Scholars (or scholars, scholars, scholars, etc. ) is a very important group in ancient China society. Whether they study hard or have daily hobbies, reading and writing are important contents of their lives. They work hard but don't work, think more and move less, and so on. They are different from ordinary people in health problems. So, among many ancient prescriptions, is there a prescription that is more suitable for this group to take? The answer is yes. For example, Confucius Pills in Pills, Heavenly King Pills in the Heart and other famous prescriptions handed down from ancient times, as well as uniquely named Reading Pills and Champion Pills, all seem to be specially designed for them.
Many of these prescriptions have the functions of improving intelligence and memory, nourishing the heart and calming the nerves. The "forgetfulness door" or "deficiency-supplementing door" commonly found in medical books are mostly suitable for various diseases caused by hard study and hard work of scholars, or are beneficial to their daily reading and writing life, so they are called "scholars' applicable prescriptions". Although it has great practical value, researchers have not paid enough attention to it, and the author will sort it out.
First, Kong Sheng Pill Dan
The Chinese side of the Great Sage Pillow of Confucius: tortoise shell, keel, polygala tenuifolia and calamus, divided equally, processed (melted), sieved, served with wine, said, three times, often serving makes people wise. -Sun Simiao in the Tang Dynasty, "Qian Jin Fang Hao is Forgotten"
This aspect of peaceful Sheng Huifang in Song Dynasty, also called "Confucius Great Sage, Wisdom, Remembering Sins, Forgetfulness, and Helping God", generally refers to Confucius Pill in Pill, which is a secret hidden in Confucius Pill, a Confucian sage. It's a long story and valuable. Secondly, it implies its contribution to helping students learn.
The original text of Qian Jin Fang only said that "diligence can make up for mistakes." In the Ming Dynasty, Wu Kun's "Medical Prescription Examines the Chinese side of Confucius' Great Sage Pillow" specifically pointed out that it should be taken by scholars: "Learning is easy to forget, and this side is smart."
Tortoise shell (tortoise shell) has the functions of nourishing yin and suppressing yang, nourishing heart and nourishing blood; Keel is a skeleton fossil of ancient mammals, which has the functions of calming the liver, suppressing yang and calming the nerves. Both of them, one yin and one yang, belong to animal medicine. The ancients thought that animal medicine was a "sentient product with flesh and blood", which was different from the heartless product of vegetation and had a special effect on improving yin, yang, qi and blood of human body.
Acorus calamus has the functions of resolving phlegm, inducing resuscitation, waking up and improving intelligence; Polygalae is similar to Acorus calamus, and the two herbs are often used together. Since the prescription, the classic compatibility of Acorus calamus, Polygala tenuifolia, Carapax et Plastrum Testudinis and Os Draconis has been used, and Kong Sheng Pill and Zhong Dan can be regarded as one of the originators of Yizhi Formula.
In addition, Yi Xin Fang (Volume 26), a Japanese medical masterpiece, once quoted two prescriptions for solving puzzles in Jin Kui Lu (written before the Sui Dynasty), namely, "Real people are smart but don't forget the prescriptions" (Acorus calamus, Polygalae and Poria) and "Confucius doesn't forget the prescriptions when cultivating spiritual wisdom" (Polygalae, Acorus calamus, Ginseng, Poria, Keel, etc.
Acorus calamus and polygala tenuifolia, tortoise plastron and keel can be used or not, and ginseng and poria cocos can be used instead. Acorus calamus, polygala tenuifolia, ginseng and poria cocos are actually Zhi Ding pills (also known as Zhi Ding pills) in Qian Jin Fang, which were originally used to treat palpitations, and later used as the basic recipe for improving intelligence. Ginseng tonifies the spleen and moistens the lungs, tranquilizes the mind and improves intelligence, and poria cocos tonifies the spleen and calms the nerves. These two flavors, together with Acorus calamus and polygala tenuifolia, represent another educational idea in Qian Jin Fang, that is, the precursors of the later reading pills and the champion pills.
