https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/A4PeQB2Vq1CW8xtc-5KQOA
Welcome everyone to share your experiences with the medicine in the replies, to facilitate other students’ retrieval and study.
431. Black Sesame
The brewed taste is rather mild and quite pleasant, but not strong in flavor. This is why I recommend patients to first decoct black sesame and then consume it.
If simply decocted with water, to be honest, its tonic strength is not particularly strong. It just slightly gathers qi to the lower abdomen, nourishing the intestines and the dantian to some extent, but it is relatively thin.
To fully exert the effect of black sesame, it does not have to be steamed nine times and sun-dried nine times; roasting it and then grinding into powder to brew in water (essentially sesame paste) is best for tonification. For people in ancient times who were malnourished, this high-quality fatty acid was very precious; from a nutritional perspective alone, it is very tonic, so there is really no need for the nine times steaming and sun-drying to remove oil components.
Effects: Tonifies essence and qi, nourishes blood and builds muscle, moistens intestines and relieves constipation.
439. Gallnut
Before soaking, it was quite hard; after soaking it became soft and mushy. Eating it directly is quite astringent and sour; the brewed water is even more bitter + astringent + sour. Although it has a slight sweetness, it is still considered unpleasant to drink.
The feeling after drinking is somewhat like schisandra fruit (Wu Wei Zi), which is mainly sour. Gallnut is mainly astringent; sour gathers and restrains, astringency controls leakage. Moreover, gallnut is so bitter that one can clearly feel the reduction of smooth muscle and mucous membrane moisture in the intestines, bladder, and reproductive system in the lower abdomen area.
Considering that this is a gallnut formed by parasitic insects laying eggs, it always gives me a sense of guilt about benefiting from others’ suffering. But the astringent medicinal property may derive precisely from this, just like animals immediately withdraw and hide injured parts when hurt. Damaged internal organs undergo organization to prevent spread. Plants may have similar mechanisms by producing relatively hard outer shells to control the damage caused by insect eggs.
Effects: Astringes intestines to stop diarrhea, astringes bladder to reduce urination, astringes essence to stop leakage, astringes blood to stop bleeding and abnormal discharge, externally used to collect moisture and promote wound healing.
441. Myrobalan
The texture when chewed directly is somewhat like the “European plum” sold on trains, with a sour-sweet taste mixed with some bitterness; the brewed water has similarities to smoked plum (Wu Mei), with milder acidity, but more bitterness and astringency, and causes slight throat discomfort.
After drinking, the lungs clearly feel a constrictive effect, squeezing out excess fluids. Phlegm forms in the throat; its texture is thick and difficult to expectorate. Its effects on intestines, bladder, and reproductive system are similar to gallnut but slightly weaker in strength. Besides astringency, it also has some moistening effect.
Effects: Combining astringency with tonification, it restrains lung qi to stop cough and night sweats, astringes intestines to stop diarrhea, astringes bladder to reduce urination, astringes essence to stop leakage, and astringes blood to stop bleeding and abnormal discharge.