Today, I will discuss dried ginger and fresh ginger as mentioned in the classic texts. First, let’s talk about dried ginger. The original text states: “Dried ginger, flavor is pungent and warm, it is used for chest fullness, cough, and counterflow of qi, warms the middle and stops bleeding, induces sweating, expels wind-damp bi syndrome, treats intestinal masses and diarrhea, fresh is especially good, long-term use eliminates foul odor, descends qi, and opens the spirit. It grows in the mountains.”Let’s look at dried ginger, which has a pungent and warm flavor. This herb is warm in nature, and its flavor is pungent. Warmth, as we know, is associated with spring qi, which has the characteristic of rising. Therefore, dried ginger can elevate the yang qi of the liver and spleen. The main properties of dried ginger are its pungent and warm flavor, with a slight sweetness. When discussing dried ginger, we must consider its meridian entry; dried ginger enters the middle earth (spleen and stomach). The pungent flavor enters the lungs, and dried ginger can also dispel cold phlegm from the lungs.It is indicated for chest fullness and counterflow of qi. Why do we experience chest fullness in general illnesses? The three yin meridians run from the feet to the chest, while the three yang meridians run from the head to the feet. The three yin meridians represent the upward movement of the lower source liver and spleen yang qi, which is regulated by the middle earth. The liver is constrained in the kidney’s original yang, while the three yang meridians descend from the head to the feet. The yang qi of the three yang meridians must descend; first, the lung and stomach qi must descend, and with the kidney qi’s closure, if the clear qi does not rise, it leads to dampness and fullness. If the turbid qi does not descend, it results in distension. This chest fullness is a type of distension, indicating that the three yang meridians are not descending properly, leading to insufficient yang qi, particularly in the lesser yang. This is often felt as heat rising.However, this chest fullness is predominantly a yin condition. Why is this so? As humans, the three yang meridians are meridians that also carry organ qi. The organ qi relies on our daily intake of food and water, and the qi of food must descend with the three yang qi’s downward movement. If the fluids in the organs cannot descend, it leads to the lungs reversing, resulting in high fluid levels in the middle earth, causing fullness in the middle jiao. This is essentially the stagnation of the three yang meridians, leading to the turbid yin rising.Dried ginger enters the lung qi and is primarily opening; it must open to descend, thus it descends the turbid yin. “Chest fullness, cough, and counterflow of qi” indicates that it regulates the middle earth; after warming and elevating the liver and spleen yang qi, the turbid yin of the lung and stomach can descend. This is a process akin to a water wheel turning in the middle jiao. Generally, when discussing dried ginger, one cannot avoid mentioning ginseng. Coughing can be of many types, but Zhang Zhongjing often used dried ginger, xixin (Asarum), and wuweizi (Schisandra) for external coughs and internal injuries. This is a type of modification; why add dried ginger, xixin, and wuweizi, with dried ginger as the main ingredient? It is because the turbid qi does not descend and is obstructed in the lungs, leading to fullness and stagnation, resulting in cough. To treat this phenomenon, one must first descend the turbid yin and warm the spleen yang.As we know, to descend the turbid yin, dried ginger is not as effective as fresh ginger. However, dried ginger can regulate the middle earth and warm the spleen yang, which fresh ginger cannot achieve. Therefore, the combination of herbs is dried ginger, xixin, and wuweizi. As for fresh ginger, it primarily descends the turbid yin, opens the spirit, and is its main function. Fresh ginger is mainly used for nausea and the obstruction of organ qi due to turbid yin.“Warms the middle and stops bleeding”; there are many bleeding conditions. Mr. Zheng Shouquan, founder of the Huoshen school, treated many patients with bleeding using dried ginger, achieving excellent results.Especially now, many chronic diseases, digestive diseases leading to bleeding, and liver diseases require warming the middle and stopping bleeding. Why? As we all know, blood is the nutrient blood, and within the nutrient blood is stored the yang qi. Liver yang is easily moved and does not settle. Therefore, generally, to stop bleeding, the warm disease school has inherited the idea that blood should be still and not move, advocating for treating bleeding by clearing heat and cooling the blood, then slightly adding blood-activating herbs for treatment, without understanding the true cause of bleeding. The real cause of bleeding is that the turbid yin has risen and obstructed the nutrient blood, leading to the blood being unable to return. Thus, after regulating the middle earth with dried ginger, the turbid yin qi is restrained, and the three yang qi naturally stabilizes, leading to effective treatment of bleeding conditions.This also applies to “sweating”.