, nosebleeds, bloody defecation, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis in women, and skin wind-heat. It cools the large intestine, kills parasitic worms, treats Yongju sores and toxins, damp itching of the pudendal area, hemorrhoids and fistula disease, and resolves chinese wax myrtle bark sores and chancre toxins, with great efficacy.
Bencao Beiyao : The pagodatree pod, also known as Japanese Pagodatree Pod, drains wind-heat and cools the large intestine.
It is bitter, cold, and pure yin, entering the liver meridian qi aspect. It disperses wind-heat, moistens liver dryness, and cools the large intestine. It treats restless wind dizziness, hemorrhoidal bleeding, bloody defecation, external hemorrhoids (blood before stool), internal hemorrhoids (blood after stool), protruding flesh in the anus called raised hemorrhoids, holes in the head called hemorrhoidal fistulas, and worms in sores called worm hemorrhoids. The general method uses Japanese Pagodatree Pod, Sanguisorba, Unprocessed Rehmannia Root to cool blood; Scutellaria, Coptis, Gardenia, and Phellodendron to clear heat; Saposhnikovia Root and Gentian to dispel wind-dampness; Chuanxiong, Angelica, and Ginseng to harmonize and generate blood; Submature Bitter Orange to widen the intestines; and Cimicifuga Rhizome to lift. The treatment for bloody defecation is similar. It is not suitable to use only cold and cool herbs; tonic formulas should also be used to achieve results. It treats damp itching of the pudendal area, improves vision and stops tears (tears are due to liver heat), strengthens teeth, and blackens beard.
Sophora Flower is bitter and cool, entering the liver and large intestine blood aspect to cool blood. When blood is cooled, yin is naturally sufficient. It treats wind-heat eye redness, red and white diarrhea, five types of hemorrhoids with bloody defecation, vomiting, and various types of bleeding. For unexplained bleeding on the tongue like a thread, called blood epistaxis, stir-fry and grind it to apply. Aged ones are better.
Benjing Fengyuan: The pagoda tree is the essence of the virtual star, benefiting the kidney and clearing fire, similar to Phelloendron Bark but with different treatments. While Phelloendron Bark specifically nourishes the dryness of the kidney meridian's blood, this one specifically nourishes the dryness of the kidney's fluids. Observing the Benjing indications, it treats conditions of heat in the spleen and stomach with insufficient yin fluids. It stops saliva and sputum, as the kidney governs the functions of hiding and storing. For lower energizer hemorrhoids, bloody defecation, wind-heat hematochezia, and prolonged bleeding, use this single ingredient to make a paste, refine with honey, and take it. For women with breast lumps and uterus pain, which are conditions of blood heat in the liver, it is used to clear heat and nourish dryness, thereby calming various symptoms. The above refers to the Japanese Pagodatree Pod. The seeds in its pods are specifically for improving vision, and long-term use prevents graying of hair and beard, demonstrating its kidney-nourishing effects. However, those with stomach deficiency and reduced appetite, as well as pregnant women, should not take it. Burning pagoda tree branches to ash and applying it to jealous sores has the effect of clearing fire and moistening dryness, as mentioned in the Qianjin Fang.
Sophora Flower is bitter and cool, a medicine for the Yangming and Jueyin blood aspects. Therefore, it is used for both major and minor hematochezia, as well as for red, swollen, and painful eyes. The eyes can see when they receive blood, and redness and swelling are diseases caused by blood heat. For intestinal and hemorrhoidal bleeding, it is slightly stir-fried with cypress leaves and taken as a powder with Smoked Plum decoction. For bloody defecation and perianal abscess, it is washed clean, stir-fried until fragrant, and taken as a powder with bloody defecation Schizonepeta decoction. For perianal abscess, it is dipped in pig intestines and taken daily. However, it is purely yin in nature and should not be used for deficiency cold without real fire.
Bencao Chongyuan: Sophora grows in the central plains and flat wetlands. Its flowers are yellow, and its seeds are black. It has a bitter and cold nature. The wood can be green, yellow, white, or black. When old, it produces fire and cinnabar, embodying the essence of the Five Evolutive Phases. Therefore, it is used to treat internal pathogenic heat in the five zang-organs. The five zang-organs are internal, hence the term "five internal." Pathogenic heat arises from pathogenic qi causing heat. When lung qi cannot distribute its water essence, saliva and phlegm surge upward, and Sophora pod can stop this. When liver blood cannot permeate the collaterals, the Jingmai is damaged, and Sophora pod can replenish it. When heart fire is excessive internally, it causes fire sores. When spleen earth is disharmonious, it causes breast lumps. When kidney qi rebels internally, it causes uterine pain. Sophora, embodying the qi of the Five Evolutive Phases, thus treats lung diseases with saliva, liver diseases with damaged collaterals, heart diseases with fire sores, spleen diseases with breast lumps, and kidney diseases with acute pain, addressing the internal pathogenic heat in the five zang-organs.
