Chinese Medicine Half Monthly Talk | Trichosanthes kirilowii

· Interesting stories ·

Luǒ, pronounced the same as "naked" in Chinese, means "naked". The fruit of the "naked fruit" refers to the fruit of the Trichosanthes kirilowii, which reminds people of the poem "Dongshan" in the Book of Songs.

I went on an expedition to Dongshan, and my wish to return home has long been in vain. Now I am returning from Dongshan, the autumn wind is blowing and the rain is misty. The vines of the magnolia tree are full of fruits, and the courtyard walls are covered with vines. The house is full of damp insects, and spiders weave webs on the window frames. Deer tracks are spotted in the drying yard, and phosphorous lights are shining with cold stars. There are fruits, insects, and thoughts in my heart, my hometown.

The above passage is a tentative translation of the first verse of the ancient poem "The Book of Songs·Binfeng·Dongshan". The "fruit of the thorns" in the poem is the Trichosanthes kirilowii. Knowing the ancient name of the plant of the Trichosanthes kirilowii, "fruit of the thorns", it will be easy to recite the ancient poem: "The fruit of the thorns is also spread in the house, the power of the thorns is in the room, and the octopus is at the door."

The ancient poem "Dongshan" from the pre-Qin period, which describes war themes, is sincere and delicate in its lyricism. It is set against the backdrop of Duke Zhou's Eastern Expedition, and from the perspective of an ordinary soldier, it describes the complex and sincere emotions in his heart before returning home after the Eastern Expedition. He imagines the scene at home: the vines of the Trichosanthes kirilowii are full of Trichosanthes kirilowii, and the vines have climbed under the eaves. The damp ground is crawling with damp insects (woodlice), and spider webs are hanging on the door frames and window frames. He has experienced wars and longs for peace.

The "Dongshan" in the title refers to the place where Duke Zhou stationed his troops during his campaign against Yan. Yan was a small state in Shandong Province at the end of the Shang Dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, with its capital in Qufu. Some say that the location of Dongshan is Guimeng Mountain, the second highest peak in Shandong Province and the "second highest peak of Mount Tai", where Duke Zhou's army was stationed. Time has passed in a flash, but the space is still there!

"The fruit is ripe, and the fruit is also spread out in the house." The ancient name in the Book of Songs served as the advertising slogan for the later Trichosanthes. Trichosanthes, once called the heavenly melon or hanging melon, also known as cucumber, because it turns golden yellow when ripe. This shows that our ancestors knew about Trichosanthes about 3,000 years ago. Its vines climb high, and the fruits hang on the vines after they are ripe.

The soldier who was going to the battle thought of the Trichosanthes kirilowii in his hometown, as he needed to comfort himself. And Chinese medicine practitioners have discovered that Trichosanthes kirilowii is a good medicine that can make people feel comfortable. Trichosanthes kirilowii is the ripe fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii, which matures in autumn, and autumn corresponds to the lungs among the five internal organs of the human body. Therefore, Trichosanthes kirilowii mainly enters the lung meridian and is most commonly used in treating chest and lungs. Medical Saint Zhang Zhongjing used it to treat chest pain and chest congestion, and created the Trichosanthes kirilowii Xiebai Baijiu Decoction in the "Golden Chamber" and the Xiaoxianxiong Decoction in the "Treatise on Febrile Diseases".

Photo: Bu Ruilan

Some people compare "The Book of Songs·Binfeng·Dongshan" to the earliest "War and Peace" in Chinese literature. When humans enjoy peace, they should not forget war; when humans enjoy happiness, they need to fight against illness. Medicine is an important support needed by ancient and modern societies. Chinese medicine practitioners use medicine like using soldiers, seeking peace in the fight against diseases. Coming from the "Book of Songs" and the feelings of plants and trees, it is connected to traditional Chinese medicine. Family, country and the world are all related to medicine. Those who care about family, country and the world will not lose the feelings of plants and trees.

Should we call it Gualou or Trichosanthes? Here is a simple explanation to reduce confusion. When reading Chinese medicine classics and herbal medicine, people are often confused about the relationship between "Trichosanthes" and "Gualou". Their relationship is like this: Chinese medicine classics originally used "Trichosanthes" to refer to its rhizome, and its fruit was called "Trichosanthes fruit". Its rhizome was used as medicine and eventually named "Trichosanthes". Nowadays, the term Trichosanthes is used to specifically refer to the fruit of the plant Trichosanthes, and the medicinal name is also called Gualou. Trichosanthes is now its botanical name. In this way, "the fruit of the fruit" should now correspond to "the fruit of Trichosanthes", and then it is equal to "Gualou".

· Source of medicinal materials ·

The dried mature fruit of the plant Trichosanthes or Trichosanthes bilateralis of the Cucurbitaceae family. The specific specifications of the medicinal material are different, including Trichosanthes seeds, Trichosanthes peel and whole Trichosanthes. When Trichosanthes is mentioned alone, the medicinal material refers to the whole Trichosanthes.

· Nature and flavor ·

It tastes sweet, slightly bitter and is cold in nature.

It enters the lung, stomach and large intestine meridians .

Clears away heat and eliminates phlegm, relieves chest tightness and resolves stagnation, moisturizes and lubricates the intestines.

It is suitable for lung heat cough, turbid yellow and thick phlegm, chest pain and heart pain, chest fullness, breast abscess, lung abscess, intestinal abscess, and constipation.

· Usage and Dosage·

For internal use: decoction, 9-15g.

· Diet therapy recommendation ·

Trichosanthes and dandelion tea

Ingredients: 10g of Trichosanthes peel, 10g of dandelion. Method: Put the two ingredients into a cup, brew with an appropriate amount of boiling water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, and drink frequently. Efficacy: It has the effects of promoting qi and resolving phlegm, clearing away heat and eliminating carbuncle. It can be used for mastitis during lactation, early onset of mastitis, breast swelling and pain; or for cough, yellow purulent sputum, and phlegm-heat syndrome. Note: It is not suitable for people with spleen and stomach deficiency and loose stools. Please use under the guidance of a doctor.