Picrasma Wood
苦木 · Kǔ Mù
Cools hot infections and inflamed skin
What it does
Picrasma wood is bitter cooling, used for hot infections of the gut and respiratory tract. In TCM, it clears heat-toxin and dries dampness, suiting acute dysentery, gastroenteritis, sinus infection, and pneumonia. It's also applied topically to eczema, boils, and burns. The bitter principle quassin gives it antimicrobial effects.
How to take it
Decoct 3–6g of dried picrasma wood chips in water for 25 minutes. Drink 1 cup, 2x daily during acute infections, short-term. Or apply topically as a wash.
See a practitioner for combination tablets used in Chinese hospitals
Safety
- Slightly toxic. Stay within practitioner-prescribed doses
- Skip during pregnancy
- Mild stomach upset and dizziness possible at high doses
- Topical use is generally safer than internal
- Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Picrasma quassioides is a small tree native to East Asia, related to the South American quassia tree (Quassia amara). Both share intensely bitter quassinoid compounds, used historically as dye, insect repellent, and bitter tonic. The Chinese name Kǔ Mù translates straightforwardly to 'bitter wood.' Modern Chinese pharmacy uses it for acute infections, often as part of combination tablets and injections in hospital practice.