Stop hating catkins, they are actually Chinese medicine

The wind is gentle and the willow branches are swaying. The willow tree is a symbol of spring. In addition to giving people the message of spring and the enjoyment of beauty, it can also purify the air and maintain human health. Research has found that under shady willow trees with moderate plant spacing on both sides of the street, the dust content in the air is about 50% lower than on streets with no vegetation, and can absorb part of the noise, which is of great benefit to human health.

In fact, willow has many medicinal uses. Willow flowers, catkins, willow leaves, willow branches, willow roots, willow bark, and willow cuttings can all be used as medicine. Among them, catkins can clear away heat and stop bleeding, remove dampness and reduce swelling.

Catkins, also known as willow seeds and willow seeds, are the hairy seeds of the Salicaceae plant, the weeping willow. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that this product is bitter and cool in nature, enters the liver, spleen, and lung meridians, and has the effect of clearing away heat and stopping bleeding, removing dampness and reducing swelling. It is suitable for vomiting blood, dampness-induced numbness, cramping of the limbs, knee pain, carbuncle and pus that become swollen and painful, and trauma and bleeding. "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" says that it is "mainly used to ulcerate carbuncles and expel pus and blood"; "Diet Bielu" says that it is "mainly responsible for scabies, malignant sores and golden sores. The juice of the seed can cure thirst"; "Treatise on Medical Properties" says that it is "mainly responsible for stopping bleeding and treating dampness-induced numbness in the limbs, tightness of limbs and knee pain".

Catkins used as pillow core have soothing and hypnotic properties. If the catkins are ground into fine pieces and taken 6 grams each time, it can treat jaundice, hemoptysis, vomiting blood, blood in the stool and amenorrhea in women. It can also be used to treat toothache when used externally.