https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/A4PeQB2Vq1CW8xtc-5KQOA
Welcome everyone to share your own experiences with trying these medicines in the replies, so that it will be easier for others to search and learn.
106. Senna Leaf (番泻叶)
The taste is somewhat similar to Haining Radix et Rhizoma (翻白草), a bit thick. After soaking the leaves, chewing them reveals a kind of gelatinous substance.
Compared to Rhubarb, Senna Leaf is a medicine specifically for purgation. Its medicinal effect directly targets the middle and lower abdomen, like injecting a stimulant into the intestines. If the dosage exceeds 10 grams, it may cause the intestines to become overexcited, leading to spasms during peristalsis and abdominal pain.
From a component analysis perspective, Rhubarb contains a variety of anthraquinone compounds, while Senna Leaf is more specialized (Sennoside A and B). Therefore, the former acts on the whole body’s qi and blood, while Senna Leaf focuses on the intestines.
107. Aloe
Before I was in fourth or fifth grade in elementary school, I sometimes experienced constipation — actually, constipation is a common pediatric issue because young children’s gastrointestinal systems are immature, and food and drink easily stay in the gastrointestinal tract. If one day passes without a bowel movement, the rectum on the next day absorbs all the water from the feces, causing difficulty in defecation—a feeling of stool stuck at the anus, neither able to move up nor down. I really went through this, and at such times, an enema was necessary.
Until one day, my family probably got tired of waiting for my natural development and had me drink “pure aloe juice” for two weeks. At that time, there was a ready-made product (this year I tried to find it for patients but couldn’t locate it; however, it tastes almost identical to aloe gel blocks mixed with water, so if it’s gone, then it’s gone). I took 30 ml daily, and during this period, my bowel movements were very smooth. Even after stopping, I no longer experienced constipation.
If examined with the mindset of the Huoshen (Fire God) faction, it might be said that the “aloe” coldness damaged my Spleen Yang; although constipation was resolved, it might not be a good thing. From the Yin-nourishing school perspective, “aloe” moistened my intestinal fluids, preventing excessive water absorption from the stool. From the pathogen-eliminating faction’s viewpoint, after 14 days of treatment, accumulated old feces in the body were thoroughly cleared, and the intestines’ peristaltic ability returned to that which a primary school student should have, thus no longer constipated…
So, even when facing the same objective phenomenon, different philosophical methods and ways of thinking lead to different experiences and hence different theories—without further examination, these groups would never be able to convince each other, though each can justify their views internally.
In such a case, the best method is to replace all “symbolic and referential” expressions in the “conceptual narrative” with descriptions “targeting objective existence,” then use direct observation to see which theory or theories better match the phenomena observed.
That is to say: if it’s observed that my digestive and absorptive capacity truly decreased and food is expelled before full absorption, the Huoshen faction is correct; if it’s observed that my intestinal mucosa’s moisture level increases and stool dehydration slows, the Yin-nourishing faction is right; if it’s observed that total fecal weight inside the intestines lessens and intestinal peristalsis strengthens, the pathogen-eliminating faction is right…
Of course, some alternative interpretations exist, such as the Huoshen faction also considering aloe a “warm Yang medicine,” assisting Spleen Yang and thus treating constipation—no matter how peculiar the explanation, it can be verified or falsified through observation of objective phenomena.
At present, I lean toward a combined theory of the Yin-nourishing and pathogen-eliminating schools: aloe can both moisten the lungs and intestines and also promote intestinal peristalsis.
Aloe is nephrotoxic and should not be given to children in large amounts; approximately 2 grams of aloe gel block can produce about 30ml of aloe juice; for adults weighing 60 kg, about 6 grams can produce 100 ml.
108. Hemp Seed (火麻仁)
Eating it raw feels like eating melon seeds; after soaking in water, it feels like mung beans in mung bean soup (the kind that splits open upon boiling popular in southern China), naturally sweet.
The water after soaking also tastes like mung bean soup, naturally sweet.
Confirmed effects: nourishing Yin and moistening dryness, with some detoxifying effect on turbid toxins (when decocted), moistening intestines and facilitating bowel movements (when chewed or powdered).
Reason: moisturizing and laxative effect relies on fatty acids, which are not fully extracted in decoctions, so chewing it directly yields better results.
Chewing dosage: 1 gram per kilogram body weight.
109. Yuliren (郁李仁)
Has a bitter apricot kernel flavor, and the soaking water is slightly pink.
Confirmed effects: moistening the lungs and resolving phlegm, promoting qi and facilitating bowel movements. Using Yuliren solely for constipation is cost-ineffective, but it’s suitable for cases of edema combined with constipation (e.g., liver or kidney disease).
110. Pine Nuts (松子仁)
Quite tasty, mildly so.
Effects: moistening lungs and intestines; helps strengthen the spleen and tonify the kidneys (slightly).
111. Kansui (甘遂)
Soaking and drinking tastes sweet like corn water, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. This represents Kansui’s tonifying aspect, possessing spleen-strengthening and diuretic effects.
However, the truly harsh component, kansuimoside, is insoluble in water, so real warriors must directly chew a piece of soaked Kansui (not exceeding 1 gram).
Its texture is much like starchy crops and clearly irritates the throat; swallowing triggers a fiery sensation in the throat (I didn’t eat much, well under 1 gram), and afterward, the finger touching the Kansui area also begins to itch.
Effects: it collects retained fluids on water channels and directs them into the intestines; its action is relatively slow, noticeable about 10 minutes after ingestion with a distinct warming sensation spreading from the torso downward, compressing the digestive tract inward from the periphery.
Teacher Yang Zhen mentioned in “Formula Studies” concerning Shizao Decoction that Daji, Kansui, and Yuanhua act in coordination: Yuanhua directs fluid retention from the lungs and pleura into the abdominal cavity; Kansui directs fluid in the abdomen into the intestines; Daji finally expels the gathered fluid in the intestines outside the body. The decoction plays a protective role for stomach qi, lubricates fluids, and provides energy. Teacher Yang heard this from the late Master Wang Mianzhi, though how Master Wang reached this understanding is currently untraceable.
Methods to detoxify Kansui include milk, honey, and direct use of Kansui decoction water (reverting to the original decoction), with effectiveness decreasing in that order.