Schisandra Fruit is the mature fruit of the Magnoliaceae plant Northern Schisandra Fruit and Central China Schisandra Fruit (orange magnoliavine fruit). Northern Schisandra Fruit is traditionally used as the authentic product, mainly produced in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, Hubei, Shanxi, and other regions; orange magnoliavine fruit is mainly produced in the southwest and areas south of the Yangtze River. The original plant Schisandra Fruit grows in sunny mountain slopes, forest edges, and shrubs near streams at altitudes below 1500 meters; Central China Schisandra Fruit grows in dense forests or near streams at altitudes of 600 to 2400 meters. It prefers cool and humid climates, is cold-resistant, but not waterlogging-tolerant, and thrives best in loose, fertile, humus-rich soil. It has a sour taste and warm nature. It belongs to the lung, kidney, and heart meridians. Its effects include astringing the lung and nourishing the kidney, promoting fluid production and astringing sweat, consolidating essence and stopping diarrhea, and tranquilizing the mind and calming the spirit. Clinical names include Schisandra Fruit, wine Schisandra Fruit, vinegar Schisandra Fruit, and charred Schisandra Fruit.
bubble_chart Compendium of Materia Medica
Shennong Bencao Jing: Sour taste, warm. Mainly tonifies qi, treats cough and upward qi, fatigue and emaciation, supplements deficiencies, strengthens yin, and benefits male essence.
Mingyi Bielu: Non-toxic. Mainly nourishes the five zang organs, eliminates heat, and generates muscles in the yin.
Yaoxing Lun: Monarch. Can treat middle qi lowering, stop vomiting and counterflow, supplement various deficiency fatigues, make the body radiant, and eliminate heat. Used for patients with deficiency and cough.
Rihuazi Bencao: Improves vision, warms the water organ, treats wind, lowers qi, aids digestion, cholera muscle cramps, abdominal mass, running-piglet, cold qi, reduces edema, antiemetic, relieves heart and abdominal qi distension, quenches thirst, eliminates irritability and heat, detoxifies alcohol, and strengthens tendons and bones.
Kaibao Bencao: Sour taste, warm, non-toxic. Nourishes the five zang-organs, eliminates heat, and generates muscles in the yin.
Bencao Yanyi: For people with lung deficiency and cold, it can be made into a decoction and taken regularly. Benjing states it is warm, but now eating it often causes deficiency heat, especially in children. Yaoxing Lun: It is said to eliminate heat. "Rihuazi": Also said to warm the water organ, and to eliminate irritability and heat. Later scholars are often confused by this. Now it is used to treat lung deficiency and cold, so the claim of eliminating irritability and heat is not accepted. It is also used in tonifying lower medicines. Used in medicine after drying, without removing the seeds."Yao Lei Fa Xiang": Warm in nature, sour in taste.
Greatly benefits the qi of the five zang-organs. Sun Simiao said: Take Schisandra Fruit regularly in May to tonify the qi of the five zang-organs. During the summer and late summer, when people feel tired and weak, it is due to lack of qi. Use Astragalus Root, Ginseng, Ophiopogon Tuber, and a little Phelloendron Bark, decoct and take to make people energetic and strong.
"Medicinal Property Rhyme": Sour taste, warm nature, non-toxic. Descending, yin. Its uses are four: nourishes insufficient water in the kidney meridian, astringes the dispersed metal of lung qi, eliminates irritability and heat, promotes fluid production to quench thirst, tonifies deficiency and fatigue, tonifies qi and strengthens yin.
Tangye Bencao: Warm in nature, sour in taste, yin within yang. Sour and slightly bitter, strong taste and light qi, yin within slight yang, non-toxic.
Enters the hand Taiyin meridian, enters the foot Shaoyin meridian.
"Xiang" says: Greatly benefits the five zang-organs.
Sun Simiao said: Take Schisandra Fruit regularly in May to tonify the qi of the five zang-organs. During the summer and late summer, when people feel tired and weak, it is due to lack of qi. Use Astragalus Root, Ginseng, Ophiopogon Tuber, and a little Phelloendron Bark, decoct and take to make people energetic and strong. Use raw.
"Zhen" says: Treats cough.
"Xin" says: Astringes lung qi, tonifies insufficient qi, ascending. Sour to astringe counterflow qi, lung cold qi counterflow, use this medicine with Dried Ginger to treat.
"Materia Medica" says: Mainly treats cough and upward qi, fatigue and emaciation, supplements deficiencies, tonifies qi and strengthens yin, benefits essence, nourishes the five zang-organs, eliminates heat.
"Rihuazi" says: Improves vision, warms the water organ, treats wind, lowers qi and aids digestion. Cholera muscle cramps, abdominal mass, running-piglet cold qi. Reduces edema, antiemetic, relieves heart and abdominal qi distension. Quenches thirst, eliminates irritability and heat, detoxifies alcohol, strengthens tendons and bones. Five flavors: skin sweet, flesh sour, kernel bitter and pungent, all have a salty taste, hence named Schisandra Fruit. Zhang Zhongjing's Eight Flavor Pill uses this as Kidney Qi Pill, describing its class and form.Sun Zhenren said: In June, one should often take Schisandra Fruit to benefit the Qi of the lung metal. Above, it nourishes the source; below, it tonifies the kidneys. Therefore, it enters the hand Taiyin,
The Foot Shaoyin.
Bencao Yanyi Buyi: Belongs to water and contains wood and metal. Now referred to as the five flavors, its true nature is not understood. It greatly aids in collecting lung qi, hence it has the function of tonifying the kidneys. Is collecting lung qi not the same as eliminating heat? Is tonifying the kidneys not the same as warming the water organ? Consuming it often leads to deficiency heat, likely due to the suddenness of its astringent and tonifying effects, what confusion is there? It is also said: It must be used for fiery heat cough.
Bencao Fahui: Cheng Liaoshe said: Neijing says: The lungs desire to collect, urgently consume sour to collect it. The sourness of Peony Root and Schisandra Fruit is used to collect rebellious qi and calm the lungs.
Jiegu said: Schisandra Fruit greatly benefits the qi of the five zang organs. Sun Zhenren said: In May, one should often consume Schisandra Fruit to tonify the qi of the five zang organs. During the late summer, it causes people to feel fatigued and weak, without energy to move. With Astragalus Root, Ginseng, Ophiopogon Tuber, and a little Phelloendron Bark, chopped and decocted into a soup, it makes people's spirit and essential qi both sufficient, and their strength surges. Use it raw.
Bencao Gangmu: Sour and salty enter the liver and tonify the kidneys; bitter and pungent enter the heart and tonify the lungs; sweet enters the middle palace and benefits the spleen and stomach.
Used cooked in tonifying medicines, used raw in cough medicines.
