Stemonae is sweet, bitter in flavour and slightly warm in nature. it is tropistic to the lung channel. its sweetness enables moistening and bitterness can send down abnormally asceding qi. therefore, it is effective in moistening the lung and sending down rebellious qi, relieving cough and asthma. \n\nits slight warmness can fit to acute or chronic cough and asthma, cold or heat, deficiency or excess in compound prescriptions. it can also be applied externally to eliminate worms and insects and relieve itching, as in oxyuriasis and phthiriasis.