"Pancreas", as the oldest soap in China, has the above two functions. What is even more unexpected is that the pancreas is made of pig pancreas as the main material and then mixed with other raw materials.
What is the pancreas?
In modern times, people used to call it soap pancreas, but in Guanzhong, Tianjin, Hebei, Northeast China and other places, it was also used to call it soap pancreas. Of course, people are more accustomed to calling soap "sweet pancreas" and soap "pancreas" or "pig pancreas". Now the older generation often calls soap "sweet pancreas".
Strictly speaking, the pancreas is not the same as the soap we are talking about now. Soap was introduced from the west, and alkali was added to its raw material, so it has some functions of alkali, so people used to call soap "foreign alkali".
Pancreas used to refer to "pig pancreas". The pig pancreas mentioned here does not refer to pig pancreas, but refers to washing products made of pig pancreas.
Pig pancreas is the main raw material for making pancreas. Pig pancreas looks flat and long with naked eyes, with irregular shape, about 12cm long, similar to fat, slightly gray in color, and feels granular when pinched by hands.
Pancreas is a magical thing, which can be said to be an efficient compound washing product. First of all, it is very similar to our soap today in chemical composition; In addition, according to the preferences of different users, various spices are added to form osmanthus, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, etc., which are quite similar to today's soap oils with different tastes; Furthermore, pig pancreas is rich in lipase and protease, which has the function of decomposing dirt, which is different from today's enzyme washing powder.
I have to admire the great wisdom of our working people. These simple natural materials can be used to make ancient washing products with such multifunction.
The predecessor of the pancreas
The predecessor of pancreas is "bath bean". According to historical records, bath beans first appeared in the Western Jin Dynasty, and in the Tang Dynasty, the use of bath beans entered its heyday.
Many methods of making bath beans are recorded in Sun Simiao's "Fang Yao with a thousand pounds" in the Tang Dynasty, and the simplest process is as follows: first, clean the blood stains on the pig pancreas; Then remove all the fat and meridians above and grind them into paste. The finer the grinding, the better the finished product. Then add bean flour, spices, etc. And uniformly mixing; Knead it into a certain shape by hand, dry it naturally, and then make it into bath beans.
The washing function of bath beans lies in that the pancreas of animals contains many digestive enzymes, which can decompose fat, protein and starch. In the production process, the pig pancreas is ground to make the pancreatic fat digestive enzyme contained in the pancreas ooze out continuously; Soy flour also contains saponin and lecithin, which has foaming and emulsifying effects; Mixing pig pancreas with bean powder and interacting with each other not only strengthened the washing ability of bath beans, but also moistened the skin.
Production of pancreas
With the development of society, people later improved the production technology of bath beans, and an upgraded version of decontamination skin care products-pancreas was born.
Different from bath beans, sugar is added when grinding pig pancreas, and then sodium carbonate or plant ash is used instead of bean powder, and melted pig fat is added. After all kinds of raw materials are mixed evenly, they are pressed into spheres or blocks, and they become "pancreas".
The ancient pancreas is similar to modern soap. When lard melts at 40℃, pig pancreas just acts as lipase to decompose lard into higher fatty acids, which are saponified with alkali added in plant ash to finally produce fatty acid soap.
Fatty acid soap is the main chemical component of modern soap. Only in our country, people use traditional technology and raw materials to generate naturally; It is extracted by industrial methods abroad.
Before soap entered the homes of ordinary people, generations used plant ash, Gleditsia sinensis or alkaline noodles to wash clothes. There is no soap for a long time, and homemade pancreas has become an indispensable daily necessities for people.
Pancreas has never been seen in our generation, let alone used. There is a relative at home who calls me uncle. He is almost 90 years old. He killed pigs for several years when he was young.
When I have time, I heard from my uncle that the process of making pancreas is not complicated. The key is that the raw materials are special and difficult to find. People used to be poor, but now they want to eat pork and buy it on the street. In the past, pig farmers only killed pigs at the end of each year. Fortunately, this part of the pig family doesn't eat it, and neighbors or relatives come to ask for it, so they naturally give it, and of course they keep it for themselves.
With pig pancreas, the main raw materials for making "pig pancreas soap" are available, and other ingredients are also common at home. The finished pancreas made of pig pancreas can be used by a family of seven or eight for about one year.
Quanneng clean skin care products
Now there are many kinds of toiletries with diverse functions. But it must be said that the more effective these products are, the more chemical components they may contain. What's more, in order to achieve some attractive effect, it is likely to contain some harmful substances. Otherwise, the relevant functional departments will randomly check the products of a certain brand to remind consumers to buy carefully.
I have to sigh again about people's exquisite attainments, original methods and pancreas made of pure natural materials. Such a simple thing has multiple functions, such as cleaning skin, beauty beauty and preventing chapping, and can combine the functions of many modern products.
Modern researchers have also analyzed and restored the mystery of this decontamination, fat-dissolving and skin-care product through various scientific methods.
It is said that the unique components of pancreatic fat digestive enzymes in the pancreas can directly penetrate into the third layer of human epidermis for deep cleaning; Pancreatic fat digestive enzyme can effectively combine with saponin and lecithin, which can adsorb and dilute deep melanin in skin and make skin tender and white; Pig pancreas tastes sweet and flat, and has the effect of moistening dryness, so it also has significant effects on dry skin, chapped hands and feet, frostbite and other problems.
Unlike the dazzling array of containers in shopping malls now, all kinds of washing products have a clear division of labor. Hand sanitizer, facial cleanser, shampoo, shower gel, washing powder and laundry detergent have their own functions, and people choose different products according to different washing needs. The ancient pancreas can be said to be an all-purpose detergent, which can be used to wash hands, face, hair, bath and clothes, so that it can show its talents.
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With the development of large-scale industrial production, today's daily chemical products are prosperous and advanced in technology, and we have a variety of cleaning products to choose from. In addition, people's living standards have been greatly improved, and the era of self-made pig pancreas has become history.
For most of us, the word "pancreas" may never be seen in kind, and occasionally it will flash on the screen during the drama, or it may be mentioned by the elders at home. With the changes of the times, this word may gradually fade out of our sight and become a distant memory.
As the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancients, the ancient soap made from pig pancreas will be the imprint of our human civilization and will remain in the cultural history of our country forever.