Medicinal Cornel Fruit / Shan zhu yu (Sour Mountain Date) 

The fruit of medicinal cornel looks like a date, tastes sour, and is found mostly in the mountains, which is why the Chinese call it 'sour mountain date'.  But what makes this sour mountain date capable of  promoting longevity?  The story behind this is that the flowers of this plant appear as early as May, but its fruit do not become ripe until November, which means that it takes a longer period of time than other plants to bear fruit.  Moreover, in November when most other plants have died, the sour mountain date has not only survived, but its fruits are hanging from it elegantly.  The fact that it takes a long time for the sour mountain date to bear fruit signifies that the fruit must have a certain element of long life in them, and the fact that this plant can resist the assault of severe winter cold implies that there must be a quality of toughness in it.

actions:    to tone up the liver and kidneys, constrict semen, and check perspiration.

indications:    seminal emission, excessive perspiration, lumbago, dizziness, ringing in ears, and insomnia.

notes:    Experiments have shown sour mountain date to be effective in inhibiting gastrointestinal peristalsis and in reducing blood sugar.  Since the herb is obstructive, it is not recommended for those with constipation.

Morinda Root / Ba Ji Tian (never-withering-and-falling)

Morinda root is called "never-withering-and-falling" in Chinese, because it is a creeping vine that hangs on persistently.  The root of this plant, which is used for medicinal purposes, contains vitamin C and carbohydrates.

actions:  to warm up the kidneys, strengthen yang, tendons and bones.

indications:  kidney yang deficiency, impotence, lumbago, dizziness, and ringing in ears.

notes:  Effective for treating impotence, lumbago, and cold-damp rheumatism due to kidney yang deficiency.

Raw glutinous rehmannia can reduce heat in the blood, whereas processed glutinous rehmannia can treat blood deficiency.  Thus, in Chinese herbalism, the raw and the processed forms of glutinous rehmannia are regarded as two entirely different herbs.  They belong to two different classes and there is a differ in terms of their clinical uses.  A report published in the Chinese Medical Journal indicates that raw glutinous rehmannia has been shown to be effective in treating rheumatic and rheumatoid arthritis.   

Raw Glutinous Rehmannia / Sheng di (New Place)

actions:  to increase yin energy to a moderate degree, bring down fire, cool down the blood, lubricate the intestine, and produce fluids.

indications:  sore throat, vomiting of blood, coughing up blood, nosebleed, discharge of urine containing blood, and diabetes.

notes:  Experiments have shown sheng di to be an effective heart tonic and an effective coagulant.

Steamed Glutinous Rehmannia / Shu di huang (Old Place)

actions: to tone up blood, water kidneys, nourish yin, and make gray hair return to former color.

indications:  blood deficiency, gray hair, ringing in ears, night sweats, vaginal bleeding, diabetes, and seminal emission.

notes: Experiments have shown that shu di huang can protect the liver and reduce blood sugar.  Shu di huang is good for kidney yin deficiency with dizziness and vertigo.  It is effective blood tonic and is also effective for the arrestment of bleeding due to blood deficiency, and can thus be used to treat such symptoms as palpitations, excessive menstrual flow, and blood in urine.

Matrimony vine is a trailing shrub with thorny stalks.  Its seeds are the most valuable part for medicinal purposes.  Matrimony vine is not only good for longevity, but also for beauty.  A Chinese writer reported that he knew a beautiful woman from a wealthy family who had always drunk matrimony vine tea and eat the seeds everyday, which was why, he said, she looks 20 years younger than her age.

actions:    to tone up kidneys, nourish the liver and blood, and sharpen vision.

indications:    blood deficiency with dizziness and blurred vision, lumbago, seminal emission, and diabetes.

notes:    Experiments have shown that gou qi zi can protect the liver and reduce blood sugar.

Momordica fruit is one of the few fruits that cannot be eaten until it is dried by fire.  For the last few centuries, this fruit has almost exclusively been a product of the province of Guangxi in southern China.  Momordica fruit has traditionally been used for a number of common ailments such as cough with sputum, constipation, chronic laryngitis, hoarseness, and chronic bronchitis.  

Recently, this fruit emerged as an important herb in curing and preventing cancer.  According to a Japanese report, this fruit contains an unnamed substance that makes it taste 300 times sweeter than ordinary sugar.  Although it tastes so sweet, the Chinese nevertheless believe that it is good for diabetes.

actions:    to clear lungs and lubricate intestines.

indications:    whooping cough, cough with sputum fire, and constipation due to dry blood.

actions:    to secure the heart, check perspiration, lubricate dryness, and induce bowel movements.

indications:    insomnia, palpitations, constipation, and night sweats.

The Chinese believe that the skin can be made beautiful, not by vegetables or fruits alone, but also by an adequate amount of vegetable oils --particularly sesame.  The combination of sesame and rice powder is also effective in treating constipation, which is a symptom that needs to be corrected in order to possess a beautiful skin.

actions:    to tone up the liver and kidneys, and lubricate the five viscera.

indications:    liver-kidney deficiency, headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, constipation, and shortage of milk secretion in women.

notes:    Hei zhi ma can tonify and nourish the liver and the kidneys.  It is an effective herb for blurred vision and dizziness, ringing in the ears, and numbness of the arms and legs.  

Slender acanthopanax root bark comes from a shrub with many fine thorns on small branches, and belongs to the same family as Chinese ginseng, that is why the Chinese called it thorny ginseng.

actions:    to remove wind and dampness, and strengthen bones and tendons.

indications:    rheumatism, beriberi, and weak limbs.

notes:    Experiments have shown wu ja pi to be an effective heart tonic, as it can produce adrenocortical hormones.  In addition, it is also an effective herb for the relief of pain and rheumatism.  This herb is especially effective in treating rheumatism in the lower half of the body due to dampness.

There are two kinds of apricot kernel:  bitter apricot kernel (kuxingren) and sweet apricot kernel (tianxingren), which is larger than the former.  Kuxingren can expel sputum, suppress coughing, and lubricate the intestines.  Tianxingren can lubricate the lungs, suppress cough, and make the intestines smooth; it is preferable for a chronic cough or a dry cough without sputum.

Sweet Apricot (Tian xing ren)

actions:    to lubricate lungs, expel sputum, suppress cough, and relieve asthma.

indications:    dry cough, asthma, and constipation.

Bitter Apricot (Kuxingren)

actions:    to suppress cough, expel sputum, expand lungs, and calm down asthma.

indications:    cough in the common cold, asthma with copious sputum, and constipation due to exhaustion of fluids.

notes:    Bitter apricot is slightly toxic.  It contains cyanic glycosides that can suppress cough.  Experiments have shown it to be effective for suppression of cough and asthma.

indications:    diarrhea due to spleen deficiency, seminal emission, and vaginal discharge.

notes:    Quan shi  is obstructive and thus should be avoided by those with constipation.

actions: to tone up the liver and kidneys, and to benefit semen and blood. 

indications: seminal emission, vaginal discharge, lumbago, and premature gray hair.

notes:    According to the experiments, he shou wu can treat fatty liver, increase red blood cells, and reduce blood fat.

_{References:  Lu, Henry C., Legendary Chinese Healing Herbs, Pelanduk Publications, 1991.}