“Expels wind-damp bi syndrome”. When treating wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, modern medication rarely uses dried ginger. However, wind, cold, and dampness combine to form bi syndrome. What is the root cause? First, there must be wind evil; wind evil is the most fundamental. Then, with wind evil, cold and dampness mix. However, the key point in treating diseases is damp evil. Without the attachment of damp evil, the other evils cannot stagnate. If there is only wind bi, it comes and goes quickly. Heat bi is the same; only when dampness stagnates can it become chronic and difficult to cure. Therefore, the key to treating wind-cold-damp bi syndrome is to open and transform the middle jiao; once the dampness in the middle jiao is transformed, the root of this bi syndrome is naturally resolved, and then corresponding methods to nourish blood and soften the tendons and liver can be used, making treatment much more effective.“Intestinal masses and diarrhea”; this is self-explanatory. It warms and elevates the liver and spleen yang qi. What are intestinal masses and diarrhea? This corresponds to the earlier “chest fullness and counterflow of qi”. The Inner Canon states that when clear qi is down, it leads to dampness and diarrhea; when turbid yin is up, it leads to distension. This is all because the middle jiao cannot pivot, and the liver and spleen’s clear yang cannot rise, while the lung and stomach’s turbid qi cannot descend.“Fresh is especially good”; this refers not to fresh ginger but to dried ginger. It mainly refers to the dried ginger that has been processed over the years, while fresh ginger is generally new ginger.Next, let’s discuss fresh ginger. After briefly discussing these two, we can compare them. “Fresh ginger, flavor is pungent and slightly warm, non-toxic, long-term use eliminates foul odor, descends qi, and opens the spirit.” The “eliminates foul odor and opens the spirit” is similar to dried ginger. The main difference between fresh ginger and dried ginger is that fresh ginger has a stronger pungent flavor but lacks the gentle warmth. However, since it is an annual plant, its pungent flavor is more complete, used for opening and resolving toxins and dispelling turbid qi. Fresh ginger is the remaining part after the perennial ginger has produced offspring; its pungent flavor has dissipated significantly.Pungent herbs are used to moisten; many have heard that pungent and dry herbs can injure yin. Why then is it said that pungent herbs can moisten? They open the pores and promote fluids. Sometimes, when lung qi is obstructed, the lung qi cannot reach the skin and leads to dryness in the hands and feet. In fact, both dried ginger and fresh ginger are quite effective in this regard. Generally, dried ginger is used to open and transform the middle jiao. Pungent herbs can moisten; once lung qi opens, kidney qi can be stored. This is the concept of using pungent herbs to moisten.“Slightly warm”; this slight warmth, when classified by flavor, corresponds to the wind-wood of the jueyin. Slight warmth means a little bit of fire. As we know, there is a formula called Wendan Decoction, which uses: Erchen (Two Aged), Zhu Ru (Bamboo Shavings), Zhi Ke (Bitter Orange), and fresh ginger. In this Wendan Decoction, the largest amount is fresh ginger, which is five taels, double that of the other herbs. Fresh ginger is the main herb in Wendan Decoction; without fresh ginger, one cannot discuss warming the gallbladder. The gallbladder is the yang qi of the wood, warming and rising. In this formula, aside from fresh ginger, most of the other herbs are neutral or slightly cool. How can these herbs warm the gallbladder? The foot lesser yang gallbladder meridian runs from the head to the feet; fresh ginger can descend turbid qi, and once the turbid yin descends, the yang qi of the hand lesser yang sanjiao meridian slightly warms. This is the key to this formula; everyone will have experience using Wendan Decoction frequently.Fresh ginger is particularly notable in the Zhenwu Decoction, which treats water qi rising, where the earth does not control water. Fresh ginger is used to stabilize the turbid yin qi, leading to the cleansing of the turbid yin qi in the organs. If the lower source is cold and the cold water qi is disturbed, it resembles the symptoms of Si Ni Decoction; if the cold water qi is excessive, one should still use Si Ni Decoction.Another example is Wuzhuyu Decoction, which uses Wuzhuyu (Evodia), Ren Shen (Ginseng), Da Zao (Jujube), and fresh ginger. The amount of fresh ginger in Wuzhuyu Decoction is also quite large. The function of Wuzhuyu Decoction is to treat three yin counterflow, where the three yin’s cold condenses below, leading to counterflow of the three yang. Therefore, for patients with headaches and upper jiao turbid yin rising, and lower jiao pure cold, Wuzhuyu Decoction is very effective.Next, let’s compare dried ginger and fresh ginger. Why can some formulas only use dried ginger while others can only use fresh ginger? The function of fresh ginger is more pronounced in dispelling evils. Why dispel evils? Because it is pungent and dispersive, it has a strong moving effect, which can clear the turbid yin stagnation in the meridians and organs. Dried ginger, on the other hand, is gentler; it can warm and disperse cold dampness, leading to the gentle storage of the