For the traditional Chinese medicine ephedra, this flavor of traditional Chinese medicine, from the beginning of the "Shennong Materia Medica", it is destined to become a focus of traditional Chinese medicine, because the medicinal properties of ephedra are violent, for sweating medicine, so that later generations of doctors love and hate, and even in the four famous books of "Dream of Red Mansions", it is also called "the medicine of the tiger and wolf". As a result, in the clinical practice of modern Chinese medicine, many doctors are still very deep about ephedra, a traditional Chinese medicine mustard. Many doctors know that ephedra is a good medicine, but its medicinal properties are strong, and I am afraid that I can't control it. Therefore, many doctors would rather "hide" ephedra, a traditional Chinese medicine, than make mistakes with it, because the consequences of misuse of ephedra may be unbearable for life.
But in fact, what many people don't know is that the medical saint Zhang Zhongjing is quite fond of ephedra, and the ephedra soup, kudzu root soup, Xiaoqinglong soup, Daqinglong soup, Yuewen soup, ephedra Jiashu soup, dry ephedra soup, magnolia ephedra soup, Ma Xing Shi Gan soup, Ma Xing Yi sweet soup, ephedra aconite soup, ephedra aconite fine spicy soup, ephedra cohosh soup, aconitum soup and other prescriptions have ephedra participation, it can be seen that ephedra this flavor of traditional Chinese medicine, as long as you use it well, there will be medicine to eliminate the disease. Therefore, how to use ephedra soup scientifically, it is necessary to understand the prescription of the medical saint Zhang Zhongjing when using ephedra, a traditional Chinese medicine, and the decoction method. As long as the prescription and evidence correspond and the decoction method is in place, basically "as soon as ephedra arrives, the disease will run away".
What are the functions of ephedra soup? After reading the "Shennong's Materia Medica", we have already mastered the efficacy of ephedra, a traditional Chinese medicine. For the efficacy of ephedra, it is said in detail in the "Shennong Materia Medica", the first is "sweating", the second is "removing evil heat", "removing cold and heat", the third is "stopping the reverse qi", and the fourth is "breaking the accumulation of scabies". For the indications of ephedra, "Shennong's Materia Medica" is relatively concise, mainly "stroke", "typhoid fever", "headache" and "warm malaria". That is to say, from the "Shennong's Materia Medica", the main effects of ephedra have been explained, but the understanding of ephedra by later generations of doctors is also the icing on the cake after all.
For the taste of ephedra, after the "Shennong Materia Medica", the role of ephedra by doctors in the past dynasties is also gradually explored, especially the role of ephedra in "Rihuazi Materia Medica" can be said to be a unique discussion of ephedra, the role of ephedra is divided into several paragraphs, first emphasizing the unique role of ephedra "through the nine orifices, regulating blood veins", especially the role of "regulating blood veins" is similar to the modern cardiovascular conditioning; followed by ephedra in "opening pores and skin, chasing the wind", which is similar to the role of modern sweating; Break the accumulation of scabies and chase away the five internal organs", which is similar to the modern anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effect, "antipyretic" is similar to the modern antipyretic effect, and finally "Yushan Lan miasma", which is similar to the modern anti-pathogenic microbial effect. These special effects have been confirmed by modern pharmacology.
In the early years, pharmacological studies found that ephedra has diaphoresis, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, analgesic, antibacterial, antiviral, antiasthmatic, antitussive expectorant, anti-allergic, water dilution and swelling, central excitation, cardiotonic strengthening, blood pressure, inhibition of intestinal muscle contraction, inhibition of diarrhea, hypoglycemic and other pharmacological effects [1]. With the deepening of pharmacological research, it has been gradually found that ephedra has pharmacological effects such as inotropic and blood pressure regulation, diuretic, antitumor [2], anti-allergic, antioxidant, anticoagulant, immunosuppressive, anti-pathogenic microorganisms, promotion of fat cell synthesis, relaxation of gastrointestinal smooth muscle and emptying of gastrointestinal contents[3]. In addition, pharmacological studies have found that ephedra can excite the heart, enhance myocardial contractility, dilate arteries, brain, and muscle blood vessels, which is used for the treatment of stroke, and can also make skin blood vessels constrict[4].