Bencao Jingshu: Schisandra Fruit obtains the yin of the earth and also the yang qi of heaven, hence Benjing says it is sour in taste, warm in qi, with a taste that combines five flavors and is non-toxic. Wang Haogu said: Sour in taste, slightly bitter and salty. Yin with a slight yang. Enters the Foot Shaoyin, Hand Taiyin blood aspect, and the Foot Shaoyin qi division. It mainly tonifies qi, as the lungs govern all qi, sour can collect, directly entering the lungs to tonify them, hence it tonifies qi. As for treating cough and upward qi, qi deficiency causes upward congestion and not returning to the origin, sour collects it, drawing qi back to the origin, thus cough and upward qi are naturally eliminated. It treats labor damage, emaciation, tonifies deficiencies, strengthens yin, and benefits male essence. Bielu nourishes the five zang-organs, eliminates heat, generates muscles within yin, Schisandra Fruit specifically tonifies the kidneys, also tonifies the five zang-organs. The kidneys store essence, when essence is abundant yin is strong, astringency draws vital qi back to the origin, warming the dantian, transforming water and grains into essence, thus essence is naturally generated, essence generation leads to yin growth, hence it treats the above-mentioned diseases. Yaoxing Lun says: Schisandra Fruit can treat middle lowering qi, stop vomiting, tonify various deficiency fatigues, make the body joyful and moist, eliminate heat qi, for patients with deficiency and qi with cough, add and use it. Rihuazi says: Warms the water organ, lowers qi, running-piglet cold qi, eliminates edema, counterflow stomach, heart and abdominal qi distension, quenches thirst and eliminates vexing heat, resolves alcohol toxicity, strengthens sinews and bones, all are its great effects.Simple errors: Initial outbreak of measles, and all retained fluids, liver has moving qi, lung excess with real heat, when Skullcap Root is needed to drain heat, all are contraindicated.
Bencao Mengquan: Sour in taste, warm in qi. Light in qi, heavy in taste, descending, yang with slight yin. Non-toxic. North and south each have their strengths, storage must not be mixed. Wind-cold cough, southern five flavors are remarkable, deficiency damage and labor damage, northern five flavors are most wonderful. Averse to Polyghace Seche, overcomes Aconite Mother Root. With Cistanche as a guide, enters the lung and kidney meridians. Collects and astringes scattered metal, nourishes and aids insufficient water. Promotes fluid production to quench thirst, tonifies qi and strengthens yin. Drives away vexing heat, tonifies original yang. Resolves alcohol toxicity, strengthens sinews and bones. Cholera and diarrhea can be stopped, edema and abdominal distension and fullness can be eliminated. Winter cough and lung cold, add Dried Ginger and decoct into a soup for efficacy; summer divine power fatigue, with Ginseng, Astragalus Root, Ophiopogon Tuber, Phelloendron Bark skin. Take for good effect. For those with heat cough and excessive fire qi, do not suddenly use cold and cool medicines, must rely on this sour flavor to astringe and bind. However, it should not be overused, if overused it will trap the pathogen. Fear it may lead to deficiency heat causing calamity. Because the skin is sweet, the flesh is sour, the core is bitter and pungent, all with a salty taste, hence it is named Schisandra Fruit. Benjing only removes the sour, originally the Five Phases come first. Should be pounded in advance, then the five flavors are complete. Then add to the decoction.
《Materia Medica Chenya》: The mysterious, the initial movement of one yang, the half of winter's abundance. The qi of the human body, what is stored is essence, what can move the essence is the mysterious. What the mysterious has not reached, is precisely what the essence has closed and secured, hence another name is Xuanji. The marrow meeting is essence, hence another name is Huiji. The meaning of the meeting character, like the skeleton meeting to become essence, one drop generates a person, all forms are complete.
Also benefits the insufficiency of descending qi, precisely what strengthens yin. If yin is deep and curved, consuming it will lead to bland yin, heavily increasing miserly appearances.
All five flavors are present, with a particular emphasis on sourness and astringency. The heavy serves as the root of the light, enabling the light to follow the heavy, thus enhancing the purgation of qi. For those with cough and upward qi, it is due to the insufficiency of lung function, which cannot descend naturally to follow the command of downward and inward movement. For those who are emaciated due to overwork and injury, as the classic text states: excessive labor leads to the exhaustion of essence, causing scorching syncope and the decay of flesh. This treatment replenishes the deficiency caused by overwork and injury, enhancing the insufficient purgation, contrary to the treatment of tonifying the middle and replenishing qi, which cannot ascend and emerge. The ability to descend signifies strong descent, and strong yin can then enter. Since entering is the affair of the water organ, it benefits the essence of men. Essence is the substance of the water organ. If the six excesses externally bind, and the lung qi is scorched and full, consuming it will instead lead evil into the organ, with no chance of escape. Even if one survives, it will require the summer fire to bring it out from within, either as rashes or sores and ulcers, and only then will sweating resolve it. If the condition is not deeply understood, I urge caution and care.
《Medicinal property explanation》: Schisandra Fruit, the taste of the skin and flesh is sweet and sour, the core is bitter and pungent, and all have a salty taste, possessing all five flavors, hence the name. It is warm in nature, non-toxic, and enters the lung and kidney meridians. It nourishes the insufficient water in the kidneys and astringes the dispersed lung qi. It relieves irritability and heat, promotes fluid production to quench thirst; tonifies deficiency and fatigue, tonifies qi and strengthens yin. Cistanche is its adjuvant, it is incompatible with Polygonatum odoratum, and superior to Aconite Mother Root. The northern variety is of good quality.
Note: The five flavors belong to water, and include wood, fire, earth, and metal, thus although it enters the lung and kidney, it tonifies all five zang-organs, making it an essential medicine for generating fluids and a wonderful astringent. However, excessive consumption can lead to deficiency heat, due to the suddenness of its astringent and tonifying effects. If cold and cool herbs are used for fire-induced cough, it may cause conflict, so this sour astringent should be used to lower it, but sparingly. It is contraindicated for lung fire stagnation and the initial onset of cold pathogens, especially in children, as sourness can induce phlegm and provoke cough.
Yaojian: Warm in qi, sour in taste, non-toxic, thin in qi and thick in taste, descending, yin in nature. It is a medicine for the lung and kidney meridians. It mainly nourishes kidney water and astringes lung qi. It relieves irritability, quenches thirst, and generates fluids, tonifies deficiency, tonifies qi, and strengthens yin. It can stop cholera and diarrhea, and can reduce edema, abdominal distension, and fullness. In winter for cough and lung cold, adding Dried Ginger and Cassia Bark is effective. In summer for fatigue and weakness, taking it with Ginseng, Astragalus, and Malt is beneficial. It is said to strengthen tendons because its sourness enters the tendons. It is also said to detoxify alcohol, why? Because alcohol toxicity injures the lungs and causes lung heat, and this astringent can astringe lung qi and release pathogenic heat. It is also said to lower qi, why? Because the lungs dislike rising qi, and once lung qi is astringed, qi naturally descends. However, excessive consumption can lead to deficiency heat, due to the suddenness of its astringent effects, so it should be used sparingly. Moreover, sourness can induce phlegm and provoke cough, so for those with strong lung pathogens, it is better to use yellow Schisandra Fruit, which is slightly heavier in pungency and sweetness and can disperse.
Jingyue Quanshu: The skin is sweet, the flesh is sour, the nature is neutral and astringent; the kernel is bitter and pungent, warm and warming, all with a salty taste, hence the name five flavors. It enters the lung and kidney meridians. The southern variety treats wind-cold cough, the northern variety treats deficiency and fatigue. The whole fruit is used for its sourness, to generate fluids, quench thirst, stop diarrhea, and relieve irritability. It treats dispersed lung metal and nourishes insufficient kidney water, can astringe deficiency fire, and also detoxifies alcohol. The crushed form is used for its pungent warmth, to tonify primordial yang, strengthen tendons and bones, support the life gate, and stop cholera. However, it should be avoided for initial cold-induced cough, as it may astringe and not disperse. It should be avoided for liver excess and acid regurgitation, as it may assist wood and injure earth.