qi of the five organs. The qi of the five organs stores essence and rises; when the essence is stored, it can be developed. The organs store the five spirits, and when the essence is closed, it can be developed. The organ qi is the passage for receiving and transforming the five grains.Humans are like this; externally, there are the three yin and three yang meridians, and internally, there are the five organs and six bowels. The meridians and organs are two levels, one superficial and one internal.We use herbs similarly; when we fall ill, it is primarily due to external evils. The heavens have six qi, and when the six qi are excessively strong, we also have six qi. This six qi interacts with the external six qi, leading to mutual responses. When the external cold water qi is strong, it resonates with our internal cold water qi, resulting in symptoms like swelling and distension. This is the interaction of six qi. External evils arise because the external six qi are excessive, leading to the internal six qi also becoming excessive or deficient.The onset of disease in the six meridians occurs one by one, as the qi of the six meridians flows like the Yangtze River, endlessly circulating. It cannot remain stagnant; only when the pathogenic evil resides in the organs and connects with the internal organ mechanisms can the disease process stagnate, leading to symptoms like Taiyang syndrome or Yangming syndrome.Dried ginger, as mentioned in the classic texts, is indicated for “chest fullness, cough, counterflow of qi, warming the middle, stopping bleeding, inducing sweating, expelling wind-damp bi syndrome, treating intestinal masses and diarrhea, fresh is especially good, long-term use eliminates foul odor, descends qi, and opens the spirit.” Since you are studying the classics, the first step is to memorize the original text. Once you have memorized it, you can understand and repeatedly experience the essence of the herb. You see, the functions of dried ginger include warming the spleen and stomach. The middle jiao’s warming of the spleen and stomach relies on what? It relies on the original yang. The original yang rises and moves, allowing the spleen yang to transform the food and fluids, leading to the elevation of fluids. At this time, dried ginger can assist in the transformation of dampness in the middle jiao and spleen. Modern people often consume refined foods, which are rich in nutrients and heavy in essence. Coupled with excessive mental strain, the three yang qi is not easily stored in the middle earth, leading to a cold and damp state in the middle earth. This results in many diseases; the first step is to warm the middle earth. Regardless of whether the exterior is blood-heat or other dryness symptoms, the middle earth must be warmed first. Once the dampness in the middle earth is transformed, then nourishing yin or cooling blood herbs can be used, and only then can the treatment be effective. If the dampness in the middle earth is stagnant, no matter how many herbs are taken, they will not work; taking herbs will only exacerbate the stagnation in the middle earth, leading to worsening symptoms.Therefore, can nourishing yin herbs be used? For example, many herbs like Shu Di (Rehmannia), Dang Gui (Angelica), Ejiao (Donkey-hide Gelatin), and He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti) are thick and rich. If you are accustomed to the Huoshen school, using these herbs will make you wonder if they are effective. These herbs are indeed effective, but their foundation relies on the transformation of the middle earth. When the middle earth can transform, these herbs can gather the essence of the organs and restrain the virtual fire of the three yang. If the dampness in the middle earth does not transform, these herbs will only increase the obstruction between the upper and lower, making it more difficult for the three yang to descend and the three yin to stagnate.Dried ginger is extremely useful. In the past, in clinical practice, I encountered many cases of dryness syndrome and dry eye syndrome. Nowadays, many doctors prefer to follow the path of Zhibai Dihuang Wan (Anemarrhena and Rehmannia Pill), but this is not necessarily the case. Most of these patients need to warm and transform the middle jiao. It is like the transpiration of trees; without sufficient sunlight, the water cannot be transformed. If the pores and fluids cannot open, then dried ginger is needed to warm and transform the middle jiao. After warming, it is appropriate to add some nourishing herbs like Bai Shao (White Peony) and Sheng Di (Raw Rehmannia). In modern times, Mr. Peng Ziyi’s writings indicate that his understanding of ginger and cinnamon is still insufficient. He believes these two herbs are too drying and hot, leading to less clinical use. However, he does not realize that modern people often have cold and dampness in the middle jiao, and using ginger and cinnamon is not excessive. Therefore, nine out of ten people are suitable for ginger and cinnamon; this is reasonable.Dried ginger has the effect of warming the middle jiao, while fresh ginger is different. For example, when we catch a cold, we drink ginger sugar water; fresh ginger has a dispersive effect. The dispersive effect of fresh ginger means that in modern times, it is