The original meaning of five flavors refers to the true taste of drugs and food. The taste of medicine and food can be observed by tasting. Because medicine and food "know the taste in the mouth, know the taste in the stomach", the ancients linked the taste and function of medicine and food, and explained the function of medicine and food with taste. As a theory in medicine, it summarizes the function of drugs, thus forming the original five-flavor theory.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there appeared the theory of five flavors based on the theory of diet recuperation, such as the taboo of four seasons and five flavors, the adverse consequences of overeating five flavors and so on. The theory that five flavors are medicinal properties was first seen in Neijing and Benjing. Neijing systematically discusses the functions and applications of five flavors and the attributes of Yin-Yang and Five Elements. Classic not only clearly points out that "drugs have five flavors: sour, salty, sweet, bitter and pungent", but also points out the medicinal characteristics of each drug combined with four gases, thus laying the foundation for the development of the theory of five flavors. With the supplement of later doctors, the theory of five flavors of traditional Chinese medicine has been gradually improved.
The five flavors of drugs mean that drugs have five different flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty, so they have different therapeutic effects. Some drugs also have a light or astringent taste, so there are actually more than five kinds. But the five flavors are the most basic five flavors, so they are still called five flavors.
The identification of five flavors of drugs is first identified by taste, that is, human sensory organs, which is a reflection of the true taste of drugs; But more importantly, the five flavors are summarized through long-term clinical practice observation. Different tastes of drugs act on human body, producing different reactions and different curative effects. In other words, the five flavors are not only a true reflection of the taste of drugs, but more importantly, a high summary of the effects of drugs. Since the theory of five flavors as induced drugs appeared, the "taste" of five flavors has gone beyond the category of taste, but is based on efficacy. Therefore, the records of herbal books sometimes do not match the actual taste. In a word, the meaning of five flavors not only represents the taste of drugs, but also includes the taste of drugs, which constitutes the main content of the theory of five flavors. Five flavors, like other things, have the attributes of yin and yang and five elements. Neijing said: "Sweet and light belong to Yang, bitter and salty belong to Yin." Hong Fan said: "Sour taste belongs to wood, bitter taste belongs to fire, sweet taste belongs to earth, spicy taste belongs to gold, and salty taste belongs to water." "Su Wen? The theory of storing qi points out: "It points out:" Bitter, sweet, slow, bitter, firm, salty and soft. " This is the earliest summary of the attributes and functions of the five flavors. On this basis, future generations further supplemented and improved day by day. According to predecessors' discussion and clinical practice, the functions and main treatment syndromes of the five flavors are described as follows:
Xin, "can disperse but can do it", that is, it has the functions of dispersing, promoting qi and promoting blood circulation. Generally speaking, drugs for relieving exterior syndrome, activating qi and activating blood are pungent. Therefore, spicy drugs are often used to treat exterior syndrome and qi-blood block syndrome. For example, Folium Perillae disperses cold, Radix Aucklandiae promotes qi circulation to reduce swelling, and Rhizoma Chuanxiong promotes blood circulation to remove blood stasis. In addition, Neijing said: "Xin Yi moistens it", that is to say, pungent drugs also have the function of moistening dryness and nourishing, such as Farfara flower moistening lung and relieving cough, Cuscuta seed moistening kidney and so on. Spicy drugs mostly work for dispersing, so the theory of "Xin Run" is not representative. In addition, some drugs with aromatic smell are often labeled as "pungent", also known as pungent gas. In this way, Xin is not only related to taste, but also to smell. With the development of communication between China and foreign countries, foreign spices and drugs are continuously imported. In the Song Dynasty, due to the prevalence of aromatic drugs, the application scope was expanding day by day, and the understanding of the functions of aromatic drugs was also richer. Pungent medicine, with fragrant smell, has the characteristics of dispersing and acting, and also has the functions of removing filth, eliminating dampness, invigorating spleen, appetizing, inducing resuscitation and waking up.
Sweet taste, "can tonify energy and slow down", that is, it has the functions of tonifying, harmonizing middle energizer, harmonizing medicinal properties and relieving pain. Generally speaking, drugs that nourish and tonify deficiency, reconcile medicinal properties and relieve pain are mostly sweet. Sweet herbs are usually used to treat the weakness of vital energy, physical pain, drug compatibility and poisoning rescue. For example, ginseng can tonify the middle energizer, rehmannia glutinosa can nourish essence and blood, maltose can relieve pain, and licorice can reconcile medicinal properties and detoxify food poisoning.