Second, reading pills and champion pills
The composition of drugs in different medical books of the two sides is different, but there are similarities, so they are discussed together.
In Ming Dynasty, Sun Yikui's Forgetful Gate in Chishui Zhu Xuan included three prescriptions related to reading:
Reading pills: forgetfulness and conviction, a diary is worth a million words. (Rhizoma Acori Graminei, Semen Cuscutae, Cortex et Radix Polygalae, Cortex Lycii, Radix Rehmanniae, Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis, Rhizoma Chuanxiong)
Reading: Acorus calamus, polygala tenuifolia, cinnamon, licorice. , Radix Rehmanniae, Ginseng, Morinda officinalis, cooked with Poria paste pills, reading diary with thousands of words.
Champion pill: the first party to teach children. (Acorus calamus, Cortex et Radix Polygalae, Poria, Radix Morindae Officinalis, Ginseng Radix, Cortex Lycii, Poria, Oryza Glutinosa)
The ancients highly praised the ability of reciting, and "never forgetting" and "keeping a diary with a million words" were ideal states, but they did not emphasize understanding and application. Therefore, the efficacy of reading pills and reading prescriptions is mainly to enhance memory. It is quite interesting to call Zhuangyuan Pill "the first party to teach children", which expresses the painstaking efforts of the ancient elders to educate the younger generation. It not only includes spiritual encouragement (taking the top student in high school as the goal of studying hard at a cold window), but also hopes to actually promote the reading effect through the exertion of drug effects, similar to the current practice of parents buying health care products for their children.
In addition, there are "Zhuzi Reading Pills". It refers to Zhu, a great scholar in the Song Dynasty, named after him, which has the same effect as Dan on the pillow of Confucius. This prescription can be found in Chen Wenzhi's "Synopsis of Syndrome" and Li Yong's "Introduction to Medicine in Ming Dynasty", and its components are the same: Poria Polygalae, Ginseng and Chenpi, Acorus gramineus and Angelica sinensis, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis. "Introduction to Medicine" treats "guilty conscience" syndrome, and "guilty conscience, palpitation, anxiety, less color, strong tongue" in "Syndromes" should be aimed at a series of symptoms such as fright and asthenic fire caused by reading fatigue.
Third, Tianwang Buxin Dan
Tianwang Buxin Dan has different origins and different ingredients. Most of them think it comes from Taoist Collection (which has been compiled many times in the past dynasties, I don't know which one) or the Secret Anatomy of Taking People by Hongji in the late Ming Dynasty. As a matter of fact, this prescription was recorded in Wei Yilin's Prescription of Effective Treatment by World Doctors in the early Yuan Dynasty, and according to scholars' research, "Feng Xuan, the King of Pishamen, and Buxin Pill in the Temple of Monks" in Dunhuang Buddhist Scriptures in the Tang Dynasty is its prescription.
In the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Jiebin's Complete Book of Jingyue once made textual research on Tianwang Buxin Dan in Eight Arrays of Ancient Prescriptions, and thought that the commonly used prescription at that time was Daozang, and thirteen herbs were * * *: Radix Rehmanniae, Ginseng, Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Radix Polygalae, Radix Platycodonis, Poria, Fructus Schisandrae, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Ophiopogonis, Radix Asparagi and Semen Platycladi.
There are also coptis, Stemona, Acorus calamus, Eucommia ulmoides, or Rehmannia glutinosa instead of Rehmannia glutinosa. "They are different, but they can be used as appropriate." And its source cloud: "The Taoist Tibetan cloud: In the past, wise monks taught the scriptures day and night, and Deng Tianwang pitied his work because of his fame, and gave it to this side." It can be seen that Tianwang Buxin Pill was originally designed for people who worry too much.
Shou Shi Bao Yuan Forgetfulness holds that this side "studies hard, works hard and should serve", and An Introduction to Miscellaneous Medical Drugs also says that this side "studies exclusively and works too hard", and both of them clearly regard Tianwang Buxin Dan as a party suitable for scholars.
