Sim flower buds provide remedies for abdominal pain and diarrhea. Sim leaf extract is effective in treating burns. Sim is also known as hồng sim, dương lê, and đào kim nương.
 |
|
Sim plant (Image: ND) |
The Sim plant is a small shrub, growing 1 to 3 meters tall. Its branches are brown, and the leaves are opposite with three prominent veins, thick, and hairy on the underside. The flowers are a pinkish-purple color. The berries are dark purple and edible. This plant grows naturally on hills alongside other vegetation.
According to traditional folk medicine, various parts of the Sim plant are used for medicinal purposes: young buds are harvested in spring, leaves can be collected year-round, and flower buds and fruits are gathered in summer. They are then dried.
Sim flower buds or flower buds (8 – 16g) should be finely chopped and boiled with 200ml of water until it reduces to 50ml. This mixture can be consumed in two doses throughout the day to treat abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dysentery. It can also be ground into a powder for consumption. Sim buds can be boiled to create a liquid that is used to disinfect wounds. A combination of Sim buds (16g) with guava buds (6g), coptis (10g), black alum leaves (10g), forsythia (12g), and cangcao (10g) is boiled and taken for treating bacillary dysentery. This treatment should last for 3 to 5 days.
Mature Sim fruit (10 – 20g) soaked in alcohol serves as a digestive stimulant and helps with body weakness.
Sim roots are occasionally used to treat uterine bleeding, bone pain, and aches in the back and knees.
Notably, Sim leaves have been researched and effectively used as a treatment for burns. One kilogram of Sim leaves is finely chopped and boiled in 20 liters of water multiple times, resulting in a concentrated extract of 250g. This extract can be applied multiple times daily, usually resulting in healing within 10 to 12 days. Using Sim leaf extract does not cause irritation, provides quick pain relief, prevents the spread of ulcers, cleans and dries wounds, has no odor, and promotes rapid healing.
According to foreign literature, in China, Sim leaves are used to treat fevers and poisoning; Sim fruit serves as a tonic, aids digestion, and treats snake bites. In Malaysia, the fruit is used for diarrhea, while decoctions of Sim roots or leaves treat stomach pain, diarrhea, and postpartum issues. In Indonesia, crushed Sim leaves heated are used for wound treatment.
Pharmacist ĐỖ HUY BÍCH