Bencao Beiyao: Tonifies the lungs and kidneys, astringes essential qi.
Warm in nature, possesses all five flavors, the skin is sweet, the flesh is sour, the core is bitter and pungent, all with a salty taste. Sour and salty are predominant. Thus it specializes in astringing lung qi and nourishing kidney water, as qi is the mother of water. The classic says: The lungs desire to astringe, urgently consume sour to astringe. Haogu said: Hand Taiyin blood aspect, foot Shaoyin qi division. Tonifies qi and generates fluids, the lungs govern qi, astringent thus can benefit, tonifies qi thus can generate fluids. It should be taken regularly in summer, to drain fire and benefit metal. Tonifies deficiency and improves vision, strengthens yin and astringes essence, Zhang Zhongjing's Eight-Ingredient Pill adds it to tonify the kidneys, as the kernel resembles the kidneys, symbolizing form. Reduces heat and astringes sweat, stops vomiting and diarrhea, calms cough and stabilizes panting, for wind-cold induced panting and cough, it should be dispersed, suitable with Notopterygium, Saposhnikovia, Perilla, and Platycodon; for phlegm congestion and qi counterflow induced panting and cough, it should be cleared and lowered, suitable with Two-Cured and Perilla Fruit Qi-Descending Decoction; for water qi counterflow induced panting and cough, suitable with Minor Bluegreen Dragon and Pinellia Poria Decoction; for qi deficiency and prolonged illness induced panting and cough, suitable with Ginseng and five flavors. Relieves irritability and thirst, reduces edema, detoxifies alcohol, astringes dispersed qi. Pupil dilation, initial cough, rapid pulse with real fire are contraindicated. Danxi said: Five flavors astringe lung qi, does it not reduce heat? Tonifies the kidneys, does it not warm the fire organ? Thus it is a necessary medicine for fire-heat cough. Kou's so-called excessive consumption leading to deficiency heat is due to the suddenness of its astringent and tonifying effects. Min Shouquan swallows thirty northern five flavors every morning to stabilize essential qi and benefit the five zang-organs. The northern variety, purple-black, is of good quality. For tonifying medicine, it is steamed with honey, for cough medicine, it is used raw, both with crushed kernels. The southern variety is red and dry, suitable for wind-cold in the lungs. Cistanche is its adjuvant. Incompatible with Polyghace Seche. Boiling into a paste is good.
Benjing Fengyuan: Schisandra Fruit, the life gate of the right kidney. Benjing primarily treats cough and upward qi, strengthens yin and benefits male essence, suitable for those with non-interaction between the heart and kidney. It enters both the lung and kidney meridians, with a sour taste that astringes scattered metal, and a warm nature that nourishes insufficient water. It promotes fluid production to quench thirst, tonifies qi to strengthen yin, strengthens water to calm yang, astringes dilated pupils, and stabilizes breathing and sweating. When combined with Dried Ginger, it treats winter lung cold cough; when combined with Ginseng and Ophiopogon, it treats summer fatigue. For chronic cough with deficient heat, do not mistakenly use dispersing agents; instead, use the sour and salty parts of the fruit to nourish and transform. It should not be overused, as excessive astringency may lead to obstruction and deficient heat. Evening cough, caused by water floating in the lungs, should not be treated with cooling herbs but with Schisandra Fruit to astringe and descend. However, it is contraindicated in cases of external wind pathogens, initial smallpox, any stagnant fluids, and lung heat.
Bencao Chongyuan: Schisandra Fruit has five flavors and is salty, embodying the essence of the Five Evolutive Phases. Its nature is sour and warm, deriving the growth energy of the East, thus it primarily tonifies qi. The lungs govern respiration, originating from the kidneys, with the upper and lower parts interacting. Cough and upward qi indicate a lack of interaction between the lungs and kidneys. Schisandra Fruit can activate the fire essence of the kidneys, ascending to the lungs, thus treating cough and upward qi. Originating from the innate water, it transforms into the acquired wood, enabling the five zang-organs to mutually generate, ensuring sufficient essential qi, thus treating fatigue, injury, emaciation, and replenishing deficiencies. Its kernel resembles the kidney, generating saliva upon ingestion, thus strengthening yin. Women are deficient in blood, men in essence, hence it benefits men's essence.
Bencao Qiuzhen: [Comment] Astringes the lungs and returns to the kidneys, secures essence and stabilizes qi.
The five flavors specifically enter the lungs and kidneys. Although there are five flavors, the skin is sweet, the flesh sour, the kernel bitter and pungent, all salty. Sour and salty dominate, its nature is warm, hence it is recorded to astringe qi, nourish water, tonify qi, generate saliva, tonify deficiency, improve vision, strengthen yin, secure essence, stop vomiting, eliminate diarrhea, calm cough, stabilize breathing, relieve restlessness, quench thirst, reduce swelling, counteract alcohol, and gather dispersed qi. Pupil dilation is treated, making it an essential medicine for protecting the lungs and nourishing the kidneys. Cheng Wu-ji said: The lungs desire to astringe, urgently consume sour to astringe. Zhenheng said: Schisandra Fruit can astringe lung qi, hence it has the effect of tonifying the kidneys. Astringing lung qi is not about eliminating heat; tonifying the kidneys is not about warming the water organ, hence it is a necessary medicine for hot coughs. Haogu said: Zhang Zhong-jing's Eight Flavor Pill uses this to tonify the kidneys, also explaining the analogy of form. Since qi originates from the kidneys and emerges from the lungs, if yin deficiency causes fire to rise, then qi disperses and does not astringe, leading to symptoms like restlessness, thirst, cough, seminal emission, and sweating, hence the necessity of using sour and salty to ensure qi has a destination, thus eliminating all diseases. The claim that it can eliminate heat refers to qi astringing and fire not manifesting externally; the claim that it can warm the water organ refers to the kidneys being warmed and qi being warmed and stored. However, it is contraindicated in cases of initial cold invasion and strong fire pulse. Gao said: External pathogens should not be abruptly treated, as it may trap pathogenic qi, it is necessary to first disperse and then use it for good effect.
Depei Bencao: Cistanche serves as its envoy. It is incompatible with Polyghace Seche. It surpasses Aconite Mother Root.
The skin and flesh are sweet and sour, the kernel bitter and pungent, all warm in nature. It enters the lung meridian's blood aspect and the kidney meridian's qi aspect. It astringes the lung meridian's dispersed qi, returns to the kidneys' scattered essence. It gathers the dilated pupil, astringes yin-yang's excessive sweating. It reduces deficiency heat, stops restlessness and thirst, stabilizes breathing, stops cough, strengthens water, and calms yang.
Assisted by Pineilia, it treats phlegm; assisted by Donkey-hide Gelatin, it stabilizes breathing; assisted by Dried Ginger, it treats winter cold cough; assisted by Ginseng and Astragalus, it treats summer fatigue; assisted by Chastetree Fruit, it washes inflamed wind eyes; assisted by Ophiopogon Tuber and Gallnut, it treats evening cough. Combined with Evodia Fruit, it treats kidney diarrhea, i.e., diarrhea before dawn. Made into pills with vinegar, it treats flank and back pain.
