Ou Jie
English Name: lotus node, lotus rhizome node
Pharmaceutical Name: Nodus Nelumbinis Rhizomatis
Medica Category: Stop-Bleeding Herbs
Properties: Ou Jie enters the Lung, Stomach, and Liver channels; it is sweet and astringent in nature and neutral in temperature.
What is Ou Jie?:
The Chinese Herb Ou Jie is the node or joint of the rhizome of the lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.), the aquatic plant also known as sacred lotus and/or water lily.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Therapeutic Actions of Ou Jie:
Ou Jie restrains leakage, stops bleeding, and disperses blood stagnation. It is commonly used in cases of hemoptysis (coughing up blood) and hematemesis (vomiting up blood) in which the bleeding is caused by blood stasis (as it both moves blood and breaks stagnation). The fresh juice is better at addressing bleeding caused by heat, and the charred (i.e. processed) form stops bleeding from deficiency and cold.