often used to treat water diseases, such as edema and phlegm. Adding more fresh ginger can help disperse these conditions. Why? The essence of food enters the stomach, transforms in the spleen, and returns to the lungs. The essence of food is distributed throughout the body; this is called essence. As long as there is stagnation, it is called dampness. When there is excessive stagnation, the thin part is called fluid, and the thick part is called phlegm. This is one principle of phlegm and fluid formation. Therefore, to treat phlegm and fluid, the root lies in the spleen and stomach. If the spleen and stomach cannot transform, it leads to stagnation of lung and stomach qi. Dried ginger warms and transforms the spleen and stomach, while fresh ginger disperses and opens. Therefore, many water diseases require the addition of fresh ginger, not only because fresh ginger warms and transforms but also because it can open and disperse, thus regulating the water pathways and qi. Once lung qi opens, the water pathways can flow, and the water qi gradually returns to the lower source. This is the concept of using pungent herbs to moisten.Some students ask, can dried ginger treat gout? Gout patients often experience issues in the small joints of the limbs. What do joints belong to? All joints belong to the liver and kidney. Joints are bones, and the gaps in bones are the streams of the hundred vessels. All the gaps in tendons and bones are where the essence of cold water flows. The land of the lesser yin, the streams of the hundred vessels, all belong to the lesser yin. When there is stagnation in the joints, the first point is that the lesser yin qi is excessively closed and cannot be transformed. As for whether dried ginger can treat gout, we do not say so. Gout can have many situations; relying solely on dried ginger is difficult to say. Others say that the stagnation in the lesser yin’s streams may lead to heat, but to warm it, one must add herbs that can promote movement, such as fresh ginger, and besides dried ginger, one may also need to use Ma Huang (Ephedra) and Xixin.Dried ginger and fresh ginger are commonly used herbs in the Huoshen school. A handful of ginger and cinnamon earns the name of Huoshen. Dried ginger is the most widely used. Aside from modern people generally consuming rich foods and having spirits that do not settle, leading to easy dampness in the middle earth, there is another point: as humans, we are born in this world with a certain yang qi. This yang qi is continuously generated. This is the essence of yang qi. Therefore, the consumption of life is layered, leading to the saying of seven losses and eight benefits. For general diseases, especially many patients with three yin diseases, when the three yin are down, it leads to cold, and when the three yang are not descending, it leads to heat. Most patients experience internal cold and external heat.At this time, many schools and doctors only see external heat and upper heat, leading to treatments that clear heat and cool the blood. This is a major school of thought that has caused harm. Many diseases can be temporarily improved through simple nourishing yin and clearing heat, leading to the floating yang being restrained. However, once the spleen yang is trapped, the disease will worsen. Therefore, the fundamental point of the Huoshen school and the warm disease school being at odds lies in understanding this principle. Once this understanding is achieved, treating diseases can be said to be insightful. This is the mark of a good doctor. If in clinical practice, one only pursues efficacy, they are not a good doctor.In many situations, if you temporarily treat the disease, it may actually worsen the condition. If you observe carefully, this is often the case. For example, in the case of major diseases like diabetes, from the perspective of nourishing yin, it does indeed lead to temporary improvement of many symptoms. However, this nourishing yin is only a temporary measure. Once the rising and descending are adjusted, it must be followed by warming and elevating the lower source. If the lower source cannot be warmed and transformed, the disease cannot be fundamentally cured. Improvement is only temporary. Many people do not understand this; during the treatment process, they use some warming yang herbs repeatedly, seeing some effects, but the effects are unclear. They may experience a reaction after taking the medicine for a while, feeling worse, and then turn to another doctor for nourishing yin and clearing herbs. Of course, at this time, taking some nourishing yin and clearing herbs may feel very good because, as Mr. Zheng Shouquan said, if you stop before reaching the goal, you will only gain minor benefits. You will feel good temporarily, but there will be hidden dangers. If the doctor does not understand how to achieve efficacy, thinking the medication is effective, they will continue to increase the dosage. At this time, the disease will only worsen, and serious symptoms will soon appear.As for dried and fresh ginger, I will stop here. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.◆ Question: “What does ‘open the spirit’ mean?”