Evening cough is due to fire qi floating into the lungs, not suitable for cooling agents, but suitable for Schisandra Fruit and Gallnut to astringe and descend.
For consumptive cough, use the northern variety; for wind-cold, use the southern variety. For tonics, use cooked; for treating deficiency fire, use raw. To astringe the lungs, use less; to enrich yin, use more. To stop diarrhea, crush; to benefit the kidneys, do not grind. To moisten the lungs and nourish water, mix with honey and steam.
Excessive use can block meridians, causing original qi to stagnate and transform into fire.
Contraindicated in cases of initial cough and diarrhea with real fire.
Zhang Zhong-jing's Eight Flavor Pill removes Aconite Lateral Root, adds Schisandra Fruit to gather true essence, ensuring the lower dantian is warm, ripening the five grains, most stable. Since the kidneys store essence, abundant essence ensures fire is nourished and does not disperse, far superior to Aconite Lateral Root's fire assistance drying water.
Bencao Jing Jie: Schisandra Fruit's qi is warm, inheriting the spring rising wood qi of heaven, entering the gallbladder meridian of foot shaoyang; its flavor is sour and non-toxic, obtaining the eastern wood flavor of earth, entering the liver meridian of foot jueyin. Qi rises and flavor descends, it is yin. The gallbladder is the origin of vitality; the liver is the organ that generates blood and qi. The five flavors warm the gallbladder, sour flavor benefits the liver, benefiting the liver thus tonifies qi.
Liver blood deficiency leads to dry wood and flaming fire, leading to cough and upward qi. Schisandra Fruit's sour astringes, warmth moves, excessive sourness moistens the liver, and fire does not flame.
Insufficient liver qi leads to inability to endure labor, labor injures vital qi, and liver disease affects the spleen, the spleen governs muscles, hence muscle emaciation. Schisandra Fruit's sour nourishes the liver, warmth treats fatigue, hence it treats fatigue, injury, and emaciation.
The liver and gallbladder are the eastern zang-fu organs of generation, promoting the flourishing of all things and expelling pathogens from the exterior. The liver and gallbladder's generation ensures the other organs follow in dispersion, Schisandra Fruit benefits gallbladder qi and nourishes liver blood, thus replenishing deficiencies.
The yin is all tendons. The liver governs the tendons, and the sour flavor benefits the liver. When the liver is vigorous, the yin is strong. Sour and warm substances converge the primordial yang, and convergence gives rise to yin. The essence is the quintessence of yin qi, which benefits the essence of men.
Shennong Bencao Jingdu: The temperature is warm and the taste is sour. It obtains the qi of longevity from the east and governs wind. People are in the wind but do not know the wind, just as fish are in water but do not see the water. The breath of a person's nose comes in and out, and if it leaves the wind for a moment, they will die. This shows that the reason people live is because of the wind. Wind qi connects with the liver, which is the wood qi of human life. Zhuangzi said, "The wild horses and the dust, the breath of living things blows each other." The word "breath" has two meanings: one is growth, and the other is rest. Schisandra Fruit warms to promote the flourishing of wood qi and sours to astringe the return of wood qi to its root. Both growth and rest serve to enhance the endless qi of life.
If the qi is not regulated, cough and rising qi are caused by wind wood carrying fire qi to overcome metal.
It leads to fatigue, emaciation, impotence, and essence deficiency, which is what the "Jinkui" refers to as "deficiency fatigue and various deficiencies, wind qi and all diseases." Wind qi connects with the liver. The ancient sages proposed the major concept of "deficiency fatigue," but unfortunately, later generations could not clarify its meaning. Schisandra Fruit, in tonifying qi, possesses the wonderful ability to open, close, ascend, and descend, which is why it is generally used for these conditions.
Various scholars from the Tang and Song dynasties have said that it has five flavors and can treat the five zang-organs; some say its sourness astringes the lungs, its black color enters the kidneys, and its seed resembles the kidney and thus tonifies the kidneys. These are speculative statements and not definitive conclusions.
However, when the liver is regulated, the five zang-organs receive their vital qi and are at peace, which is the underlying principle of the Benjing. Zhongjing used Dried Ginger to assist its warming qi, making the qi, blood, and flavor mutually beneficial and more effective, which is a method of complementing nature.
Shennong Bencao Jing Hundred Records: Sour in taste, warm in nature. It primarily tonifies qi; when qi is astringed, it benefits. Cough and rising qi are governed by lung qi; when lung qi is astringed, cough is eliminated, and qi is also lowered. Fatigue, emaciation, and deficiency are treated by tonifying what is lacking. When qi is astringed and stored, diseases do not invade, and the body becomes strong. Strengthening yin, when qi is astringed, it returns to yin. It benefits male essence. The kidneys govern storage, and essence is what the kidneys store. Therefore, astringent substances all benefit the kidneys. The five flavors and its shape resemble the kidneys, making it an essential medicine for tonifying the kidneys.
This is treatment based on taste. All sour flavors are astringent, and the five flavors are extremely sour, thus extremely astringent. Extremity does not stop at astringency but also includes storage. Storage is the command of winter, which belongs to the kidneys, so the five flavors can tonify the kidneys.
Benjing Shuzheng: The flesh of the five flavors is initially sour and then sweet, with less sweetness and more sourness. The core is first pungent and then bitter, with less pungency and more bitterness. However, both carry a salty taste. Among the five flavors, sourness is predominant, followed by bitterness. It sprouts in spring, blooms between spring and summer, and bears fruit in autumn. It originates from wood, flourishes in fire, and completes in metal. When the qi completes in metal, the sour taste becomes predominant, indicating the interaction between the lung and the liver. The liver interacts with the lung and reaches the spleen, which then combines with the lung to return to the kidney. This completes the three yin qi, which is collected and descends, and yin follows accordingly. When qi, following the taste, reaches the kidney, is the kidney not the organ that receives qi? This is why the Benjing primarily treats tonifying qi, followed by cough and upward qi. But what about the claims of replenishing deficiencies from overwork, strengthening yin, and benefiting essence? The kidney is responsible for receiving the essence of the five zang and six fu-organs and storing it, while the lung governs the qi of the five zang and six fu-organs. The kidney qi originally ascends to the lung, and the lung qi descends to the kidney, as a single qi circulates between them. If the six excesses and seven emotions dissipate it, causing the lung to lose its descending function and not return, the original qi will dissipate and weaken daily. Returning to the kidney allows the vital qi to return to its source and strengthen daily. Schisandra Fruit can gather various qi into the kidney, which then becomes the essence of the five zang and six fu-organs, and the kidney receives and stores it. The "Yin-Yang Response Theory" states that qi returns to essence, and essence transforms into qi. It also says that essence consumes qi, and qi generates form. Isn't this evidence that abundant qi leads to abundant essence? Some may ask, why can Schisandra Fruit treat coughs regardless of cold or heat? Because within yang qi, the ability to descend is key. In heat, yang pathogens harm yin; in cold, yin pathogens harm yang, but both ultimately affect yin. Therefore, cooling yang pathogens and collecting yin makes Schisandra Fruit highly suitable. Dispelling yang pathogens to invigorate yang must also involve collecting yin, as the lung, which governs descent, contains yin within yang. Wang Yu-tai said, people know to regulate qi, but only yang qi. How can they understand the mechanism of disease governed by the Five Evolutive Phases, which is a single qi's transformation into yin and yang? The qi of zang-fu organs is no different. Therefore, when treating lung qi disorders like cough or asthma, one must first understand the descent of yin within yang and then examine the mechanism of disease. Whether caused by external pathogens or internal damage, or whether yang damages yin or yin damages yang, treatment should address the root cause. For yang pathogens damaging yin, this is the correct treatment. But if yang pathogens are intense and one hastily collects, won't this trap the pathogen? For yin pathogens damaging yang, this is not suitable. However, once yin pathogens are removed, yang qi may weaken due to dispersion. Shouldn't one then collect yin while tonifying yang, so yang has something to rely on? Thus, the use of Schisandra Fruit lies in recognizing the timing, assessing the situation, and acting accordingly. Why distinguish between cold and heat?
