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How To Analyse The Therapeutic Functions Of The Various Decoctions Part Eight


Hey, I'm back to continue on today's topic which is on the selection and reason why Gui Zhi is the minister's herb.  This is how to analyse the therapeutic functions of the various decoctions. (part 8)




Minister's Herb-Gui Zhi


As usual, we've to bear in mind the threshold created in the previous blog for the herb selection like what we had discussed on the Monarch's herb; Ma Huang.  So for Gui Zhi above, we'll have the following:

Association to the Specific Meridian Channel

Gui Zhi is better known as Ramulus Cinnamomi in Latin.  It is associated with the Lung, Heart and Bladder Meridian Channel.  Very clearly, it is exactly similar to Ma Huang with one more channel, the Heart.

Specific Taste

The specific taste of GUI  ZHI is spicy and sweet.  It also enters the lung but it can not induce perspiration so effectively as Ma Huang however it would aid Ma Huang to increase the perspiration power. 

Next, the effect of the pungent and spicy taste is to: 

  • soothe the Qi
  • disperse in the purpose of weakening the virus invasion
  • invigorate blood 
  • remove blood stasis 
All the above effects are similar to Ma Huang except that they are less powerful, as such they become complements to the Monarch herb, Ma Huang.  There is one other point that is necessary to bring out;  it warms and raises the Yang to Ying Wei level where the bodily ache are found at this muscle level.  Therefore Gui Zhi is especially important in relieving body ache and I'll discuss other formulas on relieving bodily ache to show how effective is Gui Zhi being able to relieve pain without which, the decoction would be just another secondary soft drink.

Sweet enters the Spleen

As opposed to Ma Huang which inclines toward a little bitterness, Gui Zhi has the sweet taste that enters the Spleen to inspire and uplift the Spleen's Yang so that ache (caused by the stagnation) can be relieved.  Stagnation always causes pain from the TCM perspective.  Now the answers are becoming clearer and straightforward.

The difference between the taste of Ma Huang and Gui Zhi is:

Ma Huang is spicy and a little bitter;

  • Little bitterness tied with spicy means excretion via perspiration

Gui Zhi is spicy and sweet;

  • Sweet tied with spicy causes warming effect that would heat the Qi stagnation at the Tai Yang meridian channel to resolve ache.

Specific Properties

Gui Zhi's specific property is warm.

This warming effect is capable of:

  •  inducing perspiration  
  •  dispelling cold
  •  warming lung directly
  •  relieving asthma
  •  to reduce swelling.
similar to Ma Huang but a lesser degree.

Once again, I've to refer back to our topic today as to why Gui Zhi is categorised as minister's herb in Ma Huang Tang because of its prime role to resolve the bodily ache and fueling the power of the monarch's herb to induce perspiration to excrete the cold wind virus via the perspiring channels.  The fact is the bodily ache is caused by the Qi stagnation in the Tai Yang meridian channel.  This Qi stagnation could not drive the blood to circulate smoothly at the Ying Wei level resulting in pain at this muscles layers in the TCM perspective.

Oh, yes (have I left out anything in the aforesaid paragraph)?  Yes, it is the Gui Zhi's association with Heart Meridian Channel.  There is a condition known as Palpitation.  They are feelings or sensations that the heart is pounding or racing. They can be felt in the chest, throat, or neck. You may: Have an unpleasant awareness of the heartbeat. Feel like the heart skipped or stopped beating.  Most of the time, heart palpitations are harmless and go away on their own. In some cases, however, there may be a medical reason behind them, called Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). Even though they are common, heart palpitations can make you feel anxious and scared.

More often than not, this would not be found in the Ma Huang Tang Scenario unless there is a patient's medical history of heart disease.

Nevertheless, this decoction contains Gui Zhi which can travel to the Heart with the messenger's herb, Zhi Gan Cao to warm it and regulate the heartbeat to the normal condition.  

I'll discuss this Palpitation and the related manifestation of coronary heart disease, asthma and emphysema in another blog and leave more time for you to digest and get ready for interesting division 4 officer (Xing Ren) and the fabulous messenger (Zhi Gan Cao).


















Best of all


















Xiong







 ***Reference:

Emperor's Interior Sutra is available on sales better known as the esoteric scripture of the yellow emperor in Amazon, it's just a different way of naming the book cover)


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