■ Answer: What is spirit? The heart governs the spirit. The spirit cannot tolerate even a trace of yin qi. When we usually have turbid yin rising, we often feel dizzy and sluggish in our reactions. Our responses to things sometimes mean that you do not need to understand or differentiate; just looking at it can naturally imprint it in your heart, and you will naturally produce some responses. This is not the function of the spirit. If the three yang qi is present, there is a saying in the Inner Canon: “When the sky is bright, the sun and moon are not bright.” Now let’s explain this saying. What does it mean when the sky is bright, but the sun and moon are not bright? The bright sky represents the three yang qi, while the sun and moon represent the essence of the human body. The sun travels in the sky, which metaphorically represents our spirit. Only when the turbid yin descends can the sky be clear, without any scorching heat. Therefore, fresh ginger has the function of descending qi and opening the spirit.Many patients experience symptoms like rhinitis, runny nose, buzzing in the ears, blurred vision, and bad breath. Both fresh and dried ginger can be used to treat these diseases.◆ Question: “What are the differences in usage between processed ginger and dried ginger?”■ Answer: Dried ginger is clinically divided into processed ginger, roasted ginger, and ginger carbon. Roasted ginger is not treated with open flame but is slowly roasted with low heat. This is roasted ginger. Processed ginger is a deeper level of processing than roasted ginger, while ginger carbon is burned to ash. In clinical practice, roasted ginger is generally used. For example, there is a formula called Xiaoyao Wan, which uses roasted ginger. In treating patients with bleeding, processed ginger is often used more. Ginger carbon has very little effect; it is recommended that ginger carbon is not necessary, and if used, processed ginger is preferred. Why is it necessary to process ginger in clinical practice? Fresh ginger is pungent and warm, and its pungent nature is active. In many patients, the three yang does not descend, and the organ essence is already deficient. At this time, the yin essence is insufficient, and the yang qi is easily floating. However, the middle earth has dampness that does not transform. In this case, if warming and drying herbs like ginger and cinnamon are used, the yang qi will scatter and not be stored. If the yang qi scatters and does not store, the organ’s virtual cold cannot be warmed. Therefore, in this case, choosing processed ginger or roasted ginger, with low heat, can gently gather the floating fire. Generally, this type of patient has a weaker constitution, is thinner, and has a deficiency of essence.◆ Question: “What is the relationship between dried ginger and fresh ginger?”■ Answer: Generally, the ginger we eat is fresh ginger, which can sprout. Over time, in late autumn and winter, this ginger will slowly sprout. After leaving it for a long time, the sprouts are cut off, and when planted again, the ginger that grows the following year is fresh ginger. The ginger that has had its sprouts removed is called mother ginger, while the sprouted ginger is called fresh ginger. The dried ginger we use is the ginger that has sprouted; this dried ginger, after sprouting, can still sprout again the following year, and ginger that has sprouted twice is considered high-quality dried ginger.Fresh ginger treats the stomach, while dried ginger treats the spleen; this is a general statement. While this saying is helpful for understanding, it can also be misleading. Fresh ginger treats the stomach; what does this mean? Why is it said that fresh ginger treats the stomach? This is a rather vague statement. Dried ginger treats the spleen; why is it said that dried ginger treats the spleen? Because dried ginger has a more substantial and gentle flavor, it tends to enter the organ qi and elevate the liver and spleen yang. Therefore, it is said that dried ginger treats the spleen, while fresh ginger has a more dispersive flavor, which can descend and disperse turbid qi, thus treating the stomach. This statement has some truth, but it can be misleading.◆ Question: “Is it not advisable to eat ginger at night?”■ Answer: It depends on the time. Generally, at night, from nine to eleven o’clock, this is the time of the pig, when yin qi is at its peak, and yang qi needs to be stored. Eating fresh ginger at this time can stimulate yang qi, which can lead to difficulty in settling the yang qi. Therefore, it is advisable to eat less ginger at night. Of course, this is relative to the general population, but for some patients, if they have heavy cold and dampness, they may feel chest tightness and fatigue at night. In such cases, eating some dried or fresh ginger is still beneficial, but this varies from person to person.◆ Question: “Can ginger be eaten in winter?”