In the discussion of cold-damage disease, whenever there is a cough, Schisandra Fruit and Dried Ginger are always added. Isn't this disregarding the distinction between the exterior and interior? The classics say that spleen qi disperses essence upwards to the lungs. Therefore, although cough is a lung disease, its root actually lies in the spleen. Only when the essence dispersed by the spleen to the lungs is not clear, the lung's function of dredging and regulating water passages is not properly maintained. Later generations, when treating cough, only know to moisten the lungs and disperse phlegm, not realizing that moistening the lungs makes them even less clear, and dispersing phlegm only treats the spleen, which is ultimately of no benefit to what remains in the lungs. Dried Ginger warms the spleen and lungs, treating the source of the cough; when the source is clear, the root of the cough is cut off. Five flavors cause lung qi to descend to the kidneys, opening the pathway for the cough; when the pathway is clear, qi is properly regulated and descends. Considering both substances together, they represent an opening and closing mechanism. To close when one should open is like locking the door to chase away a thief; to open when one should close risks the depletion of body fluids. Therefore, in formulas like Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction, Minor Bupleurum Decoction, True Warrior Decoction, and Cold-Limbs Powder, which include cough, these are used without concern for the distinction between exterior and interior.
The conditions treated by Schisandra Fruit in cold-damage disease only mention cough, Jingui Yaolue also mentions upward qi, such as in Belamcanda and Ephedra Decoction for cough with upward qi and a sound like a water bird in the throat; Minor Green-Blue Dragon Plus Gypsum Decoction for lung distension, cough with upward qi, dysphoria, and panting. The key point in cold-damage disease, regardless of whether it is taiyang, shaoyang, or shaoyin, is that Schisandra Fruit and Dried Ginger can be added for any cough. Miscellaneous diseases have their own forms, as in the case of cough with a floating pulse, where Magnolia Bark and Ephedra Decoction is the main treatment, which encapsulates the main idea of the entire book. Observe whether Jingui Yaolue includes cases of a sunken pulse treated with Schisandra Fruit. Schisandra Fruit originally only collects yin within yang qi; it is not suitable for other cases. Therefore, to collect yang within yin qi, Aconite Lateral Root and Dried Ginger must be used; to collect yin qi, Rehmannia and Donkey-hide Gelatin must be used; to collect yang within yang qi, Fossil Bone and oyster shell must be used. Cold-damage disease is yang, and damage to yin qi within yang is most common, so it is not necessary to distinguish whether the pulse is floating or sunken, as in True Warrior Decoction, where the pulse is definitely sunken, without doubt. Miscellaneous diseases may arise from yang or be caused by yin, so the use of Schisandra Fruit must consider a floating pulse, and it must not be used recklessly. Miscellaneous diseases arising from yang often scorch yin, and those arising from yin often consume yang. To scorch yin and then use five flavors to collect yin would deplete yin; to consume yang's yin and then use five flavors to collect it is truly to mistake the thief for one's own child. Therefore, in conditions like Belamcanda and Ephedra Decoction, Magnolia Bark and Ephedra Decoction, and Cinnamon and Poria Five Flavors Licorice Root Decoction, all are upper energizer yang diseases with fluid retention, and one should rely on a floating pulse and absence of thirst as the basis before five flavors can be used. The principle is seen in the addition of Dried Ginger and Asarum to Cinnamon and Poria Five Flavors Licorice Root Decoction, which states that Asarum and Dried Ginger are hot drugs, and taking them should cause thirst; if thirst stops, it indicates thoracic fluid retention. This is consistent with the principle that thirst after taking Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction indicates that the cold is leaving and the condition is resolving, and thirst after taking Minor Bupleurum Decoction indicates that it belongs to yangming. These principles are interconnected, without distinction between cold-damage disease and miscellaneous diseases. In summary, Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction syndrome may involve upward qi, while Magnolia Bark and Ephedra Decoction syndrome originally does not mention upward qi. Therefore, the presence or absence of upward qi is not crucial for the use of five flavors; only a floating pulse and absence of thirst are the key points.
Cough with upward qi and absence of thirst is the basis for using Schisandra Fruit, which seems reasonable, but Qianjin Fang treats consumptive thirst and specifically includes Schisandra Fruit, making the theory untenable. Qianjin Fang discusses consumptive thirst, which has four sources. The first is thirst with diarrhea, later called upper consumptive thirst; the second is internal consumption, later called middle consumptive thirst; the third is priapism; the fourth is consumptive thirst, these two later called lower consumptive thirst. The use of Schisandra Fruit is in one formula for priapism, treating kidney qi deficiency, consumptive thirst, frequent urination, and lumbago with Modified Kidney Decoction; in two formulas for consumptive thirst, treating deficiency fatigue thirst with Bone Filling Decoction; and treating deficiency heat, emaciation of the limbs, unceasing thirst and heat, consumptive thirst with Tonifying Deficiency Poria with Pine Powder. Thirst with diarrhea and internal consumption are not treated with it, which shows that it is unrelated to treating cough in the upper body. Cough in the upper body should guard against the presence of evil and fire; if purging fire, one should want to draw upper energizer yin within yang to assist, so why treat it the same as in the upper body?
