Provenance and historical background
Traditional Chinese Medicine Guizhi Decoction, from the Treatise on Febrile Diseases, was collected by the medical saint Zhang Zhongjing from folk prescriptions. It has been circulated before the Han Dynasty. Due to its remarkable effect, Guizhi Decoction became the first prescription in the Treatise on Febrile Diseases and was known as the "first of all prescriptions". In the ancient times when wars were frequent, Guizhi Decoction became an important prescription for soldiers and refugees to restore their physical strength and improve their mental state because of its effect of warming Yang and harmonizing Ying and Wei.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Guizhi Decoction Formula
The composition of Guizhi Tang is simple, with only five herbs: cinnamon twig, peony root, roasted licorice root, ginger, and jujube. These herbs each play a unique role and work together to achieve the effect of soothing the liver and relieving depression.
Cinnamon twig : It tastes spicy, sweet and warm in nature. It has the effects of inducing sweat, relieving exterior symptoms and harmonizing the Ying and Wei systems.
Peony : It tastes sour, sweet and cold in nature. It has the effects of nourishing yin and nourishing blood, and relieving pain.
Roasted Licorice Root : It tastes sweet and mild in nature, and has the effect of harmonizing various medicines and relieving pain.
Ginger : It tastes spicy and is warm in nature. It has the effects of inducing sweating, relieving exterior symptoms, warming the middle and stopping vomiting.
Jujube : sweet in taste and warm in nature, it has the effect of tonifying the middle and replenishing qi, and harmonizing the stomach.
The main effect of Guizhi Decoction is to relieve muscle pain, release the exterior, and harmonize the Ying and Wei . It is particularly suitable for "wind-cold exterior deficiency, Ying and Wei disharmony syndrome". Common symptoms include headache, fever, sweating, bad wind, nasal congestion, dry nausea, and slow pulse .
Indications and pathogenesis
Guizhi Decoction is Zhang Zhongjing's first choice prescription for relieving muscle tension, inducing sweating, and harmonizing Ying and Wei. It can improve a series of diseases caused by dysfunction of "Ying Qi" and "Wei Qi", mainly including respiratory diseases such as colds and respiratory tract inflammation, and can relieve symptoms such as headache, fever, sweating, bad wind, nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, etc.
It uses the pungent and warm properties of cinnamon twigs to treat the Wei, the bitter and sour properties of peony to treat the Ying, the pungent and warm properties of ginger to dispel cold evil, and the sweet and warm properties of jujube and licorice to support the Zhong Qi. Its main effects include:
Relieving muscles and relieving exterior symptoms: Guizhi Decoction has the effect of inducing sweat and relieving exterior symptoms. It is suitable for the syndrome of exterior deficiency caused by exogenous wind-cold. It can help the body expel external pathogens and relieve cold symptoms.
Harmonizing the Ying and Wei Qi: Guizhi Decoction can harmonize the Ying and Wei Qi, and improve various symptoms caused by disharmony between the Ying and Wei Qi, such as headache, fever, sweating, bad wind, etc.
Warming up Yang: Guizhi decoction was used as a tonic in ancient times. It can warm up Yang, help restore physical strength and improve mental state.
Bidirectional regulation: Guizhi Decoction has a bidirectional regulating effect on body temperature, sweat gland secretion, blood pressure, immune function and gastrointestinal motility. It can reduce fever and lower temperature, dispel cold and raise temperature, and regulate large intestine function, and treat constipation caused by long-term diarrhea, qi stagnation and colon spasm due to poor spleen function and poor metabolism.
Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral: Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Guizhi Decoction has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral effects, and can lower blood sugar and protect the cardiovascular system.
Cinnamon twig and ginger together have the power to dispel wind and cold, cinnamon twig, licorice and jujube together have the function of dispelling exterior pathogens and strengthening the exterior, cinnamon twig and peony together can harmonize the nutrition and defense, peony and licorice together can nourish yin and fluid.
In short, this prescription can cure all symptoms of wind-cold in the exterior and disharmony between the Ying and Wei. In addition, it is also suitable for digestive system diseases such as indigestion and poor digestion due to spleen deficiency. It can regulate gastrointestinal function, relieve abdominal discomfort or pain, poor appetite and other symptoms, and regulate large intestine function to treat chronic diseases.
Guizhi decoction is also effective for circulatory system diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetic heart autonomic neuropathy, can regulate heart rate and blood pressure, treat tachycardia and arrhythmia, and improve heart function. It is also suitable for sports system diseases such as muscle joint pain, relieving symptoms of neck muscle strain, shoulder muscle injury, acute back sprain, chronic lumbar muscle strain, etc.
Guizhi decoction can also treat nervous system diseases such as insomnia, excessive sleep, and forgetfulness, endocrine system diseases such as spontaneous sweating and diaphoresis, and gynecological diseases such as menstrual disorders, pregnancy disorders, and postpartum disorders. Guizhi decoction also has significant therapeutic effects on pediatric diseases such as anorexia and malnutrition, dermatological diseases such as erythema multiforme and eczema, and other diseases such as asthenia syndrome and allergic rhinitis.
Guizhi Decoction has a wide range of indications for treating skin diseases. It is mainly used for skin diseases with thin white tongue coating, slow or slippery pulse, wind-cold invasion, disharmony between Ying and Wei, blood stasis, and symptoms that occur in winter and improve in spring. However, it is contraindicated for skin diseases with thin yellow or greasy tongue coating, thin and slippery pulse, damp-heat or blood heat, and symptoms that occur in summer and improve in winter.
Diet therapy combined with adjunctive therapy
While using Guizhi Decoction, proper diet therapy can further enhance its efficacy, help the body better regulate nutrition and defense, and relieve related symptoms. The following are some specific diet therapy methods:
Ginger Date Tea
Ingredients : 5 slices of ginger, 5 dates.
Method : Put ginger and dates into a pot, add appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, then drink the soup.
Efficacy : Ginger and jujube have the effects of warming the middle and dispelling cold, nourishing the middle and replenishing Qi, and are suitable for auxiliary treatment of cinnamon twig soup.
Cinnamon Twig Porridge
Ingredients : 5 grams of cinnamon twig, 100 grams of rice.
Method : Put cinnamon twigs into a pot, add appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, remove the residue and take the juice, add rice and cook into porridge.
Efficacy : Guizhi porridge has the effect of inducing sweating, relieving exterior symptoms, and harmonizing the Ying and Wei systems. It is suitable for patients with colds, fevers, sweating, and bad wind.
Peony Soup
Ingredients : 10 grams of peony, 5 grams of roasted licorice.
Method : Put peony and licorice into a pot, add appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, then drink the soup.
Efficacy : Peony Decoction has the effects of nourishing yin and nourishing the body, and relieving pain, and is suitable as an auxiliary treatment for cinnamon twig decoction.
Precautions for use
Although Guizhi Tang has significant therapeutic effects, it also has contraindications. It is not suitable for people with wind-cold and no sweat, those with depression and internal heat, those who cannot sweat and are irritable, and those with early stage of febrile disease, internal heat, thirst, and rapid pulse. During the medication period, it is forbidden to eat raw, cold, sticky, meat, alcohol, or smelly food. After taking the medicine, you should eat a lot of hot porridge or boiled water, and then cover yourself with a quilt to sweat slightly.
Conclusion
As a treasure of traditional Chinese medicine, Guizhi Tang has a long history and excellent efficacy. It not only played an important role in ancient wars, but is also widely used in modern medicine to treat a variety of diseases. Cherish this gift from our ancestors and use Guizhi Tang correctly, so that the ancient wisdom can continue to flourish in modern life and bring us more health and well-being.