Traditional Chinese medicine has the theory of five ginseng since ancient times, which was put forward by Li Shizhen. In Compendium of Materia Medica, he recorded that five kinds of ginseng correspond to five internal organs and five colors, namely, "Ginseng entering the spleen is called yellow ginseng, Adenophora adenophora entering the lung is called white ginseng, Scrophularia entering the kidney is called black ginseng, stag entering the liver is called purple ginseng, and Salvia miltiorrhiza entering the heart is called red ginseng".
It can be seen that Radix Adenophorae has been one of the traditional Chinese medicines for tonifying lung and clearing lung since ancient times. Adenophora adenophora was first recorded in Shennong Materia Medica Classic, also known as white ginseng and white ginseng. It is the rhizome of Adenophora adenophora, Adenophora verticillata, Adenophora apricot and similar plants of Campanulaceae. Generally speaking, the southern glehnia root recorded in ancient books is now called "southern glehnia root", while the modern "northern glehnia root" began to be used as medicine after the end of the Ming Dynasty.
【 Function of Adenophora adenophora 】
Adenophora adenophora participates in Radix Glehniae in Nansha, and their functions are basically similar. This paper focuses on Adenophora adenophora, one of the traditional "five ginseng".
Radix Adenophorae has five bitter tastes and four slightly cold qi, belonging to lung meridian and stomach meridian, and has the functions of "nourishing yin and clearing lung, resolving phlegm and nourishing stomach, promoting fluid production and quenching thirst".
[Understanding of Radix Adenophorae]
The understanding and application of Radix Adenophorae in TCM can be divided into four aspects as long as it revolves around the function of Radix Adenophorae.
1. Radix Adenophorae clears lung.
Adenophora adenophora clearing away lung heat is caused by "dryness and evil", and it can also be a syndrome of lung yin deficiency caused by smokers or various reasons. The main manifestations are dry mouth and throat, dry cough without phlegm, or less phlegm, and bloodshot phlegm can be seen in severe cases.
Radix Adenophorae can enter the lung, nourish yin, moisten dryness, clear away lung heat and resolve phlegm, which is especially suitable for the above manifestations.
2. Radix Adenophorae can resolve phlegm.
Adenophora adenophora, a traditional Chinese medicine, can not only moisten dryness but also nourish yin and clear lung, especially suitable for patients with lung yin injury caused by lung heat, with cough and yellow phlegm as the main symptoms.
3. Chinese medicine Radix Adenophorae nourishes the stomach and produces fluid.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that stomach yin deficiency is not only manifested as stomach discomfort, but also as lack of body fluid such as dry mouth, dry throat and dry stool. Adenophora adenophora entering the stomach meridian can nourish the stomach and produce fluid, which is a good product to regulate the deficiency of stomach yin caused by fever or long illness.
In addition, deficiency of stomach yin may be accompanied by poor appetite and indigestion. In view of this situation, we should not only use Radix Adenophorae to nourish the stomach, but also use Chinese medicine to strengthen the stomach and promote digestion properly.
4. Radix Adenophorae nourishing yin.
Adenophora adenophora can nourish yin. In fact, Adenophora adenophora can nourish stomach yin as part of its function of nourishing yin. Adenophora adenophora can nourish both stomach yin and lung yin, and has a good conditioning effect on lung yin deficiency caused by lung dryness, smoking or dry and dusty environment. In addition, Adenophora adenophora can clear the lung, and their functions complement each other, which has always been respected by Chinese medicine.
【 Precautions for using Radix Adenophorae 】
It is an unchangeable truth that the use of any Chinese medicine has certain taboos. As mentioned above, ginseng nourishes yang, but it is not applicable if it is lung yin deficiency caused by dryness and evil, so Radix Adenophorae is the first choice for Chinese medicine, so Radix Adenophorae also has two taboos.
1. Radix Adenophorae Radix Adenophorae can't be used with veratrum, not only Radix Adenophorae, but also all kinds of ginseng in Araliaceae are "anti-veratrum".
2. The traditional Chinese medicine Radix Adenophorae is slightly cold, and it should be used with caution for those with wind-cold cough and spleen-stomach deficiency.
Some functions of traditional Chinese medicine are not applicable to all. It is mentioned in the article that Radix Adenophorae nourishes the stomach, but it is suitable for deficiency of stomach yin, and it is a good product for nourishing the stomach. If it is stomach heat or excessive internal heat, Adenophora adenophora not only has no effect, but may increase the burden on the stomach.