Bitterwood Classic Formulas … Natural Herb Library

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Clears heat and resolves toxin - Ku Mu is used for upper-respiratory infection, pneumonia, dysentery, damp-heat sores, and other conditions in which toxic heat is prominent.
Dries dampness and kills parasites - official and regional use includes eczema, scabies-like itching, and chronic damp skin disorders treated with washes or powders.
Reduces swelling and helps external healing - topical application appears in folk and official practice for burns, insect bites, and even snakebite support.

Ku Mu with Shi Liu Pi or Huang Lian - dysentery-focused pairing logic for damp-heat bowel infection and abdominal pain.
Topical powders or decoction washes with Ku Shen or Huang Bai - external damp-heat strategy for eczema, itchy skin disease, and suppurative lesions.
Regional burn and bite applications - official modern references still preserve these external uses even though the evidence base is limited.

Official Chinese references describe Ku Mu as bitter and cold, entering the Lung and Large Intestine to clear heat, detoxify, dry dampness, and kill parasites.
The listed indications include upper-respiratory infection, pneumonia, acute infectious diarrhea or dysentery, eczema, burns, and snakebite support.
Traditional caution notes that the herb is mildly toxic and should not be treated as an everyday tonic.