Xi Gua
| Xi Gua in TCM:Explore the properties of Xi Gua according to Chinese
Nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):
Factoids:
English Name: watermelon fruit
Pharmacuetical Name: Fructus Citrulli
Properties: sweet, cold
Temperature: cold
Channels: ST, HT, UB
Flavors: sweet
Special Properties:
resolves dryness, resolves summer heat
Alternative Forms:
- Xi Gua Pi (watermelon rind) - Promotes urination,
clears summer heat, relieves thirst: Xi Gua Pi is commonly used to treat
dysuria with summer heat that is damaging body fluids.
- Xi Gua Cui Pi (outermost green skin
of watermelon rind) - stronger to clear ST heat and summer dampness.
- Xi Gua Shuang (watermelon frost)
- clears heat, relieves toxicity, sore throat, toothache, thirst; topical
use for sores in mouth, gums; 1-2gm. Xi Gua Shuang is prepared by cutting
8-9 lb watermelon at the stem end, removing some flesh, adding 500 gm
of mang xiao, re-capping it, and placing
in a ventilated, cool, dark place for 10 days: a crystalling "frost"
develops on the skin: available in powder and pill.
Actions / Indications:
- Clears summer heat; generates fluids (relieves thirst,
for summer heat patterns; especially with dark scanty urine and dry
heaves)
- Promotes urination; resolves jaundice (edema with
thirst, icteric hepatitis with jaundice; excess pathological fluids
with deficiency of beneficial fluids)
- (cc: excessive damp-cold or middle jiao deficient cold)
Special Notes:
- Xi Gua is commonly known as "natural Bai
Hu Tang" decoction because it clears heat from the yangming.
- Xi Gua Pi more strongly promotes urination while Xi Gua more effectively
clears summer heat and dampness.
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