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Written by: Warm TCM
With great aspirations, one can achieve great accomplishments.
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Heaven generates water, and the earth forms it.
Famous physician Liu Hejian from the Jin Dynasty named this formula Liu Yi San (Six-One Powder).
The dosage is strictly according to a 6:1 ratio, using six parts of **Talcum (Hua Shi)** and one part of **Licorice (Gan Cao)**; indeed, this formula consists of only two ingredients: **Talcum** and **Licorice**.
There is also a modern Chinese patent medicine called Liu Yi San.
It is commonly used in summer, which is the hottest and most humid time of the year. The heat and humidity of summer combine, referred to as **Summer Heat and Dampness (Shu Re)**.
Symptoms caused by the invasion of summer heat and dampness include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, thirst, body heat, difficulty urinating, vomiting, and diarrhea, commonly known as heat stroke. Liu Yi San is effective for this condition, as it is classified in TCM as a remedy to clear summer heat and drain dampness, specifically targeting the evil of summer heat and dampness.
Composition: **Talcum (Hua Shi)** 180 grams, **Raw Licorice (Sheng Gan Cao)** 30 grams, ground into powder. Take 6-9 grams each time, dissolved in warm water, 2-3 times a day.
What is **Talcum (Hua Shi)**? Everyone has seen gymnasts applying a white powder to their hands before performing; this powder is talcum powder.
What is its function? It can open the pores, allowing the dampness and heat in the body to escape. When damp heat is trapped in the body, it causes irritability and a feeling of heat. For instance, in summer, when the doors and windows are tightly closed, one feels stuffy and hot inside. The first thing to do is to open the windows, right? The pores are like the windows of the body.
**Talcum (Hua Shi)** also promotes urination. If urination is obstructed, the dampness in the body cannot be expelled through the bladder and will reroute to the intestines, leading to excessive water in the intestines, resulting in either vomiting or diarrhea. When a person has diarrhea, the stool is usually unformed due to excess water, also known as watery diarrhea. If one experiences symptoms of heat stroke along with low urine output, **Talcum** is very effective; it can help open up urination and stop the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
To combat the evil of summer heat, which is hot, it is necessary to use some cooling herbs. **Talcum (Hua Shi)** has a slightly cold nature, which can attack both the evil qi and the righteous qi, as if it cannot distinguish between friend and foe. To balance this, **Licorice (Gan Cao)** is added, which is also known as the “National Elder” or mediator. It can harmonize the conflicts between different herbs and between herbs and the body. When **Talcum** is aggressively attacking, **Licorice** slightly moderates its potency to prevent damage to the righteous qi.
Liu Yi San can be used both internally and externally.
For example, in summer, it can be applied to areas affected by eczema, prickly heat, skin itching, or worsening athlete’s foot.
The characteristic of summer is damp heat; every year at this time, the environment becomes like a large sauna, and soon the whole body feels sticky. If you can use a bit of Liu Yi San while bathing, you will feel comfortable and refreshed all day long.
The method is to take an appropriate amount of powder, about 10 grams, and add it to the bathwater, or you can apply the powder to the body and rinse it off while showering.
This method can help prevent common summer issues like eczema and prickly heat.
Some friends may ask: “Can children use it?”
Yes, it can be used as prickly heat powder. However, do not apply it too thickly; a thin layer is sufficient, as the skin also needs to “breathe”.
Liu Hejian once said: “Liu Yi San treats all heat syndromes; it is a miraculous medicine.”
Everyone can buy the patent medicine or have the powder ground at a pharmacy; a single grinding session is usually enough for the entire summer.
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