Bencao Qiuzhen: [Comment] Clears heat, disperses nodules, and clears fire.
Japanese Pagodatree Pod specifically enters the stomach and large intestine, and also the liver. It is also known as Sophora pod. It tastes bitter, sour, and salty, and is cold in nature and non-toxic. It enters the hand and foot Yangming large intestine and stomach, as well as the foot Jueyin liver. For conditions caused by liver channel heat stagnation leading to wind dizziness and restlessness, hemorrhoidal bleeding and bloody defecation, as well as pudendal sores and damp itching, and incessant tearing, taking this will be effective. For anal protrusions resembling mouse nipples (molluscum contagiosum), with occasional pus and blood, it is called male hemorrhoids; for anal swelling and pain, with sores protruding and swelling for five to six days before rupturing and discharging pus and blood, it is called female hemorrhoids; for anal sores that itch and then hurt, with fresh blood during bowel movements, it is called qi hemorrhoids; for intestinal nodules with pain and blood, alternating chills and fever, and rectal prolapse during bowel movements, it is called intestinal hemorrhoids; for fresh blood following stool, it is called blood hemorrhoids. Also, blood before stool is called external hemorrhoids; blood after stool is called internal hemorrhoids; anal protrusions are called raised hemorrhoids; anal fistulas are called hemorrhoidal fistulas; and hemorrhoids with worms are called worm hemorrhoids. The general method uses Japanese Pagodatree Pod, Sanguisorba, Unprocessed Rehmannia Root to cool blood, Scutellaria, Coptis, Gardenia, and Phellodendron to clear heat, Saposhnikovia Root and Gentian to dispel wind and dampness, Chinese Angelica and Ginseng to harmonize and generate blood, Submature Bitter Orange to relax the intestines, and Cimicifuga Rhizome to lift. The treatment for bloody defecation is similar, but one should not rely solely on cooling; a tonic formula should be used to achieve results. Because its qi is purely yin, it is an essential medicine for cooling blood, thus it can clear all heat, disperse all nodules, and clear all fire. As for the claim that it can soothe liver channel wind-heat, it does not have a surface nature that allows it to disperse; rather, it is because heat is cleared and wind naturally subsides. Many medicinal texts describe its effects in this way, and one must carefully consider and study this. Remove single-seeded and five-seeded pods, crush with a copper hammer, and steam with cow's milk. Harvest on the tenth day of the tenth month, soak in cow's bile, dry for a hundred days, and swallow one after meals. It improves vision, nourishes the brain, turns white hair black, and is especially suitable for bloody defecation and hemorrhoidal bleeding.
Sophora Flower has a particularly strong bitter taste and is even more effective in cooling the large intestine blood aspect. It is used for both major and minor hematochezia, as well as for red, swollen, and painful eyes and tongue bleeding. For tongue bleeding, stir-fry, grind, and apply.
Depei Bencao: Sophora Flower is bitter and cool, entering the hand Yangming, foot Jueyin channels, and blood aspect. It clears internal pathogenic fire, dispels skin wind-heat, and treats dysentery and kills worms.
Combined with Curcuma Root, it resolves heat accumulation and bloody urine. Combined with Peach Kernel, it treats sores and swelling; combined with Gardenia, it treats alcohol toxicity and bloody stool. Combined with Schizonepeta, it dispels wind-heat and hematochezia.
For pharyngitis, stir-fry and chew; for tongue bleeding, stir-fry, grind, and apply. For decoctions, slightly stir-fry; for inducing labor, take with wine.
Japanese Pagodatree Pod is bitter and cold, entering the foot Jueyin channel qi aspect. For damp-heat of the spleen and stomach producing phlegm, internal worms appearing unpredictably, uterine blood heat causing pain, and liver qi stagnation causing breast lumps, this is essential for dispersion.
Combined with Submature Bitter Orange and Chinese Angelica, it treats bloody defecation. Soaked in cow's bile and dried in the shade, it brightens the eyes.
It is contraindicated for spleen qi deficiency.
Shennong Bencao Jing Bai Zhong Lu: It tastes bitter and is cold in nature. It treats internal pathogenic heat in the five zang-organs, clearing floating fire that does not return to its root. It stops saliva and phlegm, clearing lung channel damp-heat. It replenishes damaged collaterals, as Yangming governs the joints, and this can nourish Yangming. For five types of hemorrhoids, fire sores, and women's breast lumps, all are due to Yangming dryness and metal phlegm. Uterine pain is also a disease of the Yangming Jingmai. Jingmai: diseases.
