Generally speaking, people are used to calling drugs collected, processed and prepared according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine as traditional Chinese medicine. The main source of traditional Chinese medicine is plant medicine, so there is a saying that "all medicines are based on grass"
The written records of traditional Chinese medicine can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty. For example, the Book of Songs contains the names of 100 kinds of medicinal plants and animals. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Huangdi Neijing came out, and its theory of four qi and five flavors and the theory of nourishing five internal organs became the theoretical basis for the rise and fall of TCM in later generations. Since ancient times, there have been a large number of books on materia medica, among which Compendium of Materia Medica in Ming Dynasty is the most well known. The book contains 1892 kinds of medicinal materials, 1 160 pictures of medicinal materials and1/096 prescriptions.
Essential oil is a volatile aromatic substance extracted from flowers, leaves, stems, roots or fruits of plants by steam distillation, extrusion, cold soaking or solvent extraction. Essential oils are highly volatile and will evaporate quickly once they come into contact with air. For this reason, essential oils must be sealed and stored in dark bottles.
Essential oil originated from ancient western herbal therapies. The ancient Greeks used olive oil to absorb the smell of petals or herbs and made ointment for beauty or treatment. /kloc-the "Arabic perfume" of the 0/2nd century is an essential oil, which is famous all over Europe. In medieval Europe, oil immersion, pure dew, medicinal juice, immersion liquid and other herbal preparations have become very common. But by the end of17th century, chemically synthesized drugs began to appear and flourish, and essential oils and herbs were gradually forgotten by the public. Until the 20th century, the medical efficacy of essential oil was re-emphasized, aromatherapy was formally put forward, and many monographs came out one after another. Nowadays, essential oil and aromatherapy are widely used in medical beauty and health care in Europe, especially in France.
? In Chinese traditional medical theory, the medicinal properties of traditional Chinese medicine are generally summarized by four qi and five flavors, ups and downs, meridian tropism, toxicity and non-toxicity. According to the preface of Shennong's materia medica, "medicine has five flavors: sour, salty, sweet, bitter and bitter, and cold, hot and cold". For example, the medicinal properties of ginseng are sweet and slightly bitter; Warm and flat; Return to spleen, lung meridian and heart meridian. The effects of ginseng are: invigorating qi, strengthening the body, promoting fluid production, calming the nerves and improving intelligence.
? Essential oils are analyzed by modern molecular chemistry instruments: monoterpenes, esters, monoterpene aldehydes, phenols, ethers, etc. So far, more than 3000 kinds of essential oils have been found. For example, there are more than 0/00 species of lavender/kloc-,more than 250 species of sage and more than 400 species of roses.
? Traditional Chinese medicine is usually taken orally, absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, and then transported to the whole body blood to play a role. A few of them are effective by external application (such as Sanjiu ointment), and some are effective by fumigation/moxibustion, such as medicated bath or moxibustion.
? Essential oil works by smelling, wiping and taking orally. When the essential oil passes through the respiratory tract, it not only acts on the body through the skin, blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, but also enters the limbic system of the brain through the sense of smell, prompting the brain to secrete hormones and achieve the effect of healing. However, when the essential oil is directly applied to the skin or taken orally, it will directly pass through the skin or digestive tract mucosa and be transmitted to various parts of the body through blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, resulting in therapeutic effects.
? There is a great difference between traditional Chinese medicine and essential oil, but because they both come from plants, some medicinal properties are interrelated. If the two can be used in combination with symptoms, the effect of treating diseases will be very significant.
? For example, mint, as a traditional Chinese medicine, is pungent and cool. Enter lung and liver meridian. Efficacy: dispelling wind and clearing heat, clearing head, relieving sore throat and penetrating rash, soothing liver and promoting qi circulation. The Chinese patent medicine "Yinqiao Jiedu Tablet", which is often used by everyone, contains mint, which is used to relieve exterior symptoms and reduce fever.
? The main chemical components of peppermint essential oil are menthol and menthone, as well as limonene and piperidone. Peppermint essential oil has dual functions: it can cool down when it is hot and warm the body when it is cold. It can help treat cold, dry cough, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and so on. , can relieve flatulence, stomachache and heartburn, as well as migraine. Similarly, peppermint essential oil is often used to reduce fever, especially with tea tree essential oil.
Therefore, once family members catch a cold and have a fever, if they take Chinese patent medicine (Xiaochaihu granules) orally and apply peppermint and tea tree essential oil, the fever can be quickly reduced. My little treasure once had a tonsil inflammation with pus, and suddenly had a fever of more than 39 degrees at night. I tried the above method, taking medicine orally every four hours and applying essential oil. At dawn, his temperature dropped to more than 37 degrees. Later, this method was tried and tested.
? Traditional Chinese medicine and essential oil have their own wonderful uses, which give us more choices in conditioning physique and protecting health. Therefore, it is worthwhile for us to put some energy into understanding them and applying them to our daily life, so that we can all have a good figure.