Black Morning Glory Seed

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

• Drastically expels retained water - used for edema, ascites, swollen face, and replete fluid accumulation that must be driven downward.
• Purges the bowels and breaks up intestinal accumulation - appropriate for stubborn excess constipation and abdominal fullness rather than for deficiency constipation.
• Drains phlegm-fluid from the chest - applied to wheezing, cough, and dyspnea when retained fluid and downward obstruction are both present.
• Expels intestinal parasites - used when worm accumulation causes abdominal pain, bloating, or bowel obstruction signs.

Secondary Actions

• This Hei Chou record represents the dark seed form of Qian Niu Zi, with the same core medicinal identity as the generic Pharbitidis Semen record.
• Imported white and black sibling records reflect naming and appearance splits more than separate drug actions, so the same harsh purgative safety rules still apply.

Classic Formulas

• Mu Xiang Bing Lang Wan (木香槟榔丸) - Qian Niu Zi contributes strong downward movement in formulas for intestinal accumulation, constipation, and tenesmus.
• Zhou Che Wan (舟车丸) - a classic drastic formula for severe fluid retention, where Qian Niu Zi helps open the bowel route for water expulsion.
• Pairings with Ting Li Zi, Sang Bai Pi, or Bing Lang - traditional strategies when wheezing, edema, parasites, and abdominal accumulation overlap.

Classical References

• Traditional teaching treats Hei Chou as part of the same Semen Pharbitidis medicinal as Bai Chou and Qian Niu Zi, all characterized by strong downward action and slight toxicity.
• The herb belongs to the harsh expellant category and is chosen for robust excess patterns, not for weak chronic cases.
• Longstanding usage emphasizes short-course supervised dosing because the medicinal goal is rapid expulsion rather than gentle regulation.