Insights and Updates

Irritable bowel syndrome, noninfectious diarrhea, intestinal dysfunction caused by surgery or chemotherapy in cancer patients, and radiation enteritis can all cause intractable acute or chronic diarrhea that responds poorly to ordinary medications. They require integrated Chinese-Western treatment, combining several drugs. I have recently used the…

It is an objective fact that one person’s cognition may differ radically from another’s, and in most cases such differences cannot be changed in a few words. With someone far removed from you, the wisest course is to withhold judgment and stay silent. When two…

They say that once people reach a certain age, they take an interest in opera, genealogy, and hometown culture; in the second half of life we cannot help wondering where we came from. I think I have reached just such a turning point. Two or…

“Shengcha Powder” (Raw Tea Powder) appears in Jifeng Pujifang. It contains equal parts of curcuma zedoaria (Ezhu), fennel (Huixiang), and raw tea (Shengcha). Grind the herbs together into a fine powder; take 2 qian (6 g) each time, and decoct with 150 ml water, 6…

The rivalry between Chinese and Western medicine has always existed, and it runs fierce—so fierce that on many online platforms the two sides are irreconcilable. For years I have deliberately stayed out of any such fray, because my experience tells me that joining either side…

Last night at home I slept the soundliest sleep I have had in over a hundred days. My wife felt the same; since I left home to study out of town, her sleep quality has declined markedly. She often wakes in the middle of the…

Today, our exam week for this semester finally came to an end. After sitting the last professional exam this morning, I shouldered my bag and took the high-speed rail back to Beijing. Ahead lies a winter break of fifty days. I ate lunch at home,…

Quzhu Wan originates from Song Dynasty Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang (Taping Royal Pharmacy Formulas). Its composition is Chaojushen (Fried Medicated Leaven) and Cangzhu (Atractylodes), each in equal amounts; grind together into powder, make into pills with flour paste the size of a phoenix-tree seed. Take…

Tuanshen Huangqi San originates from Jifeng Puji Fang, a formula collected by the Song-dynasty physician Zhang Rui for treating lung qi deficiency with cough and shortness of breath. The composition is: Renshen (Ginseng) and Huangqi (Astragalus), each in equal amounts; Gancao (Licorice) in half the…

Shuilu Erxian Dan (Two Terrestrials and Aquatics Immortal Elixir) originates from Hongshi Jiyan Fang, an empirical formula collected by the Song-dynasty physician Hong Zun. Its composition is Jinyingzi (Cherokee Rose Hips) and Qianshi (Gordon Euryale Seed), each in equal amounts. Boil the Jinyingzi into a…