Reading Benjing, the primary treatment of Schisandra Fruit, and then knowing the current treatment of diseases, there is a vast difference. The ancients treated diseases by seeking deficiency in excess diseases and seeking excess in deficiency diseases. Seeking deficiency in excess diseases, as recorded in the cold-damage disease theory, when the mechanism of disease is complex and pathogenic qi is at its peak, as soon as a sign of deficiency appears, they boldly used Ginseng, White Atractylodes Rhizome, Donkey-hide Gelatin, Rehmannia; seeking excess in deficiency diseases, as recorded in Jingui Yaolue, when five kinds of strain lead to extreme deficiency and emaciation, they primarily used Rhubarb and Ground Beetle Pill, and praised it as tonifying deficiency. Modern people treat diseases differently, treating excess as excess and deficiency as deficiency, thinking they have grasped the essence, but whether tonifying or purging, it ultimately does not meet our expectations. This is because they have not thoroughly studied the works of Nong Xuan and Zhongjing. Sun Zhenren deeply studied the works of Nong Xuan and Zhongjing, and now comparing Qianjin Fang with Benjing and Zhongjing, the conformity is remarkable, why? Because the treatment of cough and upward qi by Schisandra Fruit is to tonify qi, and the treatment of fatigue and emaciation is to supplement deficiency, hence the listed prescriptions, such as the prescription for cough and upward qi, using cultivated purple perilla fruit, Ephedra, Asarum, Fresh Ginger Rhizome, Pinellia, and other warm dispersing substances, fearing not only to disperse the evil in yang and expel the fluid in yang, but also to damage the yin in yang, Schisandra Fruit is used to protect it; the mysterious prescription for rising qi and inability to sleep, mixing Schisandra Fruit with tangerine peel, Fresh Ginger Rhizome, Perilla Leaf, has the same intention, to calm and lower qi and regulate the chest and ribs; and the Ginseng soup for treating guest heat, uses Ginseng, Astragalus Root, Liquorice Root, Chinese Date to tonify qi, Chinese Angelica, Peony Root to harmonize blood, warm substances like Dried Ginger, Cassia Central Bark, Pinellia, cool substances like Ophiopogon Tuber, diuretics like Poria, and purgatives like Immature Orange Fruit, fearing that tonification may not overcome purgation, and coolness may not overcome warmth, hence Schisandra Fruit is used in the middle to ensure purgation does not harm the right, and warmth does not deplete fluids, thus tonification is effective, is this not different from the Pepperweed Seed Chinese Date Lung-Draining Decoction for upward qi? As for tonifying lower formulas, there is the use of Schisandra Fruit in the prescription for male and female wind deficiency fatigue damage combined with lung qi; in warming and tonifying formulas, there is the use of Schisandra Fruit in the prescription for internal fatigue, shortness of breath, cold abdominal colic, rectal urgency, abdominal panting, back pain, and the Ten Thousand Gold Decoction for filling bones; in moistening and tonifying medicines, there is the use of Schisandra Fruit in the Ox Marrow Pill for general treatment of all diseases of deficiency and emaciation; in calming and astringent formulas, there is the use of Schisandra Fruit in the Lung Qi Quartz Pill for nourishing; others like the Ginseng soup for male five strains and seven injuries, the prescription for male five strains and seven injuries, eight winds, and twelve bi syndromes, tonifying all diseases of men, cannot be fully described, Chinese Yam powder, treating five kinds of strain, six extremes, seven damages, deficiency damage, treating all deficiency fatigue and hundred damages, incomparable Chinese Yam pill, treating male and female deficiency damage, dizziness, joint pain, reduced appetite, emaciation, and all diseases, the great Chinese Yam pill, too numerous to mention, all contain Schisandra Fruit, showing it is different from the Rhubarb Rhizoma Eupolyphaga Pill for deficiency fatigue, extending and expanding, its breadth is such, it is fitting that Benjing can summarize it in two words.
In the past, many people interpreted "strengthening yin" as "benefiting yin," but Chen Xiuyuan believed it could treat impotence, which is the most accurate. Benefiting male essence, Zhang Yinyan said that women are deficient in blood, and men are deficient in essence, so benefiting male essence is the least accurate. It does not say "benefiting yin qi," but "strengthening yin," which undoubtedly refers to strengthening all tendons. If one says that male essence is like female blood, then we have never heard of substances that specifically benefit female blood. Some may ask, how is female essence different from male essence? Although the ancients did not address this, Western scholars have. They roughly say that the virtue of the material essence (Westerners call essence "material essence") has two channels, which absorb from the major blood vessels throughout the body and return to the kidneys and testes. Women are no different from men, except that female testes are inside the abdomen, closer to the kidneys, so their channels are shorter. Male testes hang below the abdomen, farther from the kidneys, so their channels are longer. The material essence is not stored immediately after being absorbed by the blood vessels but is refined through a wrinkled and tortuous path after being absorbed by the kidneys. Shorter channels mean more wrinkles and twists, making the material essence easier to distinguish. From the testes upward to the yin, it is the expelling pathogen from exterior channel, which carries the material essence to the yin for reproductive purposes. Women's retracted genital disease inside is round, large, and hollow, while men's yin protrudes upward, with a tight and narrow passage. Thus, the expelling pathogen from exterior channel has differences in length and intensity, and the material essence has variations in warmth and dryness. This theory has not been mentioned by ancient sages, so its validity cannot be confirmed. However, Benjing Schisandra Fruit is said to strengthen yin and benefit male essence, clearly indicating it has no effect on women. This is somewhat understandable. The saltiness of Schisandra Fruit, combined with sourness, bitterness, sweetness, and pungency, undoubtedly moves from top to bottom, from the lungs to the kidneys. Its flesh, with its sweet, sour, and salty flavors, gathers the qi of the five zang-organs to the kidneys, while its core expels pathogens with bitterness and moves with pungency, aligning well with the expelling pathogen from exterior principle. It only strengthens yin and benefits male essence, having no effect on women, as women do not require the stimulation of bitterness and pungency.
The most difficult aspect of using Schisandra Fruit lies in treating hematemesis, specifically in stopping saliva and blood; in addressing bladder deficiency and excess, particularly in treating bladder deficiency and cold, lack of appetite, a face as black as charcoal, and pain in the waist and ribs; and in managing edema, specifically in treating deficiency fullness, generalized swelling, and promoting the triple energizer to clear the water passages with Polyporus Powder. However, the underlying principles can still be deduced. When stomach deficiency causes guest qi to rise, it results in belching, which is not a severe illness. Moreover, once it stops, why does saliva and blood reappear? This indicates that it was inappropriately stopped. Since it is not a severe illness and saliva and blood reappear after stopping, the belching has already been resolved, and the current issue is solely the presence of saliva and blood, which should not be attributed to the cessation of belching. Examining the prescribed formula, it seems that when stomach deficiency causes guest qi to rise, the descending force of the lungs is strong, pressing the guest qi and preventing it from rising. The conflict between ascending and descending not only injures qi but also damages blood. The formula to stop belching and saliva-blood is Magnolia Bark and Ephedra Decoction, with Asarum removed and Fresh Ginger Rhizome replacing Dried Ginger. The former treats floating pulse and cough, which is lung distension with rising qi, while the latter treats belching and hematemesis, which is lung distension with descending qi. For rising qi, Asarum is added to ensure thorough penetration; for descending qi, Fresh Ginger Rhizome replaces Dried Ginger to promote horizontal dispersion rather than central retention. Additionally, the formula to stop belching and saliva-blood includes a modified Yuebi Pinellia Decoction, lacking only Chinese Date and Liquorice Root. Yuebi Pinellia Decoction is a lung distension formula, indicating that the illness originates from lung distension. Black is the color of water; when it reaches the face, its severity is no