1. History of Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan
Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan originated from the "Jinkui Yaolue" written by Zhang Zhongjing of the Eastern Han Dynasty. This classic work is known as the "ancestor of prescription books". The many prescriptions recorded in it have had a profound impact on later medical studies.
In ancient times, people's living conditions were relatively difficult, the labor was hard and the measures to keep warm were insufficient. Kidney yang deficiency was quite common, and many patients suffered from symptoms such as chills, cold limbs, sore waist and knees, and difficulty urinating. Zhang Zhongjing carefully created the Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan to treat kidney yang deficiency, which can nourish the kidney, boost yang, and promote the circulation of water.
2. Prescription composition and drug efficacy
Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan are composed of eight herbs, namely, Rehmannia glutinosa, Chinese yam, Cornus officinalis, Rhizoma Zexie, Poria cocos, Paeonia suffruticosa, Cinnamon bark and Aconite root. According to the theory of monarch, minister, assistant and envoy in traditional Chinese medicine, these herbs can be analyzed at four levels:
The main drug
Rehmannia root: Its main function is to nourish yin and blood, and to nourish the kidney and replenish essence. It is the main ingredient in Jingui Shenqi Pills, responsible for greatly nourishing kidney yin and laying the foundation for the transformation of kidney yang.
Assistant medicine (assisting the main medicine)
Chinese Yam: nourishes the spleen and kidneys, nourishes yin and produces body fluid. It can enhance the function of the spleen and stomach, and help Rehmannia glutinosa to better play the role of nourishing kidney essence.
Cornus officinalis: nourishes the liver and kidneys, consolidates the essence and stops sweating. It can replenish kidney yin, consolidate kidney qi, and relieve symptoms such as soreness in the waist and knees, dizziness, and tinnitus caused by kidney deficiency.
Adjuvant medicine (assisting in the treatment of concurrent symptoms)
Zexie: It can promote water and dampness, clear away heat and relieve fire. It can remove excess water from the body, allowing the kidney's water metabolism to function normally and preventing the accumulation of water and dampness from suppressing the kidney's yang.
Poria: It helps the spleen to transport and transform water and moisture, and its calming effect can also indirectly improve symptoms such as mental anxiety that may be associated with kidney yang deficiency.
Peony bark: clears heat, cools blood, and promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis. It can remove heat evil in the blood, prevent the possible movement of fire caused by tonifying kidney yang, and improve the blood circulation of the kidney by promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.
Guide the medicine to the diseased area
Cinnamon: replenishes fire and helps yang, guides fire back to the origin, dispels cold and relieves pain, warms and dredges the meridians. It is the main yang-warming ingredient in the prescription, directly replenishes kidney yang, stimulates kidney function, and can guide the ascending fire back to the kidney origin, eliminating the cold syndrome caused by kidney yang deficiency.
Aconite (fried): restores yang and rescues adverse conditions, replenishes fire and assists yang, dispels cold and relieves pain. Its ability to replenish fire and assist yang is extremely strong, and can quickly increase kidney yang, improve symptoms of yang deficiency such as chills and cold limbs, and when used with cinnamon, the effects of warming and replenishing kidney yang complement each other.
Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan can nourish kidney yin and warm kidney yang through the combination of monarch, minister, assistant and envoy, achieving the effect of yin and yang balance. Rehmannia root as monarch is responsible for greatly nourishing kidney yin; Chinese yam and cornus as ministers help nourish kidney essence; Zexie, Poria and Paeonia suffruticosa as adjuvants eliminate excess water and heat in the body and improve kidney function; Cinnamon bark and Aconite as envoys directly nourish kidney yang and invigorate kidney function.
This combination makes Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan have unique therapeutic effects in treating diseases related to kidney-yang deficiency.
3. Scope of application and symptoms
Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan has a wide range of applications and is mainly used to treat various diseases caused by kidney-yang deficiency.
Urogenital system : used to treat kidney deficiency edema caused by kidney yang deficiency. Patients often experience lower limb swelling, depression when pressed, difficulty urinating, decreased urine volume, accompanied by symptoms such as soreness of waist and knees, chills and cold limbs. Impotence, premature ejaculation and sexual dysfunction caused by insufficient kidney yang. Men may experience impotence or erectile dysfunction, while women may experience sexual frigidity and infertility. Taking Jingui Shenqi Pills can warm and nourish kidney yang and improve sexual dysfunction.
