In folk medicine, Jianglongcao is used specifically to treat snake bites, and it grows right in the mountain areas where snakes are found.

In the mountainous areas of southern China, especially in the mountain regions of Guizhou, Sichuan and Hubei, the climate is relatively hot and humid, and once summer arrives there are particularly many mosquitoes, insects, snakes and ants. Farmers in the mountains cannot do without the mountains, and people often go up the mountain to cut dead branches, gather firewood and look for wild delicacies. Before going into the mountains in summer, farmer friends all wear long sleeves and long trousers; one reason is that it is relatively cool in the mountains, and the other is that it can protect against mosquitoes, insects, snakes and ants. But there are always times when something is overlooked, and a careless moment makes it easy to be bitten by a snake. Experienced farmers will look for a medicinal herb in places where snakes appear and apply it to the wound.

Generally speaking, the most common snake in the mountains is the "steelyard snake," because it has black lines one after another on its body, just like the markings on the steelyard people used in the old days, so in folk language it is called the steelyard snake. The steelyard snake itself is non-venomous, but wild snakes carry especially many parasites and bacteria in their mouths, and added to that the snake's teeth are sharp, so if you are bitten you need to treat it. The steelyard snake likes to eat bird eggs, and most places where it appears have bird nests. If you are accidentally bitten by it, you can look nearby for a plant called "steelyard snake medicine."

Steelyard snake medicine is called "Jianglongcao" in folk language. Its leaves are oval, and its flowers are small, white and cylindrical. The whole plant can be used as medicine. Its main effect is to clear heat and detoxify, and in folk medicine it is used specifically to treat steelyard snake bites; it has a very good effect on external swelling and toxic wounds. The method of use is to pound Jianglongcao into a paste and apply it to the affected area, and it can also be collected, dried in the sun and stored. However, Jianglongcao mainly deals with the non-venomous steelyard snake. If you are bitten by other venomous snakes, it is advised not to use medicine on your own and to go to the hospital as soon as possible.

Reader friends, do you know Jianglongcao? Have any farmer friends in the mountains seen Jianglongcao?