Guizhi, as a commonly used medicine in clinic, has a long history of being used as medicine. "Shen Nong's Classic of Materia Medica" records: "Osmanthus fragrans tastes pungent and warm, and the main qi is reversed, and the gas and throat are blocked, so it can be inhaled, beneficial to joints and tonic." From this passage, we can know that Guizhi has the functions of lowering qi, benefiting joints and tonifying middle energizer. This book lists it as the top grade, which can strengthen the body. Hire a general messenger for all kinds of drugs first. On the same day, it said, "Treat all diseases and nourish your spirits." Long-term service does not look old, and his face is bright and his charm is often like a boy. "It can be seen that it has a wide range of uses. The word Guizhi first appeared in Treatise on Febrile Diseases in the Eastern Han Dynasty. In this book, cassia twig is used frequently, and its efficacy is different with different compatibility. Guizhi decoction is used to treat exterior syndrome caused by disharmony between ying and Wei due to wind-cold bundle. Guizhi in the prescription can penetrate the camp and guard, relax tendons and activate collaterals, and can be compatible with Paeonia lactiflora to harmonize the camp and guard. The compatibility of Wuling powder and Poria cocos shows a good effect of transforming qi and benefiting water. Guizhi Fuzi Decoction, Gancao Fuzi Decoction and Guizhi Shaoyao Mu Zhi Decoction are effective prescriptions for treating rheumatic joint pain. Ramulus Cinnamomi is used for warming channels and dredging collaterals, dispelling cold and relieving pain. In the famous recipe for treating palpitation, cassia twig is added with ginger and sake to promote yang can nourish yin without stagnation. Guizhi Fuling Pill is specially designed by Zhang Zhongjing to treat female abdominal pain and bleeding. In the prescription, Guizhi Wenxinxing Powder is used to warm blood vessels. Guizhi Jia Gui decoction is a prescription for treating dolphin surge caused by yang deficiency and cold pathogen. The dosage of cassia twig is increased in the prescription, and cassia twig is an important drug for treating dolphin surge. It can be seen from the above prescriptions that through the compatibility of different drugs, the pungent, dispersing, warming and dredging effects of Guizhi can be fully exerted, and it is worthy of being the "first of all drugs"
Understanding of the efficacy of Guizhi in Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, herbal prescription science developed rapidly, and the efficacy of Guizhi was newly supplemented on the basis of predecessors. The newly revised materia medica is sweet and pungent, hot and toxic. Benefiting liver and lung qi, heart is cold and hot. "At this time, Guizhi's sexual ignorance increased the sweetness on the basis of spicy, from warm to hot. Another book, Deficiency Cold Plus Cinnamomum cassia, Evodia rutaecarpa, Radix Aconiti Lateralis, Radix Aconiti Lateralis, classifies Ramulus Cinnamomi as Evodia rutaecarpa, Radix Aconiti Lateralis and other hot drugs, indicating that Ramulus Cinnamomi and Cinnamomum cassia were the same medicine at that time, and the therapeutic application focused on the role of sexual heat and temperature. And put forward the taboo of taking cassia twig: "Guixin should avoid raw onions and lettuce."
In the medical monograph Qian Jin Fang Yao before the Tang Dynasty, the word Gui was mostly used in the prescriptions of Gui. At that time, Guizhi, Guixin and Cinnamomum cassia were different names for the same medicine. Sun Simiao used cassia twig extensively in treating "internal heat", which broke through the application scope of Zhang Zhongjing's "exterior syndrome", such as treating "typhoid III and IV I；" with "Gegen Longdan Decoction"; 1 Not awkward, my body is hot. "In the chapter" Wind ",Guizhi is a prescription for stroke and hemiplegia. Through drug compatibility, it plays the role of expelling wind, dredging collaterals and benefiting joints, such as Xiaoxuming Decoction, which is composed of Ramulus Cinnamomi, Herba Ephedrae and Rhizoma Chuanxiong. Ramulus Cinnamomi is added to the prescriptions of "Fenggan Decoction" and "Neibu Dendrobium Gentiana Powder" in the chapter of "Wind Poisoning beriberi", which means dispersing skin moisture and activating meridians and qi and blood. Ramulus Cinnamomi is widely used for fever in the Secret Recipe of Outer Taiwan. It is often combined with cold-cooling herbs to dispel its warmth, so as to get the effect of dredging collaterals and penetrating camp.
Understanding of Guizhi's Efficacy in Ming and Qing Dynasties
Li Shizhen, a medical scientist in Ming Dynasty, comprehensively summarized the efficacy of cassia twig and put forward new views on its application. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says: "Treating wind addiction, aphonia, laryngitis, blood loss due to yang deficiency, carbuncle, swelling, sores and acne can lead to blood sweating and purulence, and relieve snake belly poison." It is pointed out that Guizhi has the functions of supporting poison, suppurating and relieving snake abdomen poison. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records that "it can benefit lung qi, wind can return to the liver, and cinnamon can calm the liver", suggesting that Guizhi can benefit both lung qi and liver qi. "Seeking Truth from Materia Medica" said: "Threatening Kazamoto belongs to the liver, and all the syndromes of wind should be treated as cassia twig entering the liver." Guizhi is classified into liver meridian, regulating liver and calming wind; The usage of Guizhi in Treatise on Febrile Diseases not only follows Zhongjing's method, but also has new play. "Cover febrile disease avoid sweat, like relaxing muscles. Guizhi is relaxing, fragrant and turbid. " It is pointed out that Guizhi has the effect of relaxing tendons and resolving turbidity. There is a comment in Wuling Plus Ji Fang Guizhi Yimi Decoction: "Therefore, Wuling Cholera Plus Guizhi Warms Tendons", suggesting that Guizhi has the effect of warming tendons when used for cholera. Baihu plus Guizhi decoction is used to treat upper-jiao fever, and Guizhi is used to induce pathogenic factors, which is called "the wonderful use of generating heat due to heat". In the Qing Dynasty, "A Journey to the West" said: "Those who go against qi are mostly due to the liver", and "Those who can go against qi are good at calming the liver because of their pungent taste and beautiful autumn colors. Ramulus Cinnamomi can reduce the adverse qi which originates from the liver and is not conducive to the liver. In this paper, the role of Guizhi in nourishing liver and lung qi, reducing adverse reactions and dispelling pathogenic factors is comprehensively discussed. In Jiawei Xiaoqinglong Decoction, ephedra and almond are added instead of cassia twig for patients with severe asthma, which shows that cassia twig has the function of lowering qi and relieving asthma. He also said: "In the classics, whenever Gui Mu is mentioned, it is said that he mainly coughs and goes against the qi, and it seems that being able to reduce the qi is the specialty of Guizhi. Few herbs say that they can reduce qi, but they abandon their strengths with cassia twig. "
Modern Chinese medicine textbooks summarize the functions of Guizhi as: sweating, relieving exterior syndrome, warming meridians, warming Yang Qi and so on. , greatly weakening the application range of cassia twig. By combing the historical development process of Guizhi function, it is found that many once effective functions have been neglected. Therefore, if we can study the various functions of Ramulus Cinnamomi well, we can not only make the best use of it and save the source of medicine, but also provide resources for modern clinical medicine and new drug development.