It is precisely because of the in-depth study of ephedra in modern pharmacology that the application scenarios of ephedra have gradually become more and more in modern clinical practice, and many doctors have realized that as long as ephedra is used well, it is a real medicine, and it is not a "tiger and wolf medicine" at all. In modern clinical practice, ephedra can be used to treat medical diseases (cold, cough and asthma, acute nephritis, jaundice, arrhythmia, paralysis, enuresis, low back pain), surgical diseases (psoriasis, urticaria), gynecological diseases (postpartum diseases, premenstrual syndrome), pediatric diseases (pediatric diarrhea), andrological diseases (non-ejaculation), ENT diseases (rosacea), incurable diseases (Raynaud's disease, facial paralysis, psoriasis, myasthenia gravis) and other conditions [2]. It is not difficult to see that ephedra, a traditional Chinese medicine, is no longer limited to the treatment of external diseases, and as for the preconceived ideas of the ancients about ephedra, "the first important medicine for treating feelings" and "the special medicine for treating the lung meridian", it should have been "impressive" a long time ago.
For the flavor of ephedra, its dose-effect relationship is still unique, some studies have found that the clinical dosage of ephedra is 3~82.8g, of which the dosage of contemporary doctors is 3~50g; if it is used to treat colds, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema, allergic rhinitis and other respiratory diseases, non-purulent otitis media, viral hepatitis and other diseases, the usual dosage is 3~12g; for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis, proliferative spondylitis, Rheumatoid arthritis, intracranial tumors, immune pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, hysteria, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and other cardiovascular diseases, the usual dose is 6~30g, used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, skin diseases such as multiple flat warts, allergic purpura, urticaria, pruritus syndrome, psoriasis, eczema, neurodermatitis, acne vulgaris and other diseases, the common dose is 3~15g; The usual dose is 15~50g for primary cutaneous amyloidosis, acute glomerulonephritis, intestinal motor dysfunction diarrhea and other diseases, 6~15g for the treatment of cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, trigeminal neuralgia, sciatica, infertility, Raynaud's disease and other diseases, 3~50g for the treatment of diabetic foot and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and 12g for the treatment of acute lumbar sprain[5]. In this way, if ephedra is a traditional Chinese medicine, if it can be reasonably compatible, and grasp its dose-effect relationship, then the power of ephedra traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice is incredible.
However, for ephedra, the first label of traditional Chinese medicine, that is, cough is a panacea, expectorant is a miracle medicine, fever is a good product, not only that, but it is also a good anti-tumor and anti-viral medicine. However, due to the fierce sweating power of ephedra, it is mostly used for empirical evidence of typhoid fever, and most of the false evidence cannot be used, such as Gu Jingyuan's "Gu Songyuan Medical Mirror" in the Qing Dynasty, which records that ephedra "is not a winter moon typhoid fever and people who are not secret, are forbidden." Sweat and death, can damage life, the ring of the ring". In fact, this statement may have originated from the Song Dynasty's "Kaibao Materia Medica", which said that ephedra "should not be taken too much, and it is empty". The sweating power of ephedra is indeed very strong, so it should not be used for people with self-sweating, yin deficiency and night sweats, as well as lung and kidney deficiency. In addition, ephedra has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, so it should be used with caution for insomnia patients, and ephedra has a pressor-boosting effect, so it should not be used by people with high blood pressure and athletes. In addition, for special populations, pregnant women should not use it, children, elderly patients and people with weak constitution should be used with caution. Of course, in the process of using ephedra, processing, compatibility, decoction methods, etc. can inhibit the strong performance of ephedra, so it must be used reasonably in clinical use. As long as it is used reasonably, prescription medicine is often a miracle!
bibliography
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[2] Yang Xinyu, Xiao Changfang, Zhang Kaiyi, et al. Research progress on clinical application and pharmacological effects of ephedra[J].China Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2015,33(12):2874-2877.
Research progress on chemical composition and pharmacological effects of ephedra[J].Traditional Chinese Medicine Information,2021,38(2):80-83.
[4] Ren Haibo, Wang Yingchun, Ma Jingmei, et al.Active ingredients and clinical application progress of ephedra[J].China Pharmacovigilance,2021,18(4):396-399.
[5] Yang Na, Di Sha, Zhao Linhua, et al. Clinical application and dosage of ephedra[J].Jilin Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2019,39(10):1287-1290.
[This graphic and text is exclusively and originally produced by "Shenxiyuan" new media. Author: Shen Xi Yuan (the spiritual home of global Chinese medicine practitioners, the museum of Chinese medicine life science), without authorization, please do not reprint or copy]