The Efficacy and Functions of Scutellaria baicalensis

Generally, Scutellaria barbata (Barbed Skullcap) has various medicinal effects and functions, including clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling blood to reduce swelling, drying dampness to stop diarrhea, cooling blood to stop bleeding, and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actions. The specific details are as follows:

　　1. Clearing Heat and Detoxifying: Scutellaria barbata is cold in nature and bitter in taste. It acts on the lung, gallbladder, spleen, large intestine, and small intestine meridians, and has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. It can be used to treat conditions such as wind-heat common cold, sore throat, lung heat-induced cough, phlegm due to lung heat, damp-heat jaundice, high fever with thirst, blood heat causing vomiting of blood or nosebleeds, and fetal heat with restlessness or threatened miscarriage.

　　2. Cooling Blood and Reducing Swelling: Scutellaria barbata has the function of cooling blood and reducing swelling. It can help alleviate skin ulcers, mouth ulcers, and injuries caused by blood heat toxicity. Its blood-cooling effect helps reduce inflammation and swelling and promotes wound healing.

　　3. Drying Dampness and Stopping Diarrhea: Scutellaria barbata can dry dampness and stop diarrhea. It is effective in treating symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting caused by damp-heat in the spleen and stomach. It helps regulate spleen and stomach functions, reduces internal accumulation of dampness, and thereby improves symptoms like diarrhea.

　　4. Cooling Blood and Stopping Bleeding: Scutellaria barbata can stop bleeding caused by erratic blood circulation due to excessive blood heat. It achieves hemostasis by cooling the blood, as it can reduce the heat in the blood, normalize blood circulation, and prevent blood from escaping outside the vessels due to excessive heat.

　　5. Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory: Scutellaria barbata contains multiple natural medicinal components, such as aculeatin, jatrorrhizine, berberine, etc., which have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. It can inhibit the growth of various bacteria and viruses. Therefore, Scutellaria barbata also has certain therapeutic effects in treating diseases like upper respiratory tract infections, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis.

　　When using Scutellaria barbata, the dosage and administration method should be appropriately selected according to individual constitution and condition, following the guidance of a physician. Meanwhile, patients with deficiency-cold in the spleen and stomach or yin deficiency with body fluid damage should avoid taking Scutellaria barbata to prevent aggravating their conditions. If any adverse reactions occur during medication, discontinue use immediately and seek medical attention.