[ Authentic medicinal materials refer to medicinal materials with a long history, suitable origin, excellent varieties, abundant output, sophisticated processing, good quality, good curative effect, and enjoy a high reputation at home and abroad. " Materia Medica Annotation " once said that "all medicines have their own realm", which means that every medicinal material is conceived by heaven and earth, witnessing the rotation of seasons and the changes of time. Guyitang people join hands with Changsha Radio and Television Station to visit the origin of authentic medicinal materials, understand the reverence of authentic herbal medicine for life, and bathe in the baptism of traditional Chinese medicine culture. 】
- June 13-14, 2022
- Destination: Baishaxi Village, Tianzhuang Township, Anhua County, Yiyang
- Authentic medicinal materials: Polygonatum
Polygonatum odoratum, first recorded in " Famous Doctors ", the appearance is similar to Wei Rui ( Polygonatum ) is similar, sweet and flat. Mainly replenishes vital energy , removes rheumatism and calms the five internal organs. Taking it for a long time will lighten your body, prolong your life and prevent you from hunger. It is said that Sun Simiao, the king of medicine, passed down the "nine steaming and nine drying" preparation method of Polygonatum to later generations, which is still used today. Sun Simiao was the popularizer and beneficiary of Polygonatum. He lived a long life and lived to be 102 years old.
When mentioning Anhua , most people think of "black tea". The saying "Look to China for the world's dark tea, and look to Anhua for China's dark tea" has made Anhua dark tea a household name. However, everyone knows that Anhua has been the "Hunan Traditional Chinese Medicine Storehouse" since ancient times. It has a profound cultural heritage of traditional Chinese medicine and extremely rich resources of traditional Chinese medicine, especially "Huang Jing" is Sheng. Today, Anhua County is the "hometown of Polygonatum polygonatum in China".
In ancient Chinese medicine classics, "Polygonati" is considered to be a top-grade Chinese herbal medicine that prolongs life and prolongs life. The ancients even said: "People who take Polygonatum for a long time will become immortals." But for the general public, compared to ginseng, deer antlers, , Ganoderma , not many people know about Polygonatum. In this issue, we went to Baishaxi Village, Tianzhuang Township, Anhua County, Yiyang, the origin of Polygonatum japonica, to explore the preciousness of Polygonatum japonica.
Tianzhuang Township is located in the Jiulongchi Mountain System at the eastern foot of Xuefeng Mountain. The territory is mainly mountainous, with more than ten peaks over 1,000 meters tall. For Huang Jing, who loves shade, it is undoubtedly a paradise.
After breakfast and drinking black tea, we walked on the mountain path and breathed in the fresh air. From time to time, wild medicinal herbs popped up in the dense forest. It is said that there are 1,277 kinds of medicinal materials in Anhua County, more than 200 of which are listed in the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia".
Along the way, Jiang Fengdeng, secretary-general of the Anhua County Traditional Chinese Medicine and Health Industry Association, introduced to us that this place is located at the golden latitude line of 28° north latitude, with a humid climate and huge altitude difference, forming a regional microclimate that is conducive to the growth of Polygonatum sibiricum, especially the growth of Polygonatum odorifera. The accumulation of polysaccharides in Polygonatum sibiricum and the increase in the proportion of extractables.
In addition, Anhua County is also the area with the richest moraine in the world, accounting for about 85% of the global total. The soil formed by the weathering of moraine has moderate sand content and is rich in trace elements such as zinc and selenium. At the same time, the moraine rock soil has good air permeability and drainage, so Polygonatum can fully absorb nutrients and is not prone to "getting sick".
It has many advantages. Anhua Polygonatum is also known as "the fairy grass on the moraine".
In 1872 of Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty, "Anhua County Chronicles·Products" has a detailed description of Polygonatum japonica. "Natural History" says that the grass of the sun is called Huangjing, and if you eat it as bait, you can live forever. Materia Medica calls it the best product of tonic Huanggong. Gu Yi Tang Yuzhu Huangjing ointment uses Anhua Polygonatum.
Anhua Polygonatum belongs to Polygonatum multiflorum, with thick rhizome, usually more than 2 branches, and a constant number of massive nodules connected. Its Polygonatum polysaccharide content generally reaches 10-15%, up to 22%, which is significantly higher than the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standard (≥7.0%). The extractable content reaches 65-90%, which is significantly higher than the pharmacopoeia standard (≥45%). Because of her special shape, Anhua people like to call her "Ginger-shaped Girl".
According to word of mouth from the local elders, Polygonatum odoratum saved countless people during times of famine and war in ancient times. It is said that at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, a group of people moved their families to Gu'anhua to escape the war. When they ran out of dry food and had nothing to do, they discovered Huangjing all over the mountains and plains in a deep mountain forest, so they called everyone to collect it. Get up, steam them and use them as food to survive those difficult years. Nowadays, there are still many old people who dig up Polygonatum every day and eat it after "nine steaming and nine sun-drying". Basically, people who often eat Polygonatum are in good health and live a long life.
Nine steaming and nine sun exposure, also known as nine steaming and nine exposure or nine systems in ancient books, is a traditional Chinese medicine processing method with thousands of years of history. It is often used to make precious medicinal materials. It uses the "yang energy" of sunlight and the "yin energy" of mountain spring water to steam and dry precious medicinal materials that have absorbed the essence of heaven and earth. Pure yin and yang are repeated and cyclically processed, allowing the yin and yang to blend and circulate to enhance the medicinal properties and efficacy of the medicinal materials.
The process of steaming and drying Polygonatum odorata can be traced back to the " Qian Jin Yifang " written by Sun Simiao, the King of Medicine, which states: "Dig the roots at the end of September, pick out the fat ones, remove the eyes and cook them, steam them, dry them slightly, and then steam them. If it is dry, eat it like honey and stop.”
Jiang Shuanghui, the 6th generation intangible inheritor of Anhua Polygonatum japonica nine-system traditional skills, took us through the "nine steaming and nine drying" of Polygonatum odoratum. Jiu Zhi Polygonatum is made without metal utensils. The bamboo steamer, bamboo dustpan, and firewood used are all very particular. After steaming over high heat for 40 minutes each time, steaming thoroughly, and drying in the sun for 9 times, Polygonatum odoratum has been transformed into a valuable medicinal material - Jiuzhi Polygonatum odorifera.
GuyitangJiang MengliangProfessor said that after steaming Polygonatum odoratum, it will not irritate the throat like raw products. After being dried, it is easy to store and will not deteriorate, become moldy or get insects. Modern research shows that because raw Polygonatum odorifera contains irritating ingredients such as mucilage, eating it raw will cause numbness in the tongue and irritate the throat. Therefore, it is better to use it after processing, and it can enhance the tonic effect. Polygonatum japonica has been "nine steamed and nine sun-dried". It is as black as paint, as bright as mirror, and as sweet as honey. Some people also eat it as preserved fruit. Just like this, you can also clearly feel the sweet fragrance of Jiuzhi Polygonatum japonica in Gu Yi Tang's Polygonatum odoratum ointment.
Use the things of heaven and earth and the laws of nature to maintain a healthy and natural body.
Simple philosophical thoughts nourish the magical culture of traditional Chinese medicine.
Polygonatum is valuable, and cultural heritage is priceless.
