Among traditional Chinese medicines, there is such a kind of traditional Chinese medicine that has a very fragrant taste. Our Chinese medicine practitioners believe that "the fragrance removes impurities." Therefore, most of these traditional Chinese medicines have the function of promoting qi and removing stale aroma. Among these medicines, there are two very special ones. Prominent, they are Huoxiang and Peilan.
Everyone is familiar with the name Huoxiang. For example, the famous Huoxiang Zhengqi Pills are named after Huoxiang. Huoxiang contains a lot of volatile components. Our Chinese medicine practitioners usually dry fresh Huoxiang and use it as medicine. Yes, but in the past, there was also a medicine named "Fresh Patchouli". Before the Republic of China, some more sophisticated traditional Chinese medicine doctors would write "Fresh Patchouli" when prescribing. Because fresh Patchouli has a strong power to dispel heat, it will be used in summer. Often used, many pharmacies could provide such prescriptions with "fresh patchouli flavor" in the past, because at that time pharmacies focused on service, but that is no longer the case. Although preservation technology is improving, service awareness has regressed. In fact, everyone knows that these medicinal materials containing volatile substances are more effective than fresh medicine.
The medicine Huoxiang is pungent in taste and slightly warm in nature. Return lung; Spleen; Stomach warp. The main function is to dispel heat and relieve external symptoms; to resolve dampness and relieve stomach inflammation. Used for summer colds; cold and heat headaches; chest and epigastrium tightness; vomiting and diarrhea; vomiting of pregnancy; rhinophyma; hands; tinea pedis, etc.
Strictly speaking, the main function of Patchouli itself is to remove moisture. The most effective drugs for removing dampness are Poria cocos, Atractylodes, Coix Seed and other medicines. However, when moisture traps the spleen and stomach, removing dampness alone may not be effective. Not good, especially when the damp and turbid qi is severe and stagnates in the spleen and stomach, leading to stale stasis. The main function of Patchouli is to invigorate the spleen and stomach qi. In this way, the qi of the spleen and stomach is invigorated, and the damp and turbid qi can be easily removed.
Generally, when this kind of dampness and turbidity stagnates the spleen and stomach, we will see that the patient's tongue coating is thick, wet, and very greasy, usually white. If it turns yellow, it means that it has begun to turn into heat, and you may need to add some heat-clearing ingredients. drug.
Regarding this function of Patchouli, "Compendium of Materia Medica" has a good discussion. It says:
"The fragrance of Patchouli is clear and slightly warm. It is good at regulating dampness, turbidity, phlegm and saliva in Zhongzhou. It is an excellent medicine for awakening the spleen and stomach, vibrating and eliminating yang... The aroma can help clear Qi in Zhongzhou, overcome dampness and eliminate filth, so it is an important medicine in summer and dampness."
In traditional Chinese medicine, Perrin is often used together with Patchouli.
Peilan, its nature and flavor are pungent and flat. Return spleen, stomach, lung meridian. The main functions are to relieve summer heat and reduce dampness, and to ward off impurities and neutralize internal heat. It can treat heat-dampness, cold-heat headaches, internal dampness, abdominal pain and lack of hunger, nausea and vomiting, sweetness in the mouth, and quenching thirst.
Regarding the efficacy of Peilan, "Compendium of Materia Medica" discusses:
"Orchid grass and adenophora have fragrant and warm smell, pungent and powdery taste, they are the yang in the yin, and they are also medicines for Taiyin and Jueyin meridians. The spleen likes aromatic fragrance, and the liver is suitable for spicy powder. The spleen is relaxed, and the three burners are unblocked and the righteousness is harmonious; If liver stagnation is dispersed, the Yingwei will prevail and the disease pathogens will be resolved. Orchidaceae travels through the airway, so it can dilute the waterway, remove phlegm, kill poison and ward off evil, and is a good medicine for quenching thirst."
The orchid here is Peilan. In the past, the "orchid" mentioned in many places in medical books was actually Peilan.
Patchouli and Peilan are often used together. To break it down, Patchouli has the effect of relieving external symptoms, while Peilan has a stronger effect of promoting Qi. Used together, the two are very effective in removing moisture from the middle burner and invigorating the spleen and stomach.
Sometimes, heavy humidity can cause people to get sick, such as summer cold and high fever. At this time, cooling medicine alone will not work. This kind of situation is the specialty of febrile disease experts, Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine The late professor Zhao Shaoqin, a late febrile disease specialist at the university, was particularly good at this kind of situation. When Zhao was alive, people often asked him for consultation. They all had high fevers and Western medicine antibiotics were ineffective. Mr. Zhao went there and saw that the tongue coating was thick and greasy, so he immediately judged that it was due to heavy moisture. Mr. Zhao would pay special attention to whether the moisture was in the upper burner, middle burner or lower burner. If it was mainly in the middle burner, he would ask Western medicine Stop the antibiotics, because the antibiotics are cold, and the cold may make the dampness worse, and in the prescriptions he prescribed, Huoxiang and Peilan are often used, and the doses are very small. It is effective and the fever subsides quickly.
When I am treating people with heavy humidity, I often use Huoxiang and Peilan. I use these two medicines together with Sanren Decoction. I use very small amounts of these two medicines. Three grams or six grams, and then add it when it is marked that the medicine is about to be boiled. This is the method of using aromatic medicines. Put it in the first five minutes of the fire so that the active ingredients can be better retained. At this time, I will combine Huoxiang and Peilan with other dehumidifying drugs. The effect is very good and can often achieve immediate results.
For example, I once encountered a patient with tinnitus, but no treatment was effective. Western medicine was ineffective, and Chinese medicine was also ineffective. Why? When I heard the narration, it turns out that everyone thinks that tinnitus is caused by kidney deficiency, and they are all given to nourish the kidney. In fact, there are many ideas in the treatment of diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. Tinnitus can be caused by kidney deficiency, liver and gallbladder fire, and liver and gallbladder damp heat. It is caused by excessive moisture in the spleen and stomach in the middle burner.
The "Huangdi Neijing" discussed that the cause of tinnitus is the spleen and stomach: "Headache and tinnitus, the nine orifices are unfavorable, and the stomach is also born." Later Ye Tianshi also said this, "The nine orifices are unfavorable, all due to the spleen and stomach", so, This is a very good way of thinking. If we forget now, we will lose a very good treatment method. This is not because the ancients were not smart, but because our descendants are unworthy and did not inherit the things from our ancestors. I bounced between hospitals and didn't recover for a long time.
For such tinnitus patients, if I see a thick and greasy tongue coating, I will treat it from the spleen and stomach, starting from dampness removal, and often use Huoxiang and Peilan, and then cooperate with other dampness removal methods. As a result, the effect is often very good, and the patient The tinnitus was significantly reduced soon after the reaction, and some patients were cured.
It can be seen that moisture must be paid attention to. Among the drugs for removing dampness, Huoxiang and Peilan are a pair of very good drugs.
Of course, when these two medicines are used alone, they have their own specialties. I will tell you about them when I have time in the future.
