Mu Gua - 木瓜 - Fructus Chaenomelis - Papaya

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Fructus Chaenomelis
Common English:	Chaenomeles Fruit Chinese Quince Fruit Papaya

Category

Herbs that Dispel Wind-Dampness

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sour	Warm (Slightly Warm) (Neutral)	Liver Spleen	2-12g Tincture: 1-4ml 6-12g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Relaxes the sinews (increases Qi and Blood circulation) and unblocks the channels	Damp painful obstruction in the extremities, especially with severe cramping pain and weakness in the low back and legs
Harmonizes the Stomach, nourishes the Liver and transforms Dampness	Abdominal pain, spasms, calf cramps and edema due to “leg Qi”. It is especially good for disharmony between the Liver and Spleen leading to leg problems
Reduces Food Stagnation	Food Stagnation

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao	Os Tigris Hu Gu Rx. Angelicae Pubescentis Du Huo	Olibanum Ru Xiang Myrrh Mo Yao Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang
Blood Deficiency causing muscle spasms.	Lower extremity joint pain, weakness and atrophy.	Tight sinews and a stiff neck that cannot be turned.
Fr. Evodiae Wu Zhu Yu Sm. Arecae Bing Lang	Fr. Evodiae Wu Zhu Yu Fr. Foeniculi Xiao Hui Xiang (Rz. Zingiberis Recens) (Sheng Jiang)	Hb. Agastaches/Pogostemonis Huo Xiang Fr. Amomi Sha Ren
Damp-Cold abdominal pain and diarrhea.	Simultaneous vomiting and diarrhea as in sudden turmoil disorder leading to cramping and spasms of the legs.	Sudden turmoil disorder due to Summer Heat with spasms of the calf muscles.
Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren	Fr. Evodiae Wu Zhu Yu	Rx. Angelicae Pubescentis Du Huo
Summerheat-Dampness with vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, painful, heavy legs, softened sinews, leg Qi, and Damp painful obstruction.	Disperses Cold, transforms Dampness, invigorates the channels and alleviates pain to treat the pain of "leg Qi" due to Cold-Dampness in the Lower Jiao preventing the smooth flow of Qi and Blood. "Leg Qi" entering the abdomen leading to intolerable stifling encumbrance with abdominal distention and fullness.	Weakness and atrophy of the muscles of the lower extremities.
Fr. Evodiae Wu Zhu Yu Fol. Perillae Zi Su Ye Sm. Arecae Bing Lang
Leg Qi with swelling and pain in the lower extremities.

Notes

1. It ranks among the most important herbs for tight sinews.
2. Bi pain in either the upper or lower body can be treated with it.
3. According to some sources, it extinguishes Liver Fire and treats Summerheat and Cold in the Liver channel.
4. For flatulence and costal pain from Liver Attacking the Spleen and Stomach due to Kidney Yang Deficiency, peel and core 30 Mu Gua and stuff them with 500g of powdered Flos Chrysanthemi Ju Hua and salt. Steam and pound them into a plaster, combine with 1000g of Fol. Artemisiae Argyi Ai Ye and form small pills. Take thirty pills twice a day.
5. It is reported to strengthen the muscles and bones, descend Wind-Cold, ease nausea, cure Heart and Diaphragm Syndrome and aid digestion.
6. It is also said to regulate the Ying and Wei and to support the essence derived from food.
7. It inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
8. It has proven effective against lymphocytic leukemia, nasopharyngeal cancer and ascites carcinoma.
9. Mu Gua and Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao both treat sinew disorders and are often combined for cramping of the muscles and sinews. Mu Gua concentrates on transforming Dampness to relax the sinews where Dampness predominates, as in sudden turmoil disorder or Damp Bi with restricted joint movement. It also harmonizes the Spleen to treat vomiting, diarrhea and "leg Qi" with edema. Bai Shao nourishes the Blood, astringes the Yin and softens the Liver to relax the sinews, and it is used for spasms, cramping and pain when the muscles and sinews are malnourished from Yin and Blood Deficiency. It also treats Blood Deficiency, Yin Deficiency with Floating Yang, and gynecological disorders.
10. Mu Gua and Faeces Bombycis Can Sha both harmonize the Middle, eliminate Dampness and treat cramps after vomiting and diarrhea. Mu Gua is superior for harmonizing the Middle, removing Dampness, calming the Liver and relaxing the sinews, and it can also treat Blood Deficiency with Liver Excess causing cramps and pain from malnourished tendons. Can Sha is effective at expelling Wind to treat Wind-Dampness, and it also helps with itching.
11. Mu Gua and Fr. Mume Wu Mei are both sour, astringent and warm. Wu Mei enters the Lungs to astringe and the Intestines to bind; it enters the sinews and bones to soften them and drives parasites into hiding. It enters and eliminates dead muscle, noxious flesh and toxic moles, and draws out spines lodged in the flesh. Mu Gua dredges and drains Damp-Heat from the Spleen, Stomach, sinews and bones and astringes the depleted primal Qi of the Spleen and Lungs.
12. Dry-fried Chaenomelis Fruit Chao Mu Gua transforms Dampness and harmonizes the Stomach more effectively, treating Food Stagnation that injures the Spleen and Stomach or Dampness in the Middle Jiao.