Home-made medicinal wine

Author: Zhang Xialin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-01
Features: The role of alcohol, apart from adding flavor to daily life, is another aspect of healing. The Shuowen Jiezi states: "The nature of medicine is such that it is enhanced by alcohol, hence the character for medicine includes the radical for alcohol. Alcohol is thus used for healing." This indicates that medicine cannot be practiced without alcohol. Beyond daily consumption, alcohol serves as a medicinal agent, making the relationship between alcohol and medicine far more significant than that between general pharmaceuticals. In the vast collection of traditional Chinese medical classics, no book is without mention of alcohol, and no medicine is complete without alcohol. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to call alcohol a gem in the treasury of medicine. Countless traditional Chinese medicine formulas combine alcohol with other herbs. By the late 20th century, the Comprehensive Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulas, edited by Peng Huairen, included over a thousand formulas named after alcohol. Additionally, many formulas are not named after alcohol but primarily use it as the main ingredient. Furthermore, numerous medical texts contain alcohol and medicinal recipes for treating illnesses without specific names. Thus, it is evident that alcohol is not only a warm-hearted beverage but also an essential and indispensable common medicine in medicine. This book collects thousands of alcohol-based medicinal recipes, listing one to dozens of formulas for each disease or syndrome. The selected formulas adhere to the principles of simplicity, practicality, ease of operation, minimal side effects, and proven efficacy. With the exception of a few truly effective ones, this book excludes formulas with overly complex compositions, difficult-to-master preparation methods, or certain toxicity. The methods include soaking herbs in alcohol, brewing alcohol, fermenting alcohol, administering medicine with alcohol, or making alcohol-based pills. There are numerous methods, all easy for readers to grasp and suitable for long-term consumption by patients.