Folk herbs are treasures that can benefit a lifetime, easily gathered, yet capable of solving many significant problems, benefiting both others and oneself.During the Ming Dynasty, there was a medical book called Wan Bing Hui Chun, which recorded: Gang Ban Gui (Gongban Gui), which grows in April and May, and disappears after frost in September. The leaf tips are green, resembling the tip of a plow, and the vine has small thorns. The seeds are round and black like eyes.Gang Ban Gui is also known by several names: Li Tiao Ci Teng (Plow Thorn Vine), Lao Hu Li (Tiger Thorn), Diao Jin Gou (Upside Down Gold Hook), Chuan Xin Cao (Heart String Grass), etc. It is also referred to as “She Dao Tui” (Snake Retreat), as this herb is covered in thorns, and its leaves are triangular, resembling the plow used in ancient farming. Snakes fear this herb and do not dare to cross it, instead retreating around it, fearing that its thorns will injure them. Besides its thorny vine, it has a prominent stipule. This stipule is large and round, enveloping the entire stem, which is quite rare among plants. 
The properties and functions of Gang Ban Gui (Gongban Gui): sour, bitter, and cold. It promotes diuresis and reduces swelling, clears heat, invigorates blood, and detoxifies. It treats edema, jaundice, diarrhea, malaria, dysentery, whooping cough, cloudy urine, erysipelas, scrofula, eczema, and scabies.
Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Gang Ban Gui (Gongban Gui) has anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-liver fibrosis, antioxidant, and anti-herpes simplex virus effects.
One year, my cousin’s husband suddenly developed shingles on his chest and back, in a large area, far from the hospital, making it difficult to seek medical help.One night, the nerve pain was excruciating. At dawn, I gathered Gang Ban Gui (Gongban Gui) by the roadside, and after applying the herb for less than half an hour, the affected area felt cool and comfortable, and within a day, the symptoms of shingles were basically eliminated.I used Gang Ban Gui (Gongban Gui) mainly for external application, decocting it for washing the affected area, and the effect was quite good.
Sometimes it is also used for inflammation after cuts; after stopping the bleeding, the juice from the leaves of Gang Ban Gui (Gongban Gui) is extracted or mashed and applied to the wound, which has excellent anti-inflammatory and infection-preventing effects, and the scar heals easily.In recent years, I have recommended this herb to many patients with skin rashes, and they have all seen improvement within a day or two.Specific methods for treating waist fire toxin with Gang Ban Gui:1. Mash fresh Gang Ban Gui (Gongban Gui) into a paste and apply it directly to the herpes. The next day, the shingles will show significant improvement; for severe cases, repeat several times, and it will heal without leaving scars, with remarkable effects.2. Fresh Gang Ban Gui (Gongban Gui) leaves, mashed and juiced, mixed with an appropriate amount of realgar powder, and applied to the affected area several times a day. (From Jiangxi Folk Herbs)