Polygonum multiflorum thunb. is a polygonum multiflorum thunbThe root, a well-known tonic herb in China, is listed among the nine major Chinese immortal grasses with Dendrobium, Snow Lotus, Ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, Poria cocos, etc. Although He Shou Wu is good, it must be concocted correctly in order to maximize its efficacy. What is concoction?
Processing is a method of processing Chinese medicinal materials, which has a long history, as early as more than 2,000 years ago in the book "Zhou Li" has been recorded. Processing can not only make the medicinal materials easier to be absorbed and utilized by the human body, but also play a role in enhancing the efficacy of the medicine and reducing the quality of the medicine. There are many kinds of processing methods, such as broiling, cannoning, simmering, stir-frying, calcining, refining, etc., each of which has its own unique techniques and scope of application. Today, let's talk about the concoction of He Shou Wu.
In the process of the development of traditional Chinese medicine, with the gradual deepening of people's understanding of Polygonum multiflorum and the development of processing technology, the processing method of Polygonum multiflorum has also undergone many iterations.
The Chinese medicine work of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Hua's Zhongzangjing, first mentioned the method of concoction of He Shou Wu: "River immersion, seven days to change the water, soak off the skin tip, slice, and dry". It is soaked in river water for 7 days, and then the skin of He Shou Wu is removed, cut into slices, and dried.
By the Tang Dynasty, the processing methods of He Shou Wu had changed. The main preparation method became "boiling"! There are many ways to boil this: boiled in water, boiled with black beans, and boiled with vinegar. In addition, in the herbal literature of the Tang Dynasty, the ancestors emphasized more than once that He Shou Wu should not come into contact with iron ("do not commit iron"). Until now, when we concoct He Shou Wu, we also abide by the principle of "not committing iron". Therefore, you can't use an iron pot or stainless steel pot to cook He Shou Wu, and it is best to use a casserole and other containers.
After the Song Dynasty, the method of concocting Polygonum multiflorum underwent further evolution. Based on the "steaming" method, what remains unchanged is that He Shou Wu and black beans have become "black partners". When steaming He Shou Wu, "wash and expose the black beans to a bucket, use a retort, first spread the beans on the bottom of the retort, and then spread the He Shou Wu thinly, and then spread the beans, and spread the ox knee thinly." So heavy spreading, so that the medicine, beans are exhausted, steamed on the kettle, so that the beans are ripe, remove the black beans, take the medicine to dry, and change the beans to steam, and so on three times."
It basically means that in the container, black beans are the base, a layer of black beans, a layer of He Shou Wu on top, and a layer of black beans and a small amount of hyssop. This cycle is followed by steaming on a pot, the beans are steamed, the beans are removed, and the Polygonum multiflorum is dried. Then use the new black beans, and steam them like this, steaming them three times before they are ready.
Of course, there are also slightly simpler steaming methods, such as "Su Shen Liangfang" said that He Shou Wu "soaked in water for a day, cut half an inch thick, mixed with black bean water, made wet, He Shou Wu heavy interspersed, steamed beans rotten, remove beans, and dried in the shade".
The "Materia Medica" records the steaming method and the wine immersion method: "Newly mined, after peeling the soil, use copper and bamboo knives to slice thinly, retort like cooking rice, and steam down with a porcelain stone pot." The use of "copper, bamboo knife" and "porcelain stone pot" here shows that in the Song Dynasty, people still strictly followed the principle of "not committing iron".
The above are just examples of several steaming methods, as well as those steamed with black beans and jujubes and He Shou Wu, steamed after the rice wine is moistened with He Shou Wu, and nine steamed and nine sunned, in short, it is inseparable from the word "steaming".
Times have changed, and today, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia is the most authoritative national standard for Chinese traditional medicine. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia stipulates 3 methods for the preparation of Polygonum multiflori, and I will tell you in detail:
1.Stew
Take the slices or pieces of He Shou Wu, mix well with black bean juice, put them in a suitable container of non-ferrous material, and stew until He Shou Wu absorbs the black bean juice.
2.Steaming method
Put He Shou Wu in a non-ferrous steamer, steam it with hot water vapor, and steam it until He Shou Wu is tan inside and out.
3.Steaming with black bean juice
First, mix He Shou Wu with black bean juice to let He Shou Wu absorb the black bean juice, and then put it in a steamer as above to steam until He Shou Wu is brown inside and out.
The processing method of Polygonum multiflorum is changing and enriching with the times, the processing process is mainly to reduce toxicity and increase efficiency, we as ordinary consumers, do not concoct it by ourselves, otherwise the heat is too much or the heat is not enough, it will affect the nourishing effect and even hurt the body. It is recommended that under the guidance of a regular Chinese medicine practitioner, use the concocted He Shou Wu to regulate the body.
References:"The Historical Evolution of the Processing Method of Polygonum multiflorum", Wang Yingshu et al., Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine Literature.