Alcohol Use in Traditional Chinese Formulas historic records indicate that the chinese of TCM formulas found in a pre-Qin (prior have used alcohol in medicine since the to 221 B.C.) gentry grave, lists 30 alcohol invention of alcohol itself, an event that prescriptions, mostly recommended for snake occurred approximately 4000 year ago during bites and skin diseases. the recently archeologically verifi ed Xia The Neijing, synthesizing Taoist healing Dynasty. The intricate relationship between systems before the into the alcohol and the healing arts has even been defi nitive theoretical foundation of Chinese incorporated in the emblem of the Chinese medicine, mentions wine remedies in a medical profession: The term YI (medicine, chapter heading. Dispersed throughout the doctor), initially coined to distinguish entire book, several medicinal wines for the “scientifi c” healers from shamanist quacks, treatment of “meridian blockage,” sudden prominently features the pictogram “Wine.” fainting, and tympanites are introduced. The earliest alcohol remedies in China The Han biography of the legendary were produced by including specifi c herbs such acupuncturist records two as Curcuma in the fermenting process of the memorable healings involving alcohol: Once traditional, low proof Asian he rescued King Jizhao from rice wine. The nowadays by Heiner Fruehauf a heart attack by prescribing common procedure of Three Mineral Wine, and steeping herbs in strong another time he saved the white liquor was introduced around 500 A.D. life of King Miaochuan’s favorite concubine The method of concocting herbs in wine with a birth inducing alcohol mixture. or liquor was also introduced later and was ’s formula classics, widely used only during Chinas last dynasty, Shanghan lun and Jingui yaolüe, introduce the Qing. Honglanhua jiu (Carthamus Wine) Herbal remedies including alcohol as a for gynecolocical disorders involving catalyst are included in all major Chinese stagnating blood, and Gualou xiebai baijiu works on herbal prescriptions, including the tang (Trichosanthes, Bakeri, and Rice Neijing, the Shanghan lun, the Qianjin fang, Wine Combination, mistakenly translated and other classics. It is important to note, as Trichosanthes, Bakeri, and Vinegar however, that the overall percentage of alcohol Combination by Hong Yen-hsu) for heart formulas is only about 1% of the entire amount disease. Both of these 1850 year old formulas of prescriptions listed in the respective works. are still widely used today. Synthesizing the bulk of alcohol formulas Since Zhang Zhongjing’s work defi ned introduced over the last 2,200 years, it appears the standards of Chinese formula composition that alcohol based formulas are reserved for a for centuries to come, it is especially important distinct and very limited range of diseases. to consider his use of wine in order to The Ershiwu bingfang, the earliest record defi ne the traditional applications of alcohol

