Pinyin: Jiezi
Aliases
Jiecaizi, Qingcaizi, Huangjiezi.
Source
1. For pneumonia: Renshen 6 g, decoct in water and take orally.Sinapis albaL's dried mature seeds.
Botanical Description
A robust annual or biennial herb, 40-120 cm tall. Stem erect, longitudinally ribbed, branched above, covered with white stiff hairs. Leaves alternate, thin, petiolate; basal leaves lyrate-pinnatifid or nearly entire, broadly elliptical or ovate, 6-15 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, with a large terminal lobe and 1-3 pairs of lateral lobes, margin sparsely toothed; cauline leaves smaller, short-petiolate, with fewer lobes upward. Racemes terminal or axillary; sepals 4, green, erect, lanceolate or oblong, base clawed; stamens 6, 4 long and 2 short, long stamens 8.5-9.5 mm, short stamens 6-6.5 mm; pistil 1, ovary long-cylindrical, 9-10 mm, densely covered with white long bristles. Fruit cylindrical, 2-2.5 cm long, densely covered with white stiff bristles, fruit valves constricted between seeds into a bead-like shape, apex with a flat, sword-shaped beak. Seeds subglobose, pale yellow. Flowering April to June, fruiting May to July.
Habitat and Distribution
White mustard is native to China and is a common vegetable cultivated throughout the country.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest the plant when the fruit ripens in late summer and early autumn, dry it in the sun, beat out the seeds, and remove impurities.
Medicinal Properties
Seeds nearly spherical, diameter 1-2 mm. Surface yellow to yellowish-brown, a few dark reddish-brown, with fine reticulate markings, hilum punctate. Seed coat thin and brittle, cotyledons folded, oily. Odor faint, but when crushed and moistened with water, produces a pungent and strong characteristic odor; taste extremely acrid and pungent.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains components such as sinigrin, glucobrassicanapin, glucobrassicin, erucic acid, sinapine, sinigrin, erucic acid, and neoglucobrassicin.
Pharmacology
Treats neuralgia, rheumatic pain, pleurisy, and sprains. Toxicity: ingestion of large amounts may cause vomiting.
Properties and Channel Entry
Acrid, warm. Enters the Lung channel.
Functions and Indications
Warms the Lungs, resolves Phlegm, and promotes Qi circulation; dissipates masses, unblocks the collaterals, and alleviates pain. Used for Cold-Phlegm cough, distension and pain in the chest and hypochondrium, Phlegm obstructing the collaterals, joint numbness and pain, Phlegm-Dampness spreading, and deep-rooted abscesses with swelling and toxicity.
Dosage and Administration
Oral: decoct in water, 3-9 g; or made into pills or powder. External use: appropriate amount, ground into powder and applied with a medium.
Precautions and Contraindications
It is contraindicated in cases of lung deficiency causing cough and Yin deficiency with blazing Fire. Excessive internal use may induce vomiting. For external application, generally do not exceed 10-15 minutes; prolonged application may cause blistering and suppuration.
Prescriptions
1. For severe throat obstruction and closure: Mustard seed (Jiezi) 60 g, grind into a fine powder, mix with water and honey to form a paste, apply to the outer throat below the larynx. Replace when dry. (From *Sheng Hui Fang*) 2. For deafness: Crush mustard seed (Jiezi), mix with human milk, wrap in cotton and insert into the ear. (From *Qian Jin Yao Fang*) 3. For body numbness: Mustard seed (Jiezi) powder, mix with vinegar and apply topically. (From *Gangmu*, citing *Ji Sheng Mi Lan*) 4. For swelling and scrofula: Grind mustard seed (Jiezi) into powder, mix with vinegar to form a cake, and apply as a plaster. Observe frequently; stop once swelling subsides to avoid damaging the flesh. (From *Bu Que Zhou Hou Fang*) 5. For carbuncles and abscesses in adults and children: Mustard seed (Jiezi) powder, mix with hot water, spread on paper, and apply topically. (From *Qian Jin Yao Fang*)