Fourth, others.
There are several famous prescriptions handed down from ancient times, and there are many prescriptions suitable for scholars in ancient medical books, which are complicated but quite scattered. Just briefly analyze a few examples.
Yang Shen Tang (A Compendium of Jiyang Amnesia by Wu in Ming Dynasty)
"People who study hard take this." Comprises Ophiopogon japonicus, Radix Asparagi, Rhizoma Acori Graminei, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae, Atractylodis Rhizoma, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, Pericarpium Citri Tangerinae, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Rhizoma Coptidis and Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis. This prescription seems to be aimed at the reader's heart and lung yin deficiency syndrome, which may show symptoms such as irritability, insomnia and cough. Original note: "Make clothes and serve them on the table, add Jiang Shui and fry them at any time, and serve them as tea to refresh and clear the acupoints." It can be seen that this is a herbal tea formula, which is convenient to drink at any time.
Buyi Siwu Decoction (Outline of Amnesia in Ji Yang)
"Study hard and have room for this." Comprises angelica, dried rehmannia root, largehead atractylodes rhizome, figwort root, white peony root, Ligusticum wallichii, phellodendron bark, anemarrhena rhizome, tuckahoe, Ophiopogon japonicus, dried tangerine peel, gardenia and liquorice. This prescription takes Siwu Decoction (Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Radix Rehmanniae instead of Radix Rehmanniae) as the main ingredient, supplemented by Zengye Decoction (Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Ophiopogonis) to nourish yin and blood, supplemented by Rhizoma Anemarrhenae and Cortex Phellodendri to purge fire, and Gardenia can clear heart. The hard work of reading consumes the heart yin, and housework also damages the kidney yin, so nourishing yin is the main thing, supplemented by purging fire. It should be aimed at the characteristics of the scholar's illness and syndrome, that is, the monarch and the minister are easy to get angry, and then consume yin and blood.
Anshen Zhi Ding Pill (Pre-health episode of Wu Ming Dynasty)
"Clear the heart and moisten the lungs, tonify the spleen and kidney, soothe the nerves and eliminate phlegm, and clear away heat and fire. Brother Tai is diligent and studies hard at the window. I have eaten everything I should eat, and I am tired of using miraculous effects. " Comprise ginseng, tuckahoe, tuckahoe, polygala tenuifolia, largehead atractylodes rhizome, rhizoma Acori Graminei, Ziziphi Spinosae seed, Ophiopogon japonicus, bezoar, cinnabar and longan pulp. On the basis of Zhi Ding Pill, this prescription adds drugs such as Ziziphus Spinosae Semen, Arillus Longan, Ophiopogon japonicus, Calculus Bovis, Cinnabaris, etc. to nourish blood and soothe the nerves.
Nourishing Milk Decoction (wet dream Men Dialectical Records by Chen Shiduo in Qing Dynasty)
Comprises Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, Fructus Rosae Laevigatae, Semen Euryales, Rhizoma Dioscoreae, Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Ophiopogonis, concha Ostreae powder and Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis. This is the symptom cube after the medical record: "People who specialize in book history read endlessly until they are awake for four drums, thus becoming wet dream's disease ... It is also wonderful to use nourishing Confucian soup for this disease." "Confucianism" is the general name of ancient scholars. In the name of "cultivating Confucianism", it implies the pertinence of its patients. This prescription is suitable for wet dream's disease caused by night reading fatigue and heart-kidney disharmony.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) analysis
Yizhi recipe accounts for most of the prescriptions used by ancient scholars, and it is common in forgetfulness in medical books, mainly to treat forgetfulness and fright. Most of the prescription drugs are mainly nourishing, mild in nature, and can be taken for a long time, or only effective, and can be used as daily health care for scholars. In the dosage form, most of them are Dan pills, which is convenient for storage and administration. As far as drugs are concerned, Acorus calamus, Radix Polygalae, Ginseng and Poria cocos (these four drugs are Zhi Ding Pills) have the highest frequency. These four drugs are combined into the heart meridian, which can improve intelligence, enhance memory, nourish the heart and soothe the nerves. All of them are listed in Shennong's Herbal Classic, which belongs to the category of tonic medicine. In Compendium of Materia Medica, they are all classified as forgetfulness, which can be regarded as the most representative puzzle drugs.