■ Answer: Fresh ginger can be eaten in winter, but not in excess; it is better to eat less. Winter is a time for storage, and eating fresh ginger is not appropriate. The ancients said, “Eat radishes in winter and ginger in summer.” In winter, the qi of the six meridians is primarily focused on storage, and the organ qi is also focused on storage. When yang qi is stored internally, it can easily lead to stagnation. Eating radishes can help open the organ qi and eliminate turbid qi. Therefore, radishes are much better than fresh ginger in winter. Fresh ginger has a strong dispersive effect, suitable for dispersing the six meridians, while in summer, the internal water and dampness are strong, and fresh ginger’s warming and dispersive power is more suitable for transforming dampness.Today, we discussed dried ginger. Since we are discussing dried ginger, everyone should memorize the text of the classics. Only by memorizing it can you continuously experience and improve in clinical practice. Otherwise, learning a little today and a little tomorrow will not provide a solid foundation, and you will not know where to start.Take a look again: “Dried ginger, flavor is pungent and warm, it is used for chest fullness, cough, counterflow of qi, warms the middle, stops bleeding, induces sweating, expels wind-damp bi syndrome, treats intestinal masses and diarrhea, fresh is especially good, long-term use eliminates foul odor, descends qi, and opens the spirit. It grows in the mountains.” This must be memorized repeatedly.What does “eliminates foul odor” refer to? If the lung and stomach qi does not descend, various odors will emerge from the mouth and nose. This is because the three yang qi cannot descend, and the upper fire is insufficient, leading to the turbid yin rising. Dried ginger regulates the middle earth; it is a major herb. Of course, for many diseases, relying solely on dried ginger is not sufficient; it must be used in conjunction with other herbs.The most common cause of chest fullness and tightness is heart disease. The chest fullness and tightness caused by heart disease is the most common, and in clinical practice, it is not always treated with dried ginger. This is not necessarily the case because the chest fullness treated by dried ginger is due to the stagnation of dampness in the middle earth, while the chest fullness caused by blood stasis is a different matter.The chest fullness treated by dried ginger is due to the turbid qi of the lung and stomach not descending, while the chest fullness caused by cardiovascular diseases is primarily due to the lesser yang qi rising. These two are significantly different; it is often accompanied by fullness, palpitations, and tightness in the chest and ribs. This chest fullness must be viewed separately, understanding that it is due to the obstruction of fluids in the lung and stomach, leading to phlegm and fluid stagnation, resulting in chest fullness and counterflow of qi.“Stopping bleeding in the middle”. In clinical practice, many patients with bleeding are seen, but few dare to use dried ginger. If you do not have the courage to use dried ginger, even using processed ginger can be very effective.“Inducing sweating”. Fresh ginger has a pungent flavor, which naturally enters the middle earth, promotes the flavor of the five grains, and naturally induces sweating.“Expelling wind-damp bi syndrome, treating intestinal masses and diarrhea”. Intestinal masses and diarrhea occur when the liver and spleen yang qi do not rise, leading to the clear yang being down, resulting in dampness and diarrhea. Expelling wind-damp bi syndrome primarily involves warming and transforming the dampness in the middle jiao. Wind, cold, and dampness lead to bi syndrome primarily due to dampness; without dampness, it cannot stagnate.“Fresh is especially good, long-term use eliminates foul odor”. Fresh indicates that its pungent and warm power is stronger than processed ginger.◆ Question: “Can women in menopause eat Angelica, fresh ginger, and lamb soup?”■ Answer: It is hard to say. Eating Angelica, fresh ginger, and lamb soup may lead to more heat because menopause occurs around the age of fifty, when the original qi gradually weakens. The Inner Canon states: “Women at fifty-seven, the yangming pulse weakens above, the face begins to yellow, and hair begins to fall.”After the age of thirty-five, women’s complexion begins to yellow, and hair starts to fall. Why does the complexion yellow? It is because the yangming pulse weakens above. What does it mean when the yangming pulse weakens above? When the body’s yang qi weakens, the three yin and three yang qi will also be insufficient, especially the yangming meridian qi. When the yangming qi is insufficient, it cannot descend, and it stagnates above, leading to dryness and yellowing of the face. In common terms, this means the person is aging. At this time, the yangming qi is deficient, and people often treat this by seeing the dryness and heat above, leading to treatments that clear heat and nourish yin, fearing that they will live too long and not addressing the fundamental source of warming and nourishing the spleen and kidney.As you can see, if the yangming qi is above, it should be directed to the lower dan tian, and the yang qi should be stored in the kidney. Only then can the cold water qi in the lower source be warmed by the yang qi, allowing the cold water to descend. This patient experiences heat externally while having insufficient internal yang qi, leading to cold. Therefore, menopausal women often experience hot flashes; they should first eat some ginger to warm the lower source, and then on the basis of ginger, they can eat some lamb. I am concerned that the amount of fresh ginger in the Angelica and lamb soup may not be sufficient. If it is sufficient, it