The Sophora tree bears fruit in autumn, following the command of metal. Its yellow color represents the hue of metal, hence its nature is pure and astringent, making it an essential herb for the hand Taiyin and hand Yangming meridians. When metal is weak, it is insulted by fire. Any excess fire that cannot return to its dwelling will inevitably invade the lungs and large intestine. With the assistance of this pure and astringent energy, fire cannot harm and naturally returns to its dwelling, thus fire recedes without direct treatment. This is a fundamental approach to treatment and a superior method in medicine.
Benjing Shuzheng: Pagodatree pod. When yang is excessive above and does not interact with yin, the fluids are not retained. When yang is excessive below and does not interact with yin, the blood is not stored, and yang transforms into wind. Specifically, above it manifests as wind deficiency, and below as wind-dryness, which are the differences. Wind deficiency and fluid non-retention lead to pathogenic heat in the five viscera and dim vision; wind-dryness and blood non-retention lead to hemorrhoids, fire sores, and severe injuries. To address the root cause, it should be attributed to the liver. It is said that when wood is hot, fluids overflow, and when the liver is hot, blood fistula disease occurs. Why is pagodatree used to treat liver wood heat? In the Rites of Zhou, it is mentioned that fire is changed according to the seasons, and in winter, pagodatree and sandalwood are used, not because they can generate wood. Moreover, it blooms at the peak of yang and bears fruit before yang declines, with a bitter taste and cold nature. Can it not be said to embody the transformation of extreme yang and possess the pure yin nature? Blood originates from water and is formed by fire, which is similar to this, hence it is undoubtedly a liver-cooling and blood-cooling agent. However, there is a distinction between its flowers and fruits. The flowers mark the end of dispersion, while the fruits signify the beginning of expelling pathogens from the exterior. Therefore, for internal conditions such as breast lumps and acute pain in the uterus, the fruits are particularly effective; for external conditions like skin wind, bloody defecation, and dysentery, the flowers are uniquely effective. Both cool blood, but their uses differ between internal and external conditions, which is their distinction.
Bencao Xinbian: Pagodatree pod, bitter, pungent, and salty in taste, cold in nature, non-toxic. Enters the large intestine.
Stops saliva and spittle, repairs severe injuries, cools the fire of the large intestine, dissolves breast lumps, relieves male pudendal sores and itching, alleviates female vaginal pain and itching, treats fire sores, and can induce early abortion. Taking seven grains with wine is particularly effective for inducing labor. Generally, the branches, leaves, flowers, and roots of the pagodatree are used together for treatment, but the fruits are especially effective. However, it should only be used temporarily as an adjuvant and not for long-term use, as prolonged use can excessively cool the large intestine, leading to increased diarrhea.
Some ask about the efficacy of pagodatree pod versus pagodatree flower bud. Pagodatree flower bud is the unopened flower, with the same taste and nature as the pod, but the pod is heavier in taste, while the flower bud is lighter and clearer, making it more suitable for decoctions than the pod. However, for use in pills, the flower bud is not as effective as the pod.
Bencao Fenjing: Pagodatree pod, also known as Japanese Pagodatree Pod, is bitter, cold, and purely yin. Clears the liver and gallbladder, cools the large intestine, and expels wind-heat.
bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology
- Sophora Flower has coagulant properties, shortening clotting time and bleeding time.
- Sophora Flower charcoal shortens bleeding time and reduces bleeding volume.
- Sophora Flower improves capillary permeability, and its active component rutin restores the fragility and abnormal permeability of capillaries to normal.
- Sophora Flower has anti-inflammatory effects, inhibiting allergic inflammation of the skin and joints.
- The components rutin and daimyo oak bark in Sophora Flower have antispasmodic and anti-ulcer effects.
- Sophora Flower liquid has a grade I excitatory effect on isolated frog hearts and can block the conduction system. Daimyo oak bark dilates coronary arteries and improves myocardial circulation. Sophora Flower has a short-term hypotensive effect.
- Sophora Flower has preventive and therapeutic effects on experimental arteriosclerosis.
- The component rutin in Sophora Flower has anti-radiation effects.
- Rutin has preventive effects against frostbite.
- Sophora Flower water extract has antifungal effects.
- Sophora Flower has effects such as resolving phlegm, relieving cough, calming asthma, anti-allergy, lowering blood lipids, promoting bile secretion, and diuresis.