The practice of taking calamus and learning from afar is often recorded. The earliest Taoist masterpiece "Bao Pu Zi Xian Yao" in Jin Dynasty: "Han eventually took calamus for thirteen years, and he was born with hair and read books every day." "Ling Yangzi has served Yuan Zhi for 20 years. He has 37 children. Every time he opens a book, he will never forget them.
If Acorus calamus and polygala tenuifolia are used together, it will become a small prescription to help reading. For example, in Chen Jiamo's "Herbal Acorus calamus" in the Ming Dynasty, he said: "Today, scholars may take Polygalae as a pill and swallow it every morning and evening. Because he witnessed it with his own eyes, Gain said that he wanted to take a leave to help him with his intelligence and wisdom. "
Acorus calamus and polygala tenuifolia have become popular daily health products for scholars to treat amnesia. Although ginseng and Poria cocos were also commonly used tonics by ancient literati, the materials clearly revealing their "reading-assisting" function have not been seen so far, which needs further textual research.
In addition, there are four ways to improve intelligence: enlightening, strengthening the spleen, tonifying the kidney and nourishing the heart. The ancients believed that dizziness and forgetfulness were mostly caused by phlegm and turbidity, so resolving phlegm and inducing resuscitation could improve intelligence, and Acorus calamus and Polygalae were the main drugs for resolving phlegm and inducing resuscitation. Ginseng and Poria are important drugs for strengthening the spleen, which belong to the method of strengthening the spleen and improving intelligence. How to improve intelligence by strengthening spleen?
First of all, the spleen is the foundation of the day after tomorrow, which mainly transports Shui Gu's subtlety. If the source of transformation is insufficient and both qi and blood are deficient, where does wisdom come from? Secondly, "Thirty-four Difficult Classics" says: "Spleen stores wisdom." Guipi decoction, strictly used in the Song Dynasty, was used in Jisheng recipe, mainly used for "overthinking, straining the spleen, forgetfulness and palpitation", containing ginseng, poria cocos, longan pulp and so on. It is a representative prescription for invigorating spleen and improving intelligence.
Regarding tonifying the kidney and improving intelligence, Su Wenyin Yang Yingxiang's Great Theory says that the kidney gives birth to bone marrow, and Ling Shu Hai's Theory says that the brain is the sea of bone marrow, so it is generally believed that tonifying the kidney will replenish bone marrow, and replenishing bone marrow will strengthen the brain. Nourishing the heart and improving intelligence covers the widest range, and the first three methods are more or less related to this. In addition to Zhi Ding Pill, other commonly used puzzle drugs, such as Angelica sinensis, Ophiopogon japonicus and Cinnabar (these three drugs are listed in Compendium of Materia Medica, which are mainly used to treat all diseases and forgetfulness), are mainly based on entering the heart meridian, which proves that the focus of the ancient puzzle is to start with the heart. In this paper, most of these puzzle methods are used together in the application of scholars.
With the development of science and technology, the number of manual workers in modern society is decreasing day by day, while the industrious groups are growing far more than in the past. When such people are in a "sub-health" state or suffer from "fatigue syndrome", the application of scholars has both health care and treatment functions, which is quite useful. On the one hand, doctors may wish to use this kind of prescription more in clinic to verify its curative effect; On the other hand, Chinese medicine manufacturers can also try to develop it into a new health care drug, which will certainly be welcomed by the majority of patients. However, it should be noted that although these prescriptions are generally suitable for readers, they should be used according to TCM syndrome differentiation when it comes to individuals. For example, Tianwang Buxin Dan is greasy, and those who have too much phlegm in the body are not suitable; Others, such as strengthening the spleen or tonifying the kidney, have their own emphasis. It is best to consult a professional before taking it.