can still be effective; adding some Fu Zi (Aconite) can also be beneficial. The combination of Angelica and lamb nourishes the blood, and when combined, it can be beneficial.Older adults are very prone to heat and often experience a situation of upper heat and lower cold. In modern times, the warm disease school primarily focuses on nourishing yin and clearing heat, which has been a major school of thought for the past two to three hundred years, causing significant harm.Once you understand this point, you will not be swayed by the pointless debates between the warm disease school and the Huoshen school.Therefore, when we talk about health preservation, how to preserve health, achieve longevity, and return to vitality, it is essential to gather the yang qi that has been exhausted above and nourish the kidney. Only in this way can we achieve continuous life and delay aging, reaching the state of eternal youth. As for the elixirs consumed by Taoist immortals, at a basic level, most of them are warming yang herbs. Arsenic, stalactites, and similar substances are all extremely warming yang substances, even more so than Fu Zi. Their warming yang nature can disperse the turbid yin in the body, gradually breaking down the yin qi, and then gathering the virtual yang.◆ Question: “I couldn’t sleep after taking Fuzhong Li Zhong Wan at night.”■ Answer: It depends on your constitution. Each person’s constitution is different, and it is hard to explain why you couldn’t sleep at night. Why do you sleep? It is because yang enters yin. Why does yang qi not enter yin? There are many situations; it may be blocked in the lesser yin meridian, not in the yangming meridian.◆ Question: “What should be done if the yangming qi is insufficient, leading to a yellow face and aging?”■ Answer: Warm the yang, warm the middle and lower source yang, use Si Ni Decoction! However, this may not be very effective. Why? Because for ordinary people, they have to deal with many external matters, and the pace of life is fast, leading to tension. The three yang qi easily float outward. When it is finally time to store at night, they stay up late, preventing the qi from settling. Therefore, if you use Si Ni Decoction or any warming yang herbs, once the yang qi is warmed, it can descend. However, if you do not give it the opportunity to settle, it will lead to more hair loss and a yellow complexion. This is difficult to manage. For such patients, one must warm and descend simultaneously. While warming the yang, one must also have a restraining and descending approach. This is unavoidable; thus, treating diseases can sometimes be quite helpless.◆ Question: “Can Si Ni Decoction be used in winter for those who are afraid of cold?”■ Answer: Not necessarily. The term “Si Ni” refers to whether it is deficient and reversed. If the nutrient blood cannot warm the limbs, is it because the nutrient blood is blocked inside, or is it because the nutrient blood is deficient and cold and cannot reach the limbs? If it is blood stasis or liver qi stagnation, you cannot use Si Ni Decoction; using Si Ni Decoction will definitely lead to some symptoms of fire reversal. If it is purely three yin deficiency and cold, then using Si Ni Decoction will definitely be effective.The chest fullness and tightness treated by dried ginger is due to the lung qi and stomach qi’s turbid qi not descending, while those with cardiovascular diseases are different. The lung and stomach’s qi stagnation is due to the cold dampness not transforming, leading to the cold dampness’s turbid qi not descending. The disease is in the yangming; whether using fresh or dried ginger, it is all about the turbid qi of the spleen and stomach. In contrast, coronary heart disease is largely related to the lesser yang qi rising; these two are significantly different.◆ Question: “What is the difference between dried ginger and sand ginger?”■ Answer: The difference between dried ginger and sand ginger is significant. Dried ginger is sweet and warm, entering the middle jiao. Sand ginger is pungent and drying, with a more intense drying effect. The pungent flavor of sand ginger means it can disperse to a certain extent. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is said that great pungency leads to great opening. Sand ginger, like Fu Zi, can also seal and store yang qi, thus entering the spleen and kidney meridians, sealing the lower source yang.◆ Question: “Is coronary heart disease related to the heart protector meridian?”■ Answer: First, coronary heart disease is a term from Western medicine, which does not correspond well to traditional Chinese medicine. The heart protector meridian primarily involves the foot jueyin liver meridian running from the foot to the chest, which governs elevation, while the hand jueyin heart protector meridian runs from the chest to the hand, which governs descent. Many people experience chest discomfort and fullness. This feeling of discomfort in the heart is often related to the heart protector meridian because the heart protector’s fire is not descending.Everyone can observe our pulse. Generally, we talk about the hand taiyin lung pulse, with the front nine cun and the back one cun defining our current pulse. The pulse at the front of the cun is often not along the hand taiyin lung