Coix Seed (Yi Yi Ren)
According to the “New Compilation of Materia Medica”: “Coix seed is best for promoting urination without damaging the true yin energy. It is most suitable for those with excessive dampness in the lower body.” Coix seed, also known as Coix lacryma-jobi, Job’s tears, or Yi Yi Ren, is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. TCM theory holds that coix seed has the functions of promoting urination and reducing swelling, strengthening the spleen and eliminating dampness, relaxing the muscles and alleviating pain, and clearing heat and expelling pus. It is particularly suitable for consumption during the summer when dampness is prevalent.
Identifying Genuine Coix Seed
Can coix seed be fake? There is a type of “large coix seed” on the market that closely resembles coix seed. This substance, known as grass pearl, although belonging to the same family of plants (Poaceae), has far less medicinal value than coix seed. The “Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China (2020 Edition)” describes coix seed as being broad oval or long oval in shape, measuring 4-8mm in length and 3-6mm in width. The surface is milky white, smooth, occasionally with remnants of yellowish-brown seed coats; one end is blunt and rounded, while the other end is wider and slightly concave, with a light brown dot-like hilum; the back is rounded and convex, and the belly has a wide and deep longitudinal groove. It is firm in texture, with a white cross-section that is powdery. It has a faint aroma and a slightly sweet taste.
Introduction to Our TCM Department
Our TCM clinic covers an area of over 450 square meters, currently offering 20 treatment beds and 3 TCM outpatient services. It has been recognized as a distinctive department of a grassroots medical and health institution in Taizhou City, with the specialty in cervical, shoulder, lumbar, and leg pain being awarded as the second grassroots specialty in Taizhou City (special disease). In 2023, we completed the construction of the grassroots TCM specialty project “One Hospital, One Product”. The department is equipped with multifunctional traction beds, extracorporeal shock wave therapy devices, and electroacupuncture devices, allowing for various medical techniques including acupuncture, guasha, cupping, tui na (Chinese therapeutic massage), bone setting, topical applications, acupoint injections, needle knife therapy, bloodletting therapy, moxibustion, and magnetic therapy, among 13 different methods.The herbal pharmacyprovides 33 categories of Chinese herbal pieces and7types,and has achieved the capability of dispensing herbal prescriptions and providing decoction services.
