Knowledge Base/Herbs/Chinese Honeylocust Fruit
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温化寒痰药（有小毒） · Warm phlegm-transforming; classically listed as slightly toxic

Chinese Honeylocust Fruit zào jiá · 皂荚

Gleditsia sinensis

Nature and flavour. Pungent, salty; warm; listed as slightly toxic in the classical materia medica; Lung and Large Intestine systems.

Described classically for stubborn phlegm that will not clear, for sudden loss of consciousness with phlegm, and for sores. The powdered fruit is a strong irritant and is the reason the drug is handled with care rather than treated as a mild herb.

性味归经。辛、咸，温；传统本草列为有小毒；归肺、大肠经。

传统记载用于顽痰不化、痰壅神昏以及疮疡。其粉末刺激性很强，正因如此须谨慎对待，不能当成平和之品。

Classical category · no formulas, no dosages, no herb-drug combinations are given.
Safety. The saponins in the fruit are strong mucosal irritants: the powder provokes violent sneezing and can cause vomiting, and it must not be inhaled. The thorn of the same tree, 皂角刺, is a different drug with a different traditional use and is not interchangeable. Classically contraindicated in pregnancy and in people with bleeding or weak digestion. Not a self-care item.

果实所含皂苷对黏膜刺激性强：粉末可引发剧烈喷嚏与呕吐，且不可吸入。同树的棘刺为「皂角刺」，是另一味药，传统用途不同，不可互相替代。传统列为孕妇及有出血或脾胃虚弱者禁用。不属于可自行使用的药材。

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