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Cura x Cura

E Bu Shi Cao鹅不食草

Centipedae Herba · Centipeda Herb

Herbs that Release the Exterior 解表药《食性本草》

Overview

A small creeping weed whose sharp, pungent smell keeps grazing geese away — which is what its Chinese name records. Acrid and warm, entering the Lung and Liver, it is used above all to force a blocked nose open: for chronic rhinitis and sinusitis it is often given not as a decoction but as a fine powder sniffed into the nostril.

Nature & Flavor

Acrid · Warm

Channels

Lung · Liver

Typical Dosage

6–10 g in decoction
鹅不食草Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Opens the nasal passagesBlocked nose, thick discharge, frontal pressure and a lost sense of smell in chronic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis — its defining use.
  • Disperses wind-coldEarly wind-cold with headache, sneezing and a stuffed nose.
  • Stops cough, resolves phlegmCough and wheezing with copious thin white sputum from cold-phlegm.

In Formulas

Formulas containing E Bu Shi Cao

No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Chronic or allergic rhinitis with blockage and lost smell
    - Sinusitis with thick discharge and frontal headache
    - Early wind-cold with sneezing and stuffed nose
    - Cough with thin white sputum

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Allergic rhinitisSinusitisNasal congestionAnosmiaCough

Contraindications

Cautions

Strongly acrid and irritating. Taken internally it can cause nausea and stomach upset, so keep the dose modest and avoid it in gastritis or peptic ulcer. Applied to the nose it deliberately provokes sneezing, watering and stinging — tell the patient in advance, and stop if the mucosa becomes raw or bleeds.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Not established as safe in pregnancy — avoid unless the treating practitioner specifically directs it.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中药大辞典》(Encyclopedia of Chinese Materia Medica).

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.