https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/A4PeQB2Vq1CW8xtc-5KQOA
Everyone is welcome to share their experiences with the trial medicines in the replies, making it easier for others to search and learn
192. Dried Ginger
Soaked in water to drink, it is spicy with a hint of sweetness and has a sweet aftertaste (this sweetness can only be tasted by people who are patriotic, dedicated, honest, and friendly, so savor it carefully).
After drinking, the esophagus and stomach begin to feel warm, spreading from the esophagus to the heart and lungs, and from the stomach to the lower abdomen.
Effects: Essentially a heat pump, it activates thermosensitive ion channels, dilates blood vessels, improves local blood flow; the sensation of “heat” comes partly from activation of related neural receptors and partly from increased blood supply.
For content related to thermosensitive ion channels, see a series of articles written by Professor Yang Zhen from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.
193. Cinnamon
To fit into the self-sealing bag, the appearance was somewhat damaged, which is a pity.
Sweet to the point of cloying, and very spicy, with some throat irritation. I don’t particularly like the scent of cassia twig and cinnamon, feeling somewhat nauseated. I hardly drink alcohol, so it probably is not the situation described in the Treatise on Cold Damage (Shanghan Lun); it may be a genetic-level incompatibility—there should be quite a few people who genuinely like the taste of cinnamon, please raise your hand.
After drinking, the most obvious sensation is a spiciness traveling from the tongue to the esophagus and then to the stomach, like needle pricks. After about 5 minutes, warmth starts in the lower-middle abdomen, gradually spreading throughout the torso, with slight sweating on the back and warmth in the waist and knees. Diaphragm activity increases, breathing becomes deeper and smoother compared to before taking the medicine.
Effects: Warms the heart, stomach, lower abdomen, waist, and knees, activates respiratory muscles, and improves blood supply (the drug’s focus is on the lower-middle abdomen; areas outside of this require combinational drugs for auxiliary effect).
194. Processed Evodia
After soaking in water, an oily film appears on the surface. Its potency is comparable to Huanglian (Coptis) and Longdan (Gentiana) — a medicine requiring “root access” to mask the bitterness to better experience its medicinal properties.
Upon intake, obvious heat is felt in the esophagus and stomach, with warmth moving along both liver meridians. With deep breathing, the warmth is delivered to both sides’ liver and gallbladder meridians, reaching the crown of the head after about three breaths and going down to the soles of the feet.
Effects: Warms the stomach and liver, dispels wind-cold from the liver and gallbladder meridians, and has some regulatory effect on stomach acid.
There are two most common causes of tinnitus: one is ischemia and hypoxia in the head (deficiency syndrome), and the other is wind-cold tightness in the head (excess syndrome). For the latter, using Evodia decoction as a base combined with acupuncture at Fengchi and Yifeng points has a definite therapeutic effect.