ClassicalChineseMedicine.org 1 alcohol use in traditional chinese formulas fruehauf prescriptions. Zhang’s formulas are classic not defi ciency and qi stagnation, b) cold syndrome, only because of the precise positioning of each c) paralysis d) cramping and sudden fainting, herb within the formula, but also because of thus reaffi rming the ancient defi nition of the author’s exacting refl ection on how and alcohol formulas as either a emergency remedy when to prescribe a particular formula instead or a meridian opener. of just listing what ingredients it is composed During the same time period, doctors began of. His selective, yet highly effective use of heating the alcohol in order to extract more alcohol formulas tells us two things: a) Zhang medicinal components from the herbs steeped looked at alcohol as an adjunct herb, the inside. The Song also saw the publication of properties of which had been defi ned in the books (Yanglao juqin shu, Yinshan zhengyao) chapter on food in the historical encyclopedia that specifi cally recommend the consumption of the Han: wine is hot, reaches every part of of small quantities of medicinal wines as part the body, harmonizes bloood and qi, opens of a preventive regimen for the elderly. the meridians, fosters yang and expells cold. Since the 14th century (during the Ming b) Zhang used alcohol remedies exclusively and the Qing dynasties), the practice of taking if warming and blood vitalizing effect was tonic wines became more and more prevalent desired. in palace circles and among the affl uent elite. Beginning late in the 6th century, the Tang The Ming compendium Puji fang, with 50,000 and Song dynasties saw the usage of alcohol listings the largest formula compendium ever formulas extended to a much wider range of compiled in China, records 300 alcohol based diseases, but the warming and blood vitalizing prescriptions. concept guideline still persisted. As part of a general drive to standardize mentions 80 alcohol formulas throughout traditional Chinese medical knowledge, his two classic compendia, Thousand Ducat PRC researchers have recently attempted to Formulas and Supplement to the Thousand reevaluate the usage of alcohol formulas. A Ducat Formulas (Qianjin yaofang, Qianjin large scale clinical study with 222 arthritis yifang), and the host of and rheumatoid arthritis patients showed compilations (Heji jufang, Taiping shenghui satisfying results, and another study involving fang, Jisheng fang, Sanyin fang) list several 37 patients with high blood fat levels was hundreds, including prescriptions for pediatric also thought of as promising. Two recently patients. published books on alcohol formulas (A Great The Song work, Comprehensive Recording Compendium of Chinese Medicinal Wines, of Sage-like Aids from the Zhenghe Era 1991; Treating 100 Diseases with Medicinal (Shengji zonglu, 1122) includes a rare theoretical Wines, 1990) list various forms of alcohol introduction about the general application of prescriptions for almost every major disease, alcohol formulas, pointing out that due to the but the editors point out that a lot of these penetrating action of alcohol, wine formulas formulas were often derived from singular, are superior to concoctions in heavy duty cases unorthodox sources: “Many of these formulas, of meridian obstruction. Furthermore, the text of course, may refl ect the experience of one particularly recommends alcohol formulas for doctor only. It still remains rather unclear the following symptom complexes: a) blood whether or not we can really use them on a

ClassicalChineseMedicine.org 2 alcohol use in traditional chinese formulas fruehauf wide basis.” Most formulas, clearly, fall into important factor in ancient China. Due to its the traditional categories of blood vitalizing, own medicinal properties, however, the use warming, and meridian openers. The diseases of alcohol based formulas is clearly limited most frequently mentioned are: to a rather narrow range of symptoms and constitutions. Also, patients with high blood 1) Internal medicine: pressure, liver disease, certain types of heart a. arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis disease, and alcohol allergy should not take b. paralysis (apoplexy) alcohol formulas, no matter what their c. impotence symptoms are. Alcohol easily reacts with d. cough/asthma modern Western drugs such as diuretics, anti- 2) Gynecology: depressants, and certain types of hypertensive a. amenorrhea medication. b. dysmenorrhea It is important to note in this context that c. infertility alcohol formulas as they appear in the Chinese d. stagnating blood literature are not tinctures, but require the e. post-partum disorders administration of a fairly large amount of alcohol. Sun Simiao warned doctors and 3) Pediatrics: patients about the side effects of alcohol if a. Goulou bing (growth disorders due to consumed in excessive quantities, but he also malnutrition) mentioned that it was absolutely essential to b. epilepsy drink as much of the respective potion until the effect of the alcohol could be felt. Modern 4) External medicine: Chinese medical books point out that it can a. obliterating phlebitis, arteritis be considered safe for a 130 pound person to 5) Dermatology: consume 100g of 60% white liquor daily. The a. eczema practice of manufacturing herbal tinctures b. neurodermatitis from fresh plants is only utilized for laboratory c. psoriasis research in China. d. leprosis In urban China where the standard of living is rising considerably and the market 6) Orthopedics: for “longevity” potions is booming, medicinal a. injuries wines are known to cause problems since b. fractures patients often buy the “healthful” factory 7) Others: products without consulting with a physician a. tooth ache about their constitution or a particular problem b. tinnitis fi rst. c. loss of voice Alcohol formulas, in sum, should be considered limited to certain areas of Alcohol has the marked advantage treatment. An interesting question which that it preserves the often very precious modern researchers have not been able to herbs, something that might have been an answer yet is whether some herbs--particularly

ClassicalChineseMedicine.org 3 alcohol use in traditional chinese formulas fruehauf certain vines found in folk herbals--that seem to be exclusively used in alcohol formulas, can manifest their healing properties only in combination with alcohol (as many Taoist folk healers claim).

Copyright 2006 © Heiner Fruehauf

ClassicalChineseMedicine.org 4