Hey, I'm back to discuss today's subject in our topic which is important in the decoction. I'm going to analyse the Zhi Gan Cao as the fabulous messenger's herb in Ma Huang Tang. This is how to analyse the therapeutic functions of the various decoctions. (part10)
Preparation
I'll give a little introduction on the preparation of the Zhi Gan Cao. Zhi Gan Cao is a honey-fried processed liquorice slice. These simple steps are as follow:
- Add refined honey with a little boiled water and stir to well mixed.
- Quantity=25~30gm of the honey mixture to 100gm of liquorice slices
- Stir and fry the liquorice slices with mixture added to dark yellowish, observe when they're not too sticky is considered done.
Messenger's herb -Zhi Gan Cao
Let's have a quick revision on our discussion in the explanation of messenger's functions.
- The messenger's herb is, as the word messenger depict, the marshal directing the various medicinal power of individual herb to the infected organs to start the healing process.
- Another function is to reconcile and harmonise the effects of various herbs to a moderate and digestive level.
Association to a Specific Meridian Channel
Zhi Gan Cao is better known as Radix Glycyrrhizae Preparata in science. It is associated with:
- Heart
- Lung
- Spleen
- Stomach, meridian channels
Zhi Gan Cao has the most meridian channel association in this decoction as it has to marshal the rest of the herbs to the specific infected organs. Once again, I'll do a quick revision on the fundamentals of TCM Spleen and Stomach as they are the best-correlated match exterior-interiorly.
TCM Spleen
1) The TCM Spleen is situated at:
- Midstream(Zhong Jiao) between the Lung at the Upper stream(Shang Jiao) and the Kidney at the lower end(Xia Jiao) of the blood and water flow dictates whether to raise clear or lower the turbidity and
- Its transformation of nutrients into 4 categories namely Essence, Qi, Blood And Fluid to nourish the 5 Yin and 6 Yang organs as well as muscles, bones and the integumentary system.
3) Transform it into the blood to the brain for thinking activities to be carried out in the effect of 'rising' the Clear(good nutrients) in that sense. It is due to this ability to raise and thus prevents organs in the lower abdomen from prolapsing.
4) The TCM Spleen is to govern and hold the blood within its flow path.
5) TCM Spleen also governs the fluid flow in the body in correlations with these organs to metabolise and prevent water retention in the tissue:
- Upstream - Lung and Big Intestine-metabolise and reabsorb
- Midstream - Spleen and Stomach-raise and produce
- Downstream - Kidney and Bladder excrete turbid urine
- The TCM Stomach is in charge of Denaturing and Cooking up the crushed food.
- Complying strictly to the Tubular characteristics with The Smooth Sailing and Downwards transfer maintaining free and clear passage as usable viability.
- Transfer and never store.
Specific Taste
The original taste of liquorice is sweet and now after honey-fried would strongly enhance the sweetness.
Sweet enters the Spleen
Unlike Ma Huang and Gui Zhi, Zhi Gan Cao is totally sweet. Right now, I'll bring forward like in accountancy, the specific property to make it easier to comprehend.
''So from raw liquorice slices, it has transformed into stronger liquorice, now better known as Zhi Gan Cao. After this transformation, the specific property has also been upgraded from moderate to warm.'' {And as I go along in these discussions, we would come across many moderate level property herbs in other decoctions. Moderate level means neither cold nor warm.}
Therefore, Zhi Gan Cao is:
- warm yet
- not dry
and so it would not deplete the Spleen's Yin and cause a viral setback. On the contrary, this warmness could:
- inspire and
- uplift the Spleen's Yang
in tonifying the Spleen's Qi which is where our Yuan Qi is centralised there.
Here is the quick revision for Yuan Qi:
- Yuan Qi will have to pass through the 6 Yin organs and the 5 Yang Organs to complete the physiological function in these organs in its voyage.
- Due to this long voyage, this Yuan Qi is renamed as:
- Zong Qi, in the upper voyage
- Zhong Qi, in the mid-voyage
- Yuan Qi, in the lower voyage
In another word, this warmness tonifies the Zhong Qi in the Spleen-Stomach region. So far, am I going too fast? I guess it's still okay for all.
By nature, the raw liquorice slices can:
- slow down the sudden upsurge of the power from the monarch's and minister's herb and
- reduce the rate of absorption by the body due to its greasiness.
Now that it had greatly empowered by the honey-fried process to increase the greasiness to a higher level. This has enabled it to:
- reconcile and
- harmonise the effects of various herbs to a moderate and digestive level.
And this is how Zhi Gan Cao has fulfilled its role as the messenger's herb.
Specific property
So, I need not have to explain further, the specific property of Zhi Gan Cao is warm. This messenger's herb would be used in many decoctions either as Zhi Gan Cao or just the raw liquorice.
Now, I'm concluding this first part of the 2 decoctions between Ma Huang Tang and Jing Fang Bai Du Tang. The refined important points to consider for Ma Huang Tang in the discrimination is:
- Induce Perspiration
- Resolve Ache
- Dispersing effect caused in the Lung Qi
- Relieving the asthmatic condition
The individual herb forming this decoction is warm and thus the overall effect is warm, unlike Jing Fang Bai Du Tang.
Preview
On second thought, it's good to show you some idea of what Jing Fang Bai Du Tang is all about.
First of all, Jing and Fang are 2 additional herbs added into the main decoction called Bai Du Tang. Jing refers to Jing Jie and Fang as Fang Feng.
I'll be back soonest to reduce your waiting time to know the difference in the discrimination.
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