"June 1st" Talk about "June 1st"

This is the 4398th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

The "Children's Day" that children have been looking forward to is coming, and the hot summer air is about to hit. The weather in summer is changeable, with scorching sun for a while and heavy rain in the blink of an eye. In such a season, heat and humidity often intertwine with each other, and together they invade the human body, causing various discomforts. And it happens that Chinese medicine has a prescription with the same name as "Children's Day" - "Liuyi Powder", which can prevent and treat the many discomforts caused by the invasion of heat and humidity into the human body. Therefore, in the hot summer, Liuyi Powder is a prescription often prescribed by many Chinese medicine practitioners.

The Origin of Liuyisan

It is said that Liuyi Powder was created by Liu Wansu (also known as Liu Hejian), one of the four famous doctors of traditional Chinese medicine in the Jin and Yuan dynasties. The whole prescription is very simple, with only two herbs, talcum powder and raw licorice, in a ratio of 6 parts talcum powder to 1 part raw licorice. The preparation method is also very simple, just grind the two herbs into powder and mix them evenly. Therefore, the "Liuyi" in Liuyi Powder has nothing to do with the date, but refers to the ratio of the medicines in this prescription, and Powder refers to the dosage form of the medicine.

The efficacy and clinical application of Liuyisan

Although the Liuyi powder formula is simple, its effect is not small. The main drug in the formula is talcum powder, which is a common silicate mineral. It is very soft and slippery, so it is called talcum powder. Chinese medicine believes that talcum powder is sweet and cold in nature. It can remove dampness, clear heat, and open the orifices. Therefore, it has the effects of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, diuresis and stranguria, and can make damp heat evil go out through urination. In the treatment of summer dampness, Chinese medicine emphasizes "clearing the heart and promoting urination is the best", so talcum powder is a commonly used summer summer heat-clearing medicine in clinical Chinese medicine; and raw licorice, which only accounts for "one", can help talcum powder clear heat while also replenishing qi and harmonizing the middle, preventing talcum powder from cold and hurting the stomach, so as to remove the summer dampness evil without hurting the body's positive energy. Licorice is known as the "national elder" in traditional Chinese medicine and is a peacemaker. The combination of talcum powder and licorice is like pairing a vigorous and resolute person with a mature and steady peacemaker as a partner, so that he will be calmer and work more steadily.

Liuyi powder, which is composed of talcum powder and raw licorice, is simple in medicine but effective in treating summer heat and dampness. It is good at treating summer heat symptoms such as fever, thirst, yellow urine and less urine caused by summer heat and dampness, especially heatstroke. It can be said that this prescription is a commonly used summer heat-removing prescription in traditional Chinese medicine. Because of its good taste, it is different from the bitter taste of other Chinese medicine decoctions. It even has a hint of sweetness due to the addition of raw licorice, so it is also a small summer heat-removing drink that the ancients often have on hand. In addition to being able to remove heat, it is also a commonly used prescription for clinical treatment of damp-heat type urinary tract infections because it can also promote diuresis and relieve stranguria. Liuyi powder can also absorb moisture and heal sores when used externally, and can treat skin diseases such as prickly heat, eczema, and tinea pedis.

The method of using Liuyi Powder is also very simple, 6-9g each time, 1-2 times a day, take with warm water. If you want to make a summer heatstroke prevention drink, it is recommended to put Liuyi Powder into a gauze bag and fry it to get the clear liquid for use. Apply it externally to the affected area. Of course, it is recommended that you use this recipe under the guidance of a Chinese medicine practitioner.

Does talc cause cancer?

A few years ago, a certain brand of talcum powder caused cancer, which made many people "scared to death when talking about talc", because the main ingredient in talcum powder is talc. In fact, it is not talc that causes cancer, but asbestos mixed in talc. Asbestos has a clear carcinogenic effect, and the World Health Organization has listed it as a Class I carcinogen. However, there is currently no epidemiological evidence that talc can cause cancer. The "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" has strict testing requirements for the detection of asbestos content in talc, requiring that asbestos must not be detected, that is, asbestos must not be mixed in. Therefore, talc and Liuyi powder sold through formal channels are safe.

Author: Lv Shuxiang, Class of 2019, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University

Supervisor: Zhang Huiqing, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University

Project funding: The first round of Shanghai Health Science Talent Capacity Improvement Project (JKKPYC-2022-10)