Respiratory system : For asthma and cough caused by the kidney's inability to absorb air, patients have been suffering from cough and asthma for a long time, exhale more than inhale, and have more severe asthma when moving, accompanied by symptoms such as soreness of the waist and knees, fatigue and weakness. This prescription warms and replenishes the kidney yang, restores the kidney qi, thereby enhancing the function of absorbing air and relieving the symptoms of asthma and cough.
Endocrine system : If diabetic patients have symptoms of kidney yang deficiency, such as frequent urination, long and clear urine, sore waist and knees, cold limbs, etc., Jingui Shenqi Pills can warm and replenish kidney yang, improve pancreatic islet function, and regulate blood sugar metabolism.
Nervous system : Insomnia, dreaminess, forgetfulness and other symptoms caused by deficiency of kidney yang, accompanied by mental depression, chills, cold limbs, sore waist and knees, etc. This prescription can warm and nourish the kidney yang, adjust the balance of yin and yang in the human body, so that the mind can be calmed and sleep and memory function can be improved.
IV. Modern medical application of Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan
In modern medicine, Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan are widely used to treat a variety of chronic diseases. First, it has a significant effect on kidney diseases such as chronic nephritis and nephrotic syndrome. These diseases are often accompanied by symptoms of kidney yang deficiency, such as soreness of the waist and knees, chills and cold limbs, etc.Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan can warm and nourish kidney yang and improve kidney function, thereby alleviating the condition.
Secondly, Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan also have good effects in treating diabetes and its complications. Diabetic patients often have symptoms of kidney yang deficiency, such as frequent urination and cold limbs. Jingui Shenqi Pills can help control blood sugar levels and alleviate diabetes-related symptoms by warming and replenishing kidney yang, regulating blood sugar metabolism, and improving pancreatic islet function.
In addition, Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan are also used to treat cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and heart disease. Patients with these diseases often experience symptoms of kidney yang deficiency, such as dizziness, tinnitus, and weakness in the waist and knees. Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan warm and nourish kidney yang, improve blood circulation, and thus help stabilize blood pressure and protect heart function3 .
4. Dietary therapy and daily conditioning
During the period of taking Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan, dietary therapy can enhance the efficacy. For example, you can eat stewed mutton with chestnuts. Mutton is warm in nature and can warm and nourish the kidney yang, while chestnuts nourish the kidney and strengthen the spleen. The combination of the two can effectively warm and nourish the kidney. Fried leek with walnuts. Leeks warm and nourish the liver and kidneys, while walnuts nourish the kidney and consolidate the essence. Regular consumption is beneficial to the recovery of kidney yang.
In terms of daily health care, first of all, you should pay attention to keeping warm, especially the waist and feet, to avoid cold, because cold evil can easily damage kidney yang. Take a solar bath moderately. The ultraviolet rays in the sun can promote the synthesis of vitamin D in the human body, which is helpful for the maintenance of kidney yang. Get enough sleep. Sleeping at night is an important time for kidney repair and kidney yang storage. Go to bed early and get up early, and avoid staying up late. In addition, you should moderate your sexual life to avoid excessive sexual intercourse and damage to kidney essence and kidney yang.
5. Precautions and taboo groups
Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan are warming and tonic in nature, so people with yin deficiency and excessive fire should use it with caution. If such people take it, the symptoms of yin deficiency and excessive fire may be aggravated, such as dry mouth and tongue, fever in the five hearts, hot flashes and sweating, red tongue with less coating, etc. People with internal dampness and heat should not use it, because its warming and tonic nature may promote dampness and heat, making the condition worse, manifested as bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath, yellow and greasy tongue coating, constipation, short and red urine, etc. Pregnant women should not use it, as the drug ingredients in the prescription may have adverse effects on fetal development. During the period of taking it, you should avoid eating irritating foods such as raw, cold, greasy, spicy, etc., so as not to affect the efficacy of the medicine.
VI. Conclusion
In short, as a classic Chinese medicine prescription for warming and nourishing kidney yang, Jingui Shenqi Pills contains profound Chinese medicine wisdom and practical experience. It has unique therapeutic effects in treating kidney yang deficiency-related diseases. As long as you follow the principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment in Chinese medicine, use it reasonably under the guidance of professional doctors, and cooperate with diet therapy and daily health care, you can fully play its benefits, protect kidney health, make the body energetic, and maintain a good health state.
References
Zhang Zhongjing, "Golden Coin Essentials"
Modern Chinese Medicine Research and Application
Wang Zhiqiang, Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Chronic Nephritis, China Traditional Chinese Medicine Press, 2018.
Li Hua, Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Diabetes, Science Press, 2019.
Zhang Wei, "Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Hypertension", People's Health Publishing House, 2020.