Wu Mei - 烏梅 - Fructus Mume - Black Plum

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Fructus Mume
Common English:	Black Plum Mume Fruit Smoked Plum

Category

Herbs that Stabilize and Bind (Astringents)

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sour Astringent	Warm (Neutral)	Liver Large Intestine Lung Spleen	3-30g Tincture: 2-4ml 6-12g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Astringes leakage of Lung Qi, stops leakage of sweat and stops coughs	Chronic Lung Deficiency coughs, dysphagia, regurgitation
Generates fluids and alleviates thirst	Thirst due to Heat from Deficiency Qi and Yin Deficiency Wasting and thirsting disorder due to Deficiency Heat
Expels roundworms and alleviates pain	Roundworm induced vomiting and abdominal pain Occasionally used for abdominal pain and vomiting not associated with parasites
Astringes the Intestines and stops diarrhea	Chronic, incessant diarrhea or dysentery and fecal incontinence and hemafecia (can be used alone charred for these purposes) Rectal prolapse
Stops bleeding	Bleeding (hemafecia and excessive uterine bleeding) with symptoms of Blood Deficiency (Dryness, thirst and a parched mouth) Can be used alone charred and powdered for bleeding from the vagina, anus or urethra
Treat corns and warts topically	Corns and warts

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Sm. Armeniacae Xing Ren Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia Colla Corii Asini E Jiao	Fr. Chebulae He Zi Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi	Per. Papaveris Ying Su Ke
Chronic coughing due to Lung Deficiency.	Chronic coughing and diarrhea.	Chronic non-productive coughing. Floating dispersal of Lung Qi chronic coughing, wheezing and exhaustion.
Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen Rx. Puerariae Ge Gen	Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang Rz. Dioscoreae Shan Yao Fr. Corni Shan Zhu Yu Rz. Alismatis Ze Xie	Per, Zanthoxyli Chuan Jiao Hb. Asari Xi Xin Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang
Thirst and irritability due to injured fluids, as in Heat disorders or wasting and thirsting disorder.	Diabetes.	Roundworms causing abdominal pain, irritability and vomiting after eating.
Sm. Arecae Bing Lang	Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Sm. Myristicae Rou Dou Kou	Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin
Abdominal pain due to roundworms in either the intestines or the bile duct.	Chronic, incessant diarrhea due to Deficiency Cold from Middle Jiao Deficiency or Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency.	Damp-Heat dysenteric disorders. Thirst, coughing, Dryness and irritability associated with internal Heat patterns - often the result of injured Fluids in chronic dysenteric disorders.
Flos Sophorae Huai Hua Cacumen Platycladi Ce Bai Ye Rz. Nodus Nelumbinis Ou Jie	Fr. Crataegi Shan Zha Cx. Magnoliae Hou Po Fr. Amomi Sha Ren	Fr. Chaenomelis Mu Gua
Bleeding from any of the lower orifices.	Indigestion and focal distention of the epigastrium and abdomen resulting from Food Stagnation.	Vomiting, diarrhea, and muscular spasm associated with Summer Heat disease.
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao Colla Corii Asini E Jiao	Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian	Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi Bul. Lilii Bai He Rx. Asteris Zi Wan Sm. Armeniacae Xing Ren Colla Corii Asini E Jiao Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia
Bloody stools and excessive uterine bleeding, especially with accompanying thirst and symptoms of Blood Deficiency.	Irritable Heat and fullness in the chest due to Yin Deficiency Fire attacking the Heart. Internal Heat with thirst, Dryness, coughing and irritability. Seasonal epidemic dysenteric disorders with inability to eat. Dysentery with burning sensations due to Damp-Heat.	Chronic coughing.
Fr. Chebulae He Zi Per. Papaveris Ying Su Ke Sm. Myristicae Rou Dou Kou	Rx. Astragali Huang Qi Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen Rz. Cimicifugae Sheng Ma Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu	Rx. Quinquefolii Xi Yang Shen Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang Gypsum Fibrosum Shi Gao Rx. Puerariae Ge Gen Or Rz. Dioscoreae Shan Yao
Chronic diarrhea or dysentery.	Rectal prolapse.	Thirst in diabetes, diabetes insipidus and hyperthyroidism.
Hb. Asari Xi Xin Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Fr. Quisqualis Shi Jun Zi Per. Zanthoxyli Chuan Jiao
Roundworms and hookworms.