less than a mountain, and if it resembles charcoal, the darkest black, how can one still desire food? Although the face is as black as charcoal and there is no desire to eat, how can we know it is due to bladder deficiency and cold? It is because of the pain in the waist and ribs. The waist is the region of the kidneys, and the bladder is the residence of the kidneys. The kidneys and bladder are interconnected in a yin-yang, interior-exterior, ascending-descending, and male-female relationship. How could such a bladder condition not shock and alarm the kidney region? However, the kidneys are associated with water; why is a face as black as charcoal and pain in the waist and ribs not a kidney issue but a bladder issue? It is because yin governs form, and yang governs qi. If kidney water were to flood like this, there would be generalized swelling and cold extremities. Why is there only a lack of appetite and pain in the waist and ribs? This indicates bladder deficiency and cold, with water qi surging. To treat form, one should use solidifying methods, which involve warming and unblocking; to treat qi, one should use dispersing methods, guiding it to return to its proper place. Magnetite quartz guides lung water qi to return, while White Atractylodes Rhizome and Poria guide spleen water qi to return. However, if the qi returns but has nowhere to go, it will inevitably transform into something else. Adding Astragalus Root allows it to enter the defensive qi through the lower energizer, circulating throughout the body. Yet, fearing that once the qi returns, it will be completely excreted through urine, Schisandra Fruit and Eucommia Bark are added to regulate it, ensuring that what should move moves and what should stay stays. Thus, the mechanism of disease and treatment entirely relies on qi, and scholars can gain endless insights from this. The triple energizer, the official of drainage, governs the water passages and is associated with the bladder, making it a solitary organ. Therefore, triple energizer disorders often stem from the bladder. Bladder dysfunction leads to retention or incontinence. Deficiency fullness and generalized swelling are due to bladder dysfunction, so treating the bladder necessarily involves treating the triple energizer. Rice Bean, Polyporus, and Alisma are herbs that benefit the triple energizer; Pepperweed Seed, Peking Euphorbia Root, and Fischer Euphorbia Root unblock the triple energizer; Cassia Bark, Dried Ginger, and Pricklyash Seed warm the triple energizer; Ginseng and Liquorice Root harmonize the triple energizer; Saposhnikovia Root and Scrophularia Root resolve and benefit the triple energizer. With herbs that benefit, unblock, warm, harmonize, and resolve the triple energizer, how can the qi of the triple energizer move without returning? Therefore, there must be something to restrain it, ensuring that what should not move can return. Thus, Schisandra Fruit restrains the upper energizer, White Atractylodes Rhizome restrains the middle energizer, and Cistanche restrains the lower energizer. Considering all three, using Schisandra Fruit in a qi-based method to treat blood disorders fears that qi depletion will leave blood without support. Using Schisandra Fruit to restrain qi fears that qi will be depleted, desiring it to re-emerge along the proper pathways. Using Schisandra Fruit to restrain yin within a yin-draining method fears that the original qi will be completely exhausted along with the pathogenic factors. All three formulas use Schisandra Fruit, yet Schisandra Fruit is not the sovereign medicinal, further highlighting its role in regulating and perfecting the formula.
Bencao Xinbian: Sour in taste, warm in qi, descending in nature. It is a yin with a slight yang, not a yang with a slight yin. Non-toxic. This herb has northern and southern varieties, with the northern one being superior; the southern variety should not be used. The ancients believed that both had their merits, but this is a mistake. It is most effective in enhancing kidney water, nourishing lung metal, and especially good at moisturizing dryness, not just astringing lung qi.
Schisandra Fruit enters the lung and kidney meridians, promoting fluid production to quench thirst, strengthening yin and benefiting yang, generating qi and eliminating heat, and miraculously stopping diarrhea and dysentery. However, it should not be used excessively, as too much can be counterproductive; a small amount is most effective. It is especially unsuitable for use alone, as it not only fails to be effective but can also cause significant harm. It must be used in combination with tonifying herbs in decoctions or pills to harmonize without hindrance and achieve mutual enhancement.
Some ask if Schisandra Fruit, being an astringent, can be used in Pulse-Reinforcing Powder to prevent summer heat, suggesting that northern five flavors can also relieve summer heat. The answer is: Schisandra Fruit is not a summer heat-relieving herb. During the hot summer, vital qi tends to disperse, making one prone to summerheat stroke. The Pulse-Reinforcing Powder uses Ginseng to tonify qi, ensuring sufficient qi to resist summer heat; Ophiopogon Tuber to clear the lungs, preventing summer heat from invading; and northern five flavors to astringe the dispersed metal, thereby strengthening lung qi and making one impervious to external summer heat. Thus, Schisandra Fruit aids Ginseng and Ophiopogon Tuber in generating lung qi, not in dispelling summer heat.
Some say Schisandra Fruit is a kidney-tonifying herb, commonly used for the lungs, but I advocate for its limited use, suggesting it's more for the lungs than the kidneys. The truth is, northern Schisandra Fruit tonifies the kidneys without needing much. Its sour taste and warm qi make it overly astringent and likely to stir up internal heat, hence using it sparingly is more effective in generating body fluids without causing excessive yang.
Some inquire about the ancients using Schisandra Fruit alone to astringe essence, while I argue against its solitary use, claiming it not only fails but also causes significant harm. The so-called harm arises because Schisandra Fruit's astringent nature is exploited to prevent essence leakage. Essence should remain tranquil, not agitated. Those who can abstain from desires after taking Schisandra Fruit are rare; most will still be moved by lust. Once moved, essence will leave its palace, and without Schisandra Fruit's astringency, it will be lost through urine. Relying on Schisandra Fruit's astringency to prolong indulgence leads to internal decay, turning into Yongju back gangrene, often fatal. This is the great harm of using it alone, year after year, in pursuit of astringency.
Some argue that Schisandra Fruit, nourishing insufficient kidney water, should be used generously, yet the ancients used it sparingly. How can it generate abundant kidney water? The answer lies in the natural generation of water, not in the quantity of herbs. Sun Simiao's Pulse-Reinforcing Powder, though aimed at benefiting the lungs, actually generates kidney water. Tonifying the kidneys to generate water is difficult; tonifying the lungs is easier. Schisandra Fruit aids Ginseng in astringing dispersed lung metal, solidifying metal qi and deepening the water source, naturally enriching both lungs and kidneys. There's no need for excessive Schisandra Fruit to generate water, as too much can hinder water generation due to its sourness. Sourness can generate fluids, but excessive sourness overly astringes, reducing the expulsion of pathogens and undermining Ginseng's ability to generate qi and essence. Hence, the ancients' sparing use was more effective.
Some question why northern five flavors, which tonify the kidneys and replenish the lungs, sometimes benefit the kidneys at the expense of the lungs, or vice versa. The kidneys are the children of the lungs, and the lungs are the parents of the kidneys. Tonifying the lungs should benefit the kidneys, and tonifying the kidneys should benefit the lungs. Why the conflict? It's due to pathogenic fire. Tonifying the kidneys raises water to the lungs, which then battles the pathogen, unsettling the lungs. Tonifying the lungs strengthens metal to control the liver, which then contends with the pathogen, unsettling the kidneys. Therefore, Schisandra Fruit's tonification of the kidneys and lungs is best suited for times without pathogenic influence.
Some doubt that essence in sufficiency should be treated with thick-flavor tonics, questioning Schisandra Fruit's efficacy. Alas, how insightful! Essence deficiency requires tonification, which five flavors provide. People, seeing Schisandra Fruit's limited use, doubt its ability to generate water. Yet, its beauty lies in its efficiency without excess. The ancients said: essence in sufficiency should be treated with thick-flavor tonics, like Ginseng and mutton. But who knew Ginseng and Schisandra Fruit could surpass them?