Acid, "astringent", has astringent effect. Generally, drugs for consolidating exterior surface, stopping sweating, astringing lung, relieving cough, astringing intestine, stopping diarrhea, arresting seminal emission and stopping leukorrhagia all have sour taste. Sour drugs are often used to treat body weakness, hyperhidrosis, lung deficiency, chronic cough, chronic diarrhea, intestinal slippery, nocturnal emission, frequent micturition, metrorrhagia and leakage. For example, Schisandra chinensis can strengthen the exterior and stop sweating, ebony can astringe the lung and stop cough, Galla chinensis can astringe the intestine and stop diarrhea, and Cornus officinalis can astringe the essence and stop leukorrhagia.
Bitter, "can drain, dry and strengthen", that is, it has the functions of clearing heat, purging qi, dredging stool, drying dampness and strengthening yin (purging fire and storing yin). Generally speaking, drugs that clear away heat and purge fire, reduce qi and relieve asthma, reduce adverse reactions, stop vomiting, promote defecation, clear away heat and dry dampness, purge fire and store yin all have bitter taste. Bitter medicine is often used to treat heat syndrome, fire syndrome, asthma, cough, nausea, constipation, dampness syndrome, yin deficiency and excessive fire. Such as Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Gardenia, Semen Armeniacae Amarum, Pinellia ternata and Pericarpium Citri Tangerinae, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei and Fructus Aurantii Immaturus, clearing heat and relaxing bowels, Radix Gentianae Coptidis, Rhizoma Atractylodis and Cortex Magnolia Officinalis, purging fire and storing yin.
Salty, "can relax bowels and soften", that is, it has the function of relaxing bowels, softening and resolving hard masses. Generally speaking, drugs for relaxing bowels, softening and resolving hard masses are salty. Salty drugs are often used to treat dry stool, scrofula, excessive phlegm, swelling and pain. Such as mirabilite for clearing away heat and relaxing bowels, seaweed for removing scabies, oysters, soft and hard turtle shell and ground beetle. In addition, "Su Wen? There is also a saying that "salty blood disappears" in Xuan Ming's Five Qi Articles. Kidney belongs to water, salty enters the kidney, heart belongs to fire, salty dominates blood, and water wins fire. For example, Folium Isatidis, Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Arnebiae, Indigo Naturalis and Cynanchum atratum all have salty taste, and they all enter the blood, which has the functions of clearing heat, cooling blood and detoxifying. " Su Wen? On the truth, it is like this: "The five flavors enter the mouth, all of which attack their favorite ... salty enters the kidney first." So many salty drugs such as placenta hominis, seal kidney, gecko, tortoise plastron, turtle shell and so on. Its entry into the kidney meridian has a good kidney-tonifying effect. At the same time, in order to introduce drugs into the kidney and enhance the kidney-tonifying effect, many drugs, such as Anemarrhena asphodeloides, Cortex Phellodendri, Eucommiae Cortex, Morinda officinalis, etc. It is also processed with salt water for medicine.
Light, "can permeate, can benefit", that is, it is beneficial to diuresis, so many diuretic drugs are light in taste. Mild drugs are often used to treat edema, beriberi and dysuria. Such as Coicis Semen, medulla tetrapanacis, Juncus Juncus, Poria, Polyporus, Alisma orientalis, etc. Because "Ben Jing" didn't mention bland taste, so some doctors in later generations advocated "bland taste with sweetness". However, the functions of light taste and sweet taste have their own characteristics and should be discussed separately.
Astringent, similar to acid medicine, is often used to treat sweating, diarrhea, frequent urination, nocturnal emission, nocturnal emission, bleeding and other symptoms. For example, lotus seeds can stop leukorrhagia, Liang can astringe intestines to stop diarrhea, and [sa4] Gu can converge to stop bleeding. Therefore, herbal literature often represents astringency with sour taste, or indicates medicinal properties side by side with sour taste.
The above is the basic content of the five flavors. But as far as a specific drug is concerned, it should be analyzed in detail. The taste of drugs is often single, and most drugs have several flavors. The identification of the efficacy of these drugs must be comprehensive, combined with clinical efficacy to understand and summarize. In addition, the above five functions are only one aspect of medicinal properties, and a comprehensive understanding of medicinal properties must be combined with other characteristics to fully grasp the medicinal properties.
Zyy 123.com, this article comes from Huaxia Traditional Chinese Medicine Network.