Notes

1. To treat warts and corns, soften the area in hot water, remove the growth, then apply a plaster held in place with gauze. Replace it every 24 hours.
2. It is reported to heal melanotic nervus and rotten flesh.
3. It is also applied topically for psoriasis.
4. In summer it is taken as a drink with sugar to generate fluids.
5. Widely used in Japan, where it is called umeboshi, it is considered one of the finest health tonics, protecting against many diseases. In the West it is sold as a food in Oriental and health food stores.
6. Applied externally, it opens the Orifices and relieves closure, as in closed-type Wind-Stroke with tightly clenched jaws, by rubbing the fruit's flesh on the gums.
7. Applied topically, it removes dead, noxious flesh, such as the tissue around toxic sores.
8. Pounded and combined with jellyfish, it is applied topically for pyogenic infection of the finger, particularly when the pain is severe.
9. It has anti-cancer properties and suppresses ascites carcinoma.
10. For External Invasion and illnesses connected with insect bites, parch 90g of the herb into a powder and blend with honey to form small pills. Take 20-30 pills before meals with a decoction of Per. Granati Shi Liu Pi .
11. For abdominal distention and pain in those who are out of breath and dying, decoct 27 pieces of the herb in 200ml water and take orally.
12. Decoct it together with 100g of Hb. Scutellariae Barbatae Ban Zhi Lian and take after meals.
13. Dry-fried Mume Chao Wu Mei is more warming and astringing and is used for chronic diarrhea from Spleen Deficiency.
14. Vinegar-fried Mume Cu Chao Wu Me has stronger properties for astringing the Lungs and expelling parasites.
15. Charred Mume Wu Mei Tan has an enhanced ability to astringe Blood and stop bleeding, internally for hemafecia during diarrhea or dysenteric disorders and externally for bleeding sores.
16. Flos Mume Bai Hua Mei is Cold and sour. It eases the mind, regulates the Stomach, resolves phlegm and counteracts toxicity, and is used for depression with fidgeting, epigastric pain from stagnation of the Qi of the Liver and Stomach, globus hystericus, scrofula and ulcers.
17. Wild Mume Yen Mei balances Yin and Yang, Stimulates Qi, Resolves Stagnation and strengthens the immune system.
18. Wu Mei and Fr. Chaenomelis Mu Gua are both sour, astringent and warm. Wu Me enters the Lungs to astringe, the Intestines to bind up, and the sinews and bones to soften, and it drives parasites into hiding. It goes in to remove 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.
19. Wu Mei and Fr. Chebulae He Zi are both sour and astringent; they restrain the Lung Qi to stop chronic cough from Lung Qi Deficiency, and both enter the Large Intestine to treat long term diarrhea and dysenteric disorders. Only Wu Mei generates fluids, strengthens the Stomach and expels roundworms; He Zi does none of these. Conversely, He Zi is the stronger astringent, so it directs Qi downward to benefit the throat and unbind the voice, something Wu Mei cannot do.
20. Wu Mei and Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi both astringe the Lungs, generate fluids and bind up the Intestines. Wu Mei is stronger at generating fluids and relieving thirst. It also harmonizes the Stomach and eliminates roundworms, and it is important in the treatment of irregular uterine bleeding or Hematuria. Wu Wei Zi astringes Lung Qi more powerfully to stop coughs while also strengthening Lung Qi, grasping Kidney Qi, astringing Essence and sweat and calming the Spirit.
21. Wu Mei and Per. Papaveris Ying Su Ke are both astringents. Wu Mei is a strong astringent: it enters the Lungs to stop cough, the Intestines to stop diarrhea, the Qi level to restrain Deficiency Fire, and the Blood to contain Yin and Blood and stop bleeding. Ying Su Ke enters the Lungs and Intestines more strongly to restrain and inhibit. It acts more readily on the upper burner and, most importantly, secures and stabilizes the Kidney Qi and relieves pain strongly.
22. Dui Yao pair with Wu Wei Zi: for sweating, whether spontaneous sweating or night sweats, and for wasting and thirsting disorder (Xiao Ke, diabetes). Used together in Jiu Xian San.