meridian but is inclined inward toward the hand jueyin heart protector meridian. This so-called inward-leaning pulse is quite common nowadays. It indicates that the foot jueyin liver meridian’s upward movement is not smooth, leading to the hand jueyin heart protector meridian’s descent being ineffective. Therefore, the fire of the hand jueyin heart protector meridian is stagnant above, and the hand taiyin lung pulse cannot rise directly. This situation is quite common.Is there a connection between the heart protector meridian and coronary heart disease? It is hard to say. Coronary heart disease is a disease of the blood vessels; if there is stasis in the blood vessels, you can see that Zhi Gan Cao Decoction starts from the yin aspect, using earth-based herbs like Huang Di (Yellow Earth), Sheng Di (Raw Rehmannia), and E Jiao (Donkey-hide Gelatin) to gradually dissolve it, then adding clear wine.Next time, we will discuss Gui Zhi and also touch on cough and asthma. Everyone knows that external medicine does not treat skin diseases, and internal medicine does not treat asthma. In fact, asthma is not difficult to treat; it is just that the warm disease school has flourished, and the previous warm supplement school used herbs indiscriminately, leading to unclear treatment methods, making asthma difficult to manage. In fact, using classic formulas is very effective.◆ Question: “Is it suitable for children to drink fresh ginger water every morning?”■ Answer: Definitely not suitable. Fresh ginger water or ginger sugar water should be used according to each person’s constitution. Even if a child has cold and dampness in the middle jiao, it should only be used temporarily. Fresh ginger has a strong dispersive effect, and since children’s original yang qi is relatively round, but their yin essence is insufficient, frequently consuming such pungent and drying substances can easily lead to depletion.◆ Question: “What situations can lead to early beats?”■ Answer: There are many reasons for early beats. In traditional Chinese medicine, early beats can be classified into several types based on pulse characteristics: knotty, rapid, intermittent, weak, and rough pulses, each indicating different diseases. This requires categorization and detailed discussion.◆ Question: “Can patients with cold dampness and spleen deficiency use dried ginger?”■ Answer: For diabetic patients, dried ginger is a good herb. Spleen deficiency does not necessarily require dried ginger; there are many options like Ren Shen (Ginseng), Huang Qi (Astragalus), and Bai Zhu (Atractylodes). Why specifically use dried ginger? Many diabetic patients with spleen deficiency actually have yin deficiency and excessive heat, so it is appropriate to add some processed ginger. It is not necessary to use dried ginger because if the middle jiao is already dry, using dried ginger will not be suitable. However, many diabetic patients have dampness in the middle jiao, so dried ginger is still needed. Ultimately, whether to use dried ginger depends on whether the middle jiao is dry or damp. If it is dry, Bai Zhu can be used to treat the spleen, while Ren Shen can be used less. Instead, use Bai Zhu, Shan Yao (Chinese Yam), and some nourishing herbs like Gui and Shao to nourish the liver blood.◆ Question: “What happens if a patient with yin deficiency and excessive heat mistakenly uses bitter cold herbs?”■ Answer: Not necessarily. It depends on how you use the bitter cold herbs. For patients with yin deficiency and excessive heat, if the middle jiao is dry, using Zhibai Dihuang Wan will be very effective. After using it, symptoms will improve quickly. However, if the middle jiao is still cold and damp, using bitter cold herbs requires caution. Even if you use Zhibai, the middle jiao must also use dried ginger and Fu Ling (Poria).◆ Question: “If a child wears a pouch made of dried ginger and cinnamon and drinks fresh ginger water every day.” ■ Answer: This depends on the child’s constitution. If the child has a cold and damp constitution from birth, it can be worn for a while. However, if it is an ordinary child, this is not advisable. Nowadays, the pace of life is fast, and children are exposed to many things. Using dried ginger, fresh ginger, and cinnamon can easily disturb their organ qi, leaning towards the active side. People need to rest and nourish their bodies. Many people are unhealthy but live long lives, while some people are very healthy but live short lives. This is due to one being overly active and the other being overly restrained.Fresh ginger is pungent and warm, with the function of descending counterflow, stopping vomiting, dispersing water dampness, and opening the spirit.In autumn, qi descends and converges, but when the cold dampness of the taiyin is excessive, it can obstruct the yang above, causing the yangming qi to rise and not descend. Fresh ginger can open the descending path of the taiyin, allowing the yangming dryness to enter the water and be sealed within. This describes the situation of those with taiyin cold dampness; if the taiyin earth is dry, it is not suitable. They prefer cool and moist substances, such as those in the Mai Men Dong Decoction.This is two different situations and cannot be generalized.
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