Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that "the spleen and stomach are the foundation of postnatal development." This means that only when the spleen and stomach are strong, can the food we eat be digested and absorbed by the stomach, and then converted into the body's nutritional qi and blood.
So, only with a good spleen and stomach can there be sufficient Qi and blood, and only with sufficient Qi and blood can the body be healthy and radiant. Although the spleen and stomach are important, they are also particularly vulnerable to damage.
Atractylodes macrocephala is a commonly used tonifying traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice. It has the effects of invigorating the spleen and qi, drying dampness and promoting diuresis, stopping sweating and stabilizing pregnancy. There is a saying of "Northern ginseng and Southern techniques" and "Ten directions and nine techniques".
But although Atractylodes macrocephala is commonly used, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, there are quite a few tricks. Today, let's talk about Bai Shu.
1、 Medicinal appearance and sexual taste
(Atractylodes macrocephala) is usually harvested in winter when the leaves are withered and yellow, so it is called Winter Atractylodes macrocephala.
When digging, its cross-section is yellow white or brown, with some brownish yellow dotted oil chambers. It has a fragrant aroma, a bit sweet to chew, slightly spicy, and a bit sticky, which is one of its characteristics.
2、 Treating spleen qi deficiency and dampness
(1) Abnormal bowel movements
If you suffer from constipation, a single herb called Bai Zhu can treat it. Just now, everyone mentioned that there is a lot of oil in Atractylodes macrocephala, so it has a certain moisturizing effect. It has a certain effect on moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements.
Raw Atractylodes macrocephala, directly grind it into powder and boil it for a while. The cooking time should not be too long. After boiling for a long time, the oil will evaporate and it will not be able to pass stool.
This is one of its key points. If we want to treat diarrhea and loose stools, we usually need to stir fry them using stir fried white atractylodes or earth stir fried white atractylodes. This is the usage aspect of it.
(2) Weakness of spleen and stomach
Atractylodes macrocephala has a bitter and sweet taste, which has been proven by medical classics and clinical experience throughout history to have irreplaceable effects in strengthening the spleen, nourishing the stomach, drying dampness, and promoting diuresis. It can be said that "without Atractylodes macrocephala, there is no spleen and stomach":
The vast majority of medical prescriptions for treating spleen and stomach diseases, such as Si Jun Zi Tang, Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang, Gui Pi Tang, etc., almost all rely on Bai Shu;
Traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations for regulating the spleen and stomach, such as Buzhong Yiqi Pill, Shenling Baizhu Powder, Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction, Fuzi Lizhong Pill, etc., all contain Atractylodes macrocephala in a heavy amount.
Simple spleen deficiency: 30g Atractylodes macrocephala, soaked in water, as a substitute for tea.
Spleen and stomach weakness: 30g Atractylodes macrocephala, 10g Astragalus membranaceus, soaked in water, as a substitute for tea.
Spleen deficiency and excessive dampness can cause dizziness: 30g Atractylodes macrocephala and 10g Gastrodia elata, boiled in water for half an hour, as a substitute for tea.
Spleen deficiency and excessive dampness can cause bloating, nausea, and acid reflux: 30g Atractylodes macrocephala, 10g Chenpi, 3g Amomum villi, soaked in water, as a substitute for tea.
Spleen deficiency and excessive dampness can lead to diarrhea or irregular stool: 30g Atractylodes macrocephala and 15g Poria cocos, boiled in water for half an hour, as a substitute for tea.
Spleen and stomach yang deficiency: Stir fried Atractylodes macrocephala 30g, dried ginger 10g, soaked in water, as a substitute for tea.
(3) Eczema
Spleen deficiency can also lead to eczema or wet sores. This can be taken internally or externally, and its dampness is mainly distributed around the waist or lower limbs. It can appear on the spleen meridian or stomach meridian.
So what if this cold dampness is in the spleen? If this person often washes their face with cold water, then their cheeks and stomach meridians are also prone to acne and pimples, which are a type of cold dampness acne that can also be treated with Atractylodes macrocephala.
Cold damp acne has a longer course of treatment than damp damp acne because it is a negative syndrome. If he can't control his diet and continues to eat raw, cold, sour, and cold foods, he will never recover.
(4) Lower back pain
These are the symptoms caused by spleen deficiency. After spleen deficiency, it can also cause internal resistance of cold and dampness or external invasion of cold and dampness, leading to lower back pain.
There is a representative formula here called Kidney Soup, also known as Licorice, Dried Ginger, Fuling, and Atractylodes Decoction, which can treat "waist fatigue as heavy as carrying five thousand yuan".
In ancient books, it is recorded that Atractylodes macrocephala can benefit the blood between the waist and navel, and its actual benefit is the qi between the waist and navel. It can indirectly treat blood, including drinking cold and damp water between the waist and navel.
3、 Treating Qi Deficiency and Fever
The representative formula for treating spleen qi deficiency and depression with Atractylodes macrocephala is Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang.
The condition treated with Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is sinking after spleen qi deficiency, and at the same time, there is also a basis for this patient's kidney yin deficiency and excess fire.
It's kidney yin deficiency, fire running upwards, and spleen qi deficiency sinking. So the treatment method of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is to tonify the spleen and promote yang, and then add a purging fire.
But there is no gunpowder in Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang. One symptom that patients experience is called Qi deficiency and fever.
Everyone, please pay attention to the original dosage of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang. Its maximum dosage is about three cents and two cents, which is less than 10 grams.
The disease of Qi deficiency and fever is actually very common in our clinical practice nowadays. People who often stay up late, go hungry and full again, skip meals in the morning, and when they are particularly hungry at noon, they will experience palpitations, dizziness, hot flashes, and sweating. This is very similar to the syndrome of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang.
This is actually a bit similar to low blood sugar, drinking a sip of Bu Zhong Yi Tang is equivalent to eating chocolate or fruit candy.
But in later generations, the dosage of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang was changed, increasing the dosage. For example, 30 grams of Huangqi and 30 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala were used. After the dosage was increased, it could not only treat qi deficiency and fever, but also treat visceral prolapse.
4、 Treat bone hyperplasia
Soil cultivation can also indirectly produce water, known as soil cultivation method or soil utilization method. So what about the Zhenwu Tang and Fuzi Tang mentioned earlier? They treat edema, and this water is evil water.
This soil cultivation and water treatment also has another meaning, which is that it can treat excessive or overflowing kidney water.
In the classics, there is a rare disease called "marrow overflow" (overflow is the overflow of the bone marrow). It's his teeth that grew so long that he couldn't even eat them in the end.
Then use Atractylodes macrocephala decoction to take orally. It can strengthen the spleen. This disease is caused by excess kidney qi and excessive kidney water. We use spleen soil to make water, which means.
According to records, using this is very effective, but what is a disease similar to this? It is bone hyperplasia and bone spurs, which are very common in the lumbar spine, knee, cervical spine, or heel.
One usage is to use Atractylodes macrocephala powder, add some vinegar and apply it externally, which also has a good effect. It can also be frequently made into ointment for external washing, and feet can also be soaked.
A classic method is to powder Atractylodes macrocephala, mix it with some vinegar, wrap it around the affected area of the heel, put it inside the shoes, take a walk every day, remove it before going to bed at night, and wash it clean.
Generally, treatment is very effective. This is the indirect function of white magic.