Someone asked, besides generating essence and astringing qi, what other diseases can Schisandra Fruit treat? Schisandra Fruit astringes the dissipated lung metal and nourishes the depleted kidney water. Beyond these two treatments, there are not many other methods. However, since you seek efficacy beyond these two, I have another method to expand its benefits. Schisandra Fruit stir-fried until brown, ground into powder, and applied to sores and ulcers that are festering and on the verge of skin and flesh falling off, can preserve them as they were, preventing complete detachment.
Bencao Fenjing: Warm in nature, it possesses all five flavors, with sour and salty being the most prominent. It astringes the lungs and tonifies the kidneys, replenishes qi and promotes fluid production, astringes the eyes, strengthens yin and reduces heat, stops sweating and vomiting, soothes coughs and relieves asthma, quenches thirst and stops diarrhea. It is especially suitable for regular consumption in summer to purge fire and benefit metal. The northern variety is superior.
Bencao Sibianlu: Both asthma and cough are lung diseases, but when kidney qi rebels and causes asthma and cough, the lungs should not be treated alone. Schisandra Fruit astringes lung qi and secures kidney qi, making it an essential herb. However, it can only stabilize the body and cannot expel pathogens. If pathogens are present, one must be cautious of trapping pathogenic qi inside. Zhang Zhongjing paired five flavors with Cinnamon Twig to subdue rebellious qi, and when Cinnamon Twig was replaced with Dried Ginger and Asarum, it was used to treat cough and fullness. This shows that the responsibility for cough and fullness lies with Dried Ginger and Asarum, not the five flavors. However, when Cinnamon Twig was removed, the five flavors were retained. In other cough-treating formulas, the three ingredients are often used together. Why is this? The foot Taiyang and hand Taiyin meridians both protect the body, and diseases of these two meridians often interconnect. The Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction is used for Taiyang disease in cold damage, but it is also frequently used for lung diseases in miscellaneous syndromes. Similarly, the Potia, Licorice, Schisandra, Ginger and Asarum Decoction and the Magnolia Bark and Ephedra Decoction are used for cold phlegm in the lungs, with variations based on the Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction. The Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction addresses the conflict between external cold and internal phlegm, hence causing cough. If external cold is present, Ephedra and Cinnamon Twig are included in the formula; if not, they are omitted. The simultaneous use of the three ingredients requires careful differentiation. Cold in the lungs often causes dizziness and excessive saliva, which is treated with the Liquorice and Dried Ginger Decoction to warm the lungs. This is the basis for using Dried Ginger to warm the lungs. Zhang Yin-an's analysis of Asarum states: "It has a pungent and warm nature, with a straight stem, red and black in color, embodying the water qi of the Shaoyin meridian and connecting with the Taiyang meridian." If Asarum cannot induce sweating, then its pungent and warm nature can still reach the surface from the Shaoyin meridian. If Asarum can induce sweating, then its fine and fragmented form lacks the strength to do so. Therefore, to induce sweating from the Shaoyin meridian, Asarum must be used with Ephedra. To disperse cold phlegm in the lungs, Asarum excels. The two ingredients, one warming and one dispersing, can effectively address lung pathogens. However, the addition of five flavors, and in greater quantity than Dried Ginger and Asarum, is puzzling. This is because the treatment also serves as a follow-up. Zhang Zhongjing considered this thoroughly. The lungs suffer from rebellious qi, which causes cough and can lead to distension. Once the lungs are distended, they cannot contract easily. Even after pathogens are expelled, cough may persist. Can five flavors be omitted? No. For dysphoria with asthma, Gypsum is added; for stomach heat affecting the face, Rhubarb Rhizoma is added. Does this mean the three ingredients also treat heat cough? No, the phlegm is cold, but it may be accompanied by heat. The three ingredients still treat cold phlegm, and this should not be doubted. Some say: Among the three ingredients, Asarum is the most crucial for treating cough. However, in the Minor Bupleurum Decoction, Dried Ginger and five flavors are added for cough, but Asarum is omitted. Is this a transcription error? When cold phlegm oppresses the lungs and causes cough, it is due to insufficient yang to overcome yin, allowing slight cold to invade the lungs. If there is no phlegm to expel, why use Asarum? This distinction between Taiyang and Shaoyang diseases in cold damage should not be overlooked.
You Shi said: Schisandra Fruit treats cough, and is suitable for new diseases where heat damages the lungs. If wind-cold is present, it will astringe without expelling. For chronic diseases where pestilent qi is depleted, Schisandra Fruit is necessary to astringe. However, if heat phlegm is not removed, it will become more entrenched. (See Jingui Yi) The discussion is accurate, but not without flaws. When the lungs are damaged by heat, astringing is necessary for recovery, as in Sun Simiao's Pulse-Reinforcing Powder, which uses five flavors to treat summerheat disease. However, the formula must heavily rely on Ginseng and Ophiopogon Tuber to promote fluid production and quench thirst. Even in the formula cited by You Shi for treating heat cough when other drugs fail, there are still ingredients to clear lung heat, such as Gypsum, Anemarrhena, and loquat leaf. Even for new diseases, five flavors should not be heavily relied upon. If pathogens are present, they should be expelled simultaneously. The treatment method is no different from that for cold cough, and there is no need to create a distinction.
Yixue Zhongzhong Canxilu: Warm in nature, it possesses all five flavors, with sour and salty being the most prominent. Its sourness astringes the lungs, hence Shennong Bencao Jing states it treats cough and rebellious qi; its saltiness nourishes the kidneys, hence Shennong Bencao Jing states it strengthens yin and benefits male essence. Its astringent power also secures the lower energizer's qi transformation, treating diarrhea before dawn, nocturnal emission, seminal emission, and consumptive thirst with frequent urination, or drinking once and urinating once, or drinking once and urinating twice. Its extremely sour taste also benefits the liver, and since the liver opens into the eyes, Schisandra Fruit can astringe dilated pupils. However, its astringent power is very strong. If cough and rebellious qi are accompanied by external contraction, it must be used with dispersing herbs to prevent trapping pathogens. When used in decoctions, it should be crushed, as the pungent taste of the kernel balances the sour taste of the peel, preventing excessive astringency and causing distension upon consumption.
Zou Run-an said: "In the 'Treatise on Cold-Damage Diseases', whenever there is a cough, Schisandra Fruit and Dried Ginger are always added. The meaning is very profound. The classic says, 'The spleen qi disperses essence, which ascends to the lungs.' Therefore, although cough is a lung disease, its root actually lies in the spleen. Only when the essence dispersed by the spleen and ascending to the lungs is not clear, the lung's function of dredging and regulating water passages is not properly maintained. Later generations, when treating cough, only know to moisten the lungs and disperse phlegm, not realizing that moistening the lungs makes the lungs even less clear, and dispersing phlegm can harm the spleen, and the phlegm that accumulates in the lungs ultimately does not dissipate. Dried Ginger warms the spleen and lungs, treating the source of the cough; when the source is clear, the root of the cough is cut off. The five flavors cause the lung qi to descend to the kidneys, treating the pathway of the cough; when the pathway is clear, the qi is properly regulated. Combining these two medicines, it is a matter of opening and closing; to close when it should be open is like shutting the door to drive out a thief; to open when it should be closed risks the depletion of body fluids. Therefore, the Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction, Minor Bupleurum Decoction, True Warrior Decoction, and Cold-Limbs Powder, all of which are used for coughs, do not distinguish between internal and external causes."
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