What is a medicinal plant?

 Medicinal plants are a general term for medicinal herbs used in medicine.

In modern medicine, it is used as it is in the form of crude drugs, etc., as it is, and as a raw material for manufacturing pharmaceutical products.

…… Digitalis, Scopolia japonica, apricot seeds, etc.

It is used in combination according to the diagnosis and prescription of a Chinese medicine doctor in Chinese medicine. Chinese herbal medicine that is not used mainly as a simple taste

…… Kuzu, Mishima Psycho, peach seeds, ginger, etc.

Used as raw materials for home remedies, health medicines, etc. (many of which are derived from Chinese medicine)

…… Zedoary, Kikyo, Epimedium, Aloe, Angelica acutiloba, etc. >

Folk medicine that has been handed down in various regions for a long time in the private sector and has been used for a kind of amateur therapy (Japanese medicine is also called Japanese medicine)

…… Kidachi aloe (common name; no doctor required), geranium thunbergii, swertia japonica, etc.

(*) The four major categories are not clear, such as ancient Japanese folk medicine such as Geranium thunbergii, Western folk medicine, Japanese herbal medicine, and modern medicine dispensed at hospitals. All medicinal plants are of folk medicine origin.

What is crude drug?

As a long-term experience and heritage of humankind, minerals, animals, and plants (grassroots bark) around us are processed as they are or partially.

Mineral kingdom

Inorganic processed products

… Gypsum, Glauber's salt (mineral resources)

Fossil organic compounds

… Ryu bone, etc. (coal, oil)

Ryu bone: Fossilized bone of mammals (award in Chinese medicine for tranquility, doki, abnormal agitation, insomnia, etc., acid control)

Animal kingdom

A systematic group of organisms with more than 1 million species. There are few types used for medicinal purposes. Many are nearly extinct, but many are easy to cultivate. There is resistance to using it as it is.

<Example of animal herbal medicine>

Oyster shells ... Borei; Awarded for Chinese medicine prescription, acid control, diuresis for the purpose of quietness.

Oyster meat ... Borei; Improves the function of the kidneys, finely textures the skin, and makes the complexion beautiful.

Clam meat ... Ken (蜆); yellowtail, diuresis, antidiarrheal, promotion of bile secretion, promotion of lymphatic flow. Rich in methionine, cystine, etc., it has a liver function-enhancing effect.

Whole earthworm ... Jiryu; antipyretic, detoxification, diuresis, menstruation.

Bees ... Honey, royal jelly; nourishing, tonic.

Mamushi ... Hampi (anti-nose); nourishing, tonic.

Cicadidae ... Zentai (retirement); antipyretic, detoxifying, stopping.

Bovine gallstones ... Goou (calculus bovis); antipyretic, calm, cardiotonic, diuretic.

Bear gallbladder ... Yutan (bear gall); bitterness, stomachic, intestinal regulation.

Rhinoceros horn ... Rhinoceros horn; antipyretic, detoxifying, tonic.

Deer horns ... Rokujo; tonic, tough, diuretic.

In addition, there are many records such as dandruff, human blood, human milk, human urine, feces, human rabbit (jinshi), placenta, rabbit, rat feces, tail, dragonfly, goldfish, cockroach, etc. It's rare.

Botanical kingdom

Over 500,000 species. A collection of heterogeneous strains.

There are many types and quantities of non-animal organisms that have been used for medicinal purposes.

A primary product of solar energy.

All plants are also called medicinal plants. Although important as a food resource, vegetable foods have all some medicinal effects.

Collection of medicinal herbs, preparation and storage of crude drugs

Collection time

Those that use whole grass

... just before flowering. It is good to enter the heyday of flowers. The temperature and season vary depending on the region, but Houttuynia cordata is June, Geranium thunbergii is late July, and Swertia japonica is from September to October.

Those that use flowers

… Opening buds, hemall-alls, common hibiscus, silk tree, etc.

Those that use fruits

… Usually ripe, cornel, gardenia, wax-leaf privat, wolfberry, etc. The exception is the catalpa ovata before it ripens.

Those that use roots and rhizomes

… When the above-ground part is about to die, there are many things that do not die in autumn.

Those that use bark

… Around June to July, the skin does not come off at other times. The exception is the root bark of cod. The bark is ineffective except in spring, when the buds emerge.

Collection / preparation

Since medicinal herbs are mainly used internally, care must be taken to handle them hygienically when collecting and preparing them. Do not collect the following items.

Things that are caught by insects or have insect eggs attached

Freshly pesticide

Severely dirty things

again,

Thoroughly wash roots, rhizomes and dirty items with water.

Succulent and juicy fruits are steamed once and then dried.

Blanching was done in the old days, but active ingredients may be lost.

When collecting, collect as much as possible on a sunny morning, spread and dry in a well-ventilated place in the sun for at least half a day to a day, and hang or spread in a well-ventilated shade when it is half or more dry. dry. Generally, medicinal herbs are said to be dried in the shade, but most of them do not need to do so, and instead, they grow moldy or discolor, resulting in deterioration of quality and unsuitability for medicinal purposes.

Preservation method

Dried herbs (herbal medicines) tend to grow mold when they are damp, and they are easily caught by insects, so put them in a can, put them in a plastic bag, put them in a paper bag, seal them, and store them in a cool and dark place.

How to use herbs ... How to use

Most herbs

The amount of dried crude drug is about 10g a day, the weight of children is reduced by age, 400-500ml when it is light and bulky, and 200-300ml of water when it is light and bulky, and it is heated for about 30 minutes. , Boil and filter.

For those that are difficult to drink, add sugar, honey, licorice, ginger, etc., and take it in 3 divided doses a day on an empty stomach between meals. If possible, warm it and take it warm. In addition, even if several kinds of herbs are mixed and used, no special problem will occur in the case of crude drugs generally used in the private sector.

Instead of decoction with water, it is easy and convenient to soak it in white liquor and use it internally or externally. Actinidia polygama is often more effective. It is enough to soak in shochu for 1 to 2 weeks if it is a dry herbal medicine, but it is necessary to soak raw fruits, roots, rhizomes, bark, etc. for 1 month or more. If you soak it for 2 to 5 years, the taste will improve, but the effect is questionable.

Raw foods that are easily obtained all year round do not need to be dried and decoction, and are effective when eaten as juice or raw.

caution

Many herbs may cause an allergic reaction, causing itching of the whole body, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea, depending on the constitution and individual differences. In such a case, please stop taking the medicine.

There are individual differences in the effects of herbs, and it is often difficult to completely restore the functions of internal organs that have been impaired, so consult your doctor or pharmacist before using them.