What is the six Chen of traditional Chinese medicine?

What is the "six Chen" of traditional Chinese medicine?

Southern Chinese Medicine Port May 2007 17

The "six Chen" theory of traditional Chinese medicine has a history of more than 1000 years, and all the herbs have not been deeply explored. Beginners of traditional Chinese medicine are familiar with Liu Chen's songs, but they don't know why these six kinds of traditional Chinese medicines have been aged for a long time. How long will Chen Jiu last?

The theory of "Six Chens" in TCM was first put forward by Tao Hongjing, a famous doctor in the Northern and Southern Dynasties: "Old Chenpi is good, and old Pinellia is good." Later, Su Jing said in Tang Materia Medica: "Ephedra, dried tangerine peel, Evodia rutaecarpa, Pinellia ternata and Fructus Aurantii Immaturus should be aged for a long time." Regarding the use of Fructus Aurantii Immaturus and Fructus Aurantii, Wang Ang, a physician in the Qing Dynasty, said, "Thick skin is Fructus Aurantii Immaturus, thin shell is the size of Fructus Aurantii, and Chen Zheliang is fried with bran." Erchen Decoction is a famous prescription in Song Dynasty, which is named after Chen Jiu's tangerine peel and Pinellia ternata.

The curative effect of traditional Chinese medicine mainly lies in its smell. Liu Chenyuan's medicinal materials have a strong smell and strong irritation. For example, orange peel contains volatile oil, which can stimulate the stomach, promote the secretion of digestive juice and eliminate phlegm. The medicinal efficacy of dried tangerine peel does not stop there. For example, "Outline of Medical Forest" said: "On the dried tangerine peel, it purges lung evil and lowers qi; In the middle is spleen deficiency, dryness and dampness, and qi; The next step is to soothe the liver and moisten the kidney. " And these are difficult to do only by volatile oil. According to the research, there are adrenaline-like components in Chenpi decoction, but it is more stable than adrenaline and will not be destroyed when boiling. After the second year, the content of volatile oil in tangerine peel decreased greatly, while the content of flavonoids increased relatively. To sum up, dried tangerine peel is Chen Weijia.

However, the longer the storage time, the better. "Liu Chen" has been stored for too long, and the medicine gas gradually volatilizes and smells tasteless. As the color deepens, the efficacy will be affected. "Yao Jian" says: "Pericarpium Citri Tangerinae must be aged every other year, Herba Ephedrae can only be used for three years, Rhizoma Pinelliae must be processed every other year, and Cornus officinalis is extremely angry." It can be seen that "Liu Chen" cannot be kept indefinitely. (Source: Youth Science Knowledge Network)