In traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon is known for its effects on promoting gastrointestinal motility, aiding digestion, and inhibiting bacteria. It can even be used to improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and slow-healing wounds.
Commonly known as the "All-Purpose Herb" or "Qingming Herb," Celastrus orbiculatus is also called "Climbing Dragon Grass." During spring and summer, it blooms with purple flowers in spiral clusters, arranged along the stems, creating a beautiful sight reminiscent of the dragon pillars found in temples. Hence, it is also known as the "Red Dragon Embracing the Pillar" or "Climbing Dragon Participant." In the eyes of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, this herb is highly treasured.
Murraya paniculata or Seven Fragance, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is renowned for its unique aroma and rich therapeutic effects. It is a herbaceous plant that thrives in humid regions of southern China, particularly in the South China area. The name "Seven Fragrance" originates from its ability to disperse its fragrance up to seven miles away, describing its strong and far-reaching aroma.
The Golden Cinnamon is an essential component in traditional Chinese medicine, renowned for its unique fragrance and numerous medicinal properties. It is known for its ability to warm and disperse cold, activate blood circulation, and resolve blood stasis. As a result, it is widely used in Chinese herbal formulas to treat symptoms such as coldness in the spleen and stomach, and menstrual pain. Its aromatic flavor also makes it a common seasoning in cooking and baking, adding flavor and fragrance to dishes.
In traditional medicine medicine, Sambucus, also known as Bone-Healing or Shuo Die, is renowned for its ability to dispel wind, eliminate dampness, promote blood circulation, and stop bleeding. Its dried leaves and roots are commonly used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine to treat bruises and injuries. Sambucus is an endemic species found in Taiwan, distributed up to an altitude of about 2500 meters.
Legend has it that the application of "Yi Tiao Gen" (A Mighty Root) originated during the time of Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga). At that time, soldiers stationed in Kinmen suffered from various joint inflammation and rheumatic diseases due to the island's climate. They learned about the folk remedy called "Yi Tiao Gen" from local villagers.
During the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen described in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" (Volume 14, Grass section): "White peony nourishes the spleen and can drain wood from the earth; Chi Shao disperses pathogenic factors and can eliminate blood stasis." Since then, Chi Shao and Bai Shao have been used separately.
Gou Qi (Lycium barbarum), commonly known as Goji Berry, is a frequently used Chinese medicinal herb. Various parts of the plant, including the leaves, flowers, roots, and fruits, can be used for medicinal purposes, each possessing different medicinal properties. In spring, the leaves of Gou Qi are harvested and known as "Tian Jing Cao," which has specific pharmacological effects.
Bai Zhi serves both as a medicinal herb and a fragrant spice. It is one of the ingredients in the "Thirteen Spices" and has a fragrant aroma with a slight bitterness.
This herb comes from the rhizomes of Cimicifuga heracleifolia (Kom.) or Cimicifuga dahurica (Turcz.) (also known as Xing An Sheng Ma or Northern Sheng Ma) and Cimicifuga foetida L. It is mainly produced in Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Hunan, Shanxi, and other regions. The rhizomes are harvested in summer and autumn, then dried and cut into slices. They can be used raw or processed with honey.
The entire plant of sea hibiscus can be used as medicine and has various applications. It can promote blood circulation, expel wind, eliminate dampness, reduce swelling, detoxify, suppress cough, and dispel phlegm. In medical practice, it is mainly used to treat rheumatic joint pain, long-term headache, menstrual disorders, wind-cold colds, pertussis, bronchitis, mastitis, carbuncles, swelling, kidney deficiency, stomach pain, pediatric fetal toxins, poor childhood growth, bruises, skin inflammation, and gonorrhea.
