When it comes to cassia twig, many people's first reaction is to sweat and relieve exterior syndrome. Admittedly, this understanding is extremely correct. Guizhi decoction combines Guizhi and Paeonia lactiflora into one, sweating and expelling wind, and treating colds caused by exogenous pathogenic wind and relative lack of healthy qi, but the function of Guizhi decoction goes far beyond this. What kind of function does cassia twig have? Let's take a look at it next.
Ramulus Cinnamomi recorded in Shennong Herbal Classic: Xin Wen. Main qi, cough, qi stagnation, laryngitis, vomiting and inhalation, benefiting joints, tonifying middle energizer and benefiting qi. A long suit is a god, and an intelligent person is not old. Primitive valley. Ramulus Cinnamomi is slightly spicy, slightly sweet to chew, mild in nature, and not as dry as Herba Ephedrae. Guizhi is listed as the top grade in Shennong Materia Medica Classic, and most of the drugs have nourishing effect with less toxic and side effects.
"Upward qi and relieving cough" refers to cassia twig dispersing wind-cold to treat "upward qi and cough" caused by exogenous wind-cold In Treatise on Febrile Diseases, it is said that when the sun is sick, the qi will rush up, which can be used with Guizhi Decoction, indicating that the qi will rush up after Guizhi can calm down. Some people say that Guizhi decoction has four other medicines, why Guizhi decoction is used to treat "chong qi". The simplest prescription of Guizhi in Treatise on Febrile Diseases is Guizhi Gancao Decoction, and only Guizhi and Gancao are used to treat "palpitation", which is also a manifestation of hyperactivity of qi. Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch is used to treat shortness of breath (Zhi Zi Qiqi Decoction stipulates that Zhi Zi Glycyrrhiza Qiqi Decoction is the main one, that is, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch is added on the basis of Zhi Zi Qiqi Decoction, which shows that Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch is used to treat shortness of breath), so Guizhi can calm the qi.
"Qi stagnation and throat obstruction" refers to cold qi stagnation in the throat, which is called "arthralgia" in Chinese medicine. Obstruction of arthralgia is also the obstruction of arthralgia. Guizhi can dispel the cold evil existing in the throat due to pungent powder, thus treating joint pain caused by cold in the throat. Treatise on Febrile Diseases has Pinellia powder, which is a combination of Pinellia and cassia twig to treat sore throat.
"Relieving joints" can treat the pain caused by cold stagnation in joints, which needs cassia twig to treat. For example, in synopsis of the golden chamber, Baihu plus Guizhi decoction is used to treat joint pain caused by warm malaria, Chaihu Guizhi decoction is used to treat joint pain caused by sun and shaoyang, and Guizhi Fuzi decoction is used to treat joint pain caused by rheumatism. These are all manifestations of Guizhi's "benefiting joints".
But cassia twig has another function, which is not mentioned in Shennong Herbal Classic. This is that cassia twig can be used to treat blood stasis. Some people think that cassia twig can be used to treat blood stasis, not because it can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, but because it can warm blood.
There is Guizhi Fuling Pill in the classic prescription. Guizhi is used together with drugs such as Radix Paeoniae Alba and Semen Persicae to treat "gynecological diseases", that is, blood stasis cannot be dissipated and cannot be cured for a long time. A prescription for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis is named after Guizhi, which shows the importance of Guizhi to this prescription and the therapeutic effect of Guizhi on blood stasis.
In addition, there is Taohe Chengqi Decoction in Treatise on Febrile Diseases, which also uses cassia twig with rhubarb and mirabilite to remove blood stasis. After taking Taohe Chengqi decoction, it should be slightly beneficial to promote the excretion of blood stasis. This prescription for removing blood stasis is also made of cassia twig, which is compatible with cold medicines such as rhubarb and mirabilite. It can be seen that the warmth of cassia twig can no longer be exerted, and the disease lies in blood stasis and heat accumulated in the lower jiao. Of course, it is necessary to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and at the same time cooperate with heat and detoxification. Rhubarb and mirabilite are the most suitable. It can be seen that Guizhi is important in the compatibility of drugs for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.
There is also an important prescription for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, which comes from synopsis of golden chamber. Among the three female articles in this book, there is a prescription of Wenjing decoction, which treats abdominal blood stasis, affects blood biochemistry, and then shows a series of symptoms. In Wenjing decoction, Angelica sinensis, Radix Paeoniae Alba and Colla Corii Asini are used to nourish the lost yin blood, while Guizhi, Cortex Moutan and Chuanxiong are used to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. From the above three aspects, we can see the therapeutic effect of Guizhi on blood stasis, especially on blood stasis caused by deficiency cold.
Guizhi, as a commonly used medicine in clinic, still has many effects. Used in many prescriptions of warm water and gas, such as Gui Ling Zhugan Decoction and Wuling Powder, it can supplement the yang of human body, make the water vapor evaporate, and make the wastewater become normal body fluid or excrete. The role of cassia twig in tonifying deficiency has never been discussed. Guizhi, as the top grade of materia medica classics, can tonify the middle energizer and replenish qi. However, doctors in previous dynasties often ignored this effect, so they did not use Xiaojianzhong decoction, which made a generation of famous prescriptions fall. I'm sorry.