Beauty Enhancement, Moisturizing, Floral Therapy

Author: Xu Chuanrong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Flowers are excellent air purifiers. For example, plum blossoms and osmanthus can absorb mercury vapor; camellias and canna lilies can absorb hydrogen sulfide and chlorine gas; marigolds and morning glories can absorb fluorides and nitrates in the air; spider plants and jasmine can absorb volatile gases like formaldehyde and benzene, purifying indoor air; night-blooming jasmine can deodorize and repel mosquitoes; pomegranates, crabs, and firethorns are even warriors against pollution. They possess strong anti-smog capabilities and can combat and absorb various toxic and harmful gases.
Flowers are also traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. Historical medical texts such as A Handbook of Famous Physicians, Illustrated Herbal, Supplementary Herbal, Herbal Evolution, and Collected Remnants of the Herbal all record many flowers used in medicine, forging an inseparable bond between flowers and medicine. Many people with minor ailments like headaches or fevers use dietary remedies, and many of these remedies involve flowers. For instance, brewing chrysanthemum tea can improve eyesight and detoxify; decocting honeysuckle in water treats sore throats; cooking osmanthus porridge alleviates stomach colds; boiling kapok or egg flowers in water cools and dries dampness; lotus or hibiscus flowers refresh and quench thirst; cooking with orchids or lilies soothes the lungs and relieves coughs; and so on.
The author also enjoys growing and admiring flowers and sometimes uses dietary remedies, treating family members with flowers as basic medicinal ingredients. Over the years, the author has collected a substantial number of dietary remedies involving flowers as medicine. The compilation of this book benefited from numerous ancient and modern medical texts, as well as the support and assistance of Professor Wang Zongjun, a botanist from Fudan University's School of Pharmacy. On the occasion of this book's publication, sincere gratitude is extended to him!