Cottonwood root should refer to leucaena root, folded ear root is a nickname for fritillary. These two in the source, efficacy, main treatment and other aspects are different.
1. Source: leucocephala root is the dried rhizome of leucaena leucocephala, family Gramineae; fritillary is the fresh whole grass or dried aboveground part of Houttuynia cordata, family Sambucaceae.
2. Efficacy: leucocephala root can clear heat from the blood to cool the blood and stop bleeding, and is good at clearing heat from the lungs and stomach, clearing heat and inducing diuresis in order to remove dampness and reduce yellowness, and reducing oedema; fritillaries have the efficacy of clearing away heat and detoxifying toxins, eliminating carbuncle and draining pus, clearing heat and removing dampness, and inducing diuresis and diuresis to relieve dribbling and urination (improving urinary dripping, and urinary volume and incomprehensibility).
3. Indications: Radix Bupleurum Chinense is used to treat coughing up blood, vomiting blood, fever and thirst, gastric fever and vomiting, coughing and wheezing with lung heat, and jaundice with dampness-heat. Fritillary treats wheezing and coughing caused by phlegm-heat congestion of the lungs, heat-poisoned sores and carbuncles (sores and carbuncles appearing on the surface of the skin because of excessive heat and toxins in the body), and feverish gonorrhea (burning and stinging pains evident in urination, accompanied by frequent urination and urgent urination, and discomfort in traction in the lower abdomen), astringent pain, etc. It is also used in the treatment of coldness and Yin sores.
Fishbulb should not be taken by people with deficiency cold syndrome and yin sores (infectious diseases on the surface of the body belonging to the yin syndrome). People with deficiency cold in the spleen and stomach, who have excessive urination without thirst should avoid taking Cynanchum officinale. The adverse effects of the above drugs are not known.
Patients are advised to seek prompt medical consultation if they feel unwell. Chinese medicines should be applied under the diagnosis and treatment of a professional Chinese medicine practitioner, and should not be used on one’s own to avoid risks.