The difference between calamus and calamus

Although the name of Acorus calamus differs by one character from that of Acorus calamus, Acorus calamus is actually a type of Acorus calamus. Acorus calamus is a kind of Chinese herbal medicine with many functions. It is very helpful for people with poor memory, rheumatic diseases, etc. So what exactly does Acorus calamus have to do with, and what should we pay attention to when using it? Today we will introduce it to you in detail.

Acorus calamus is warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste, and enters the heart and stomach meridians. It has the functions of removing dampness and stimulating the appetite, opening the orifices and resolving phlegm, refreshing the mind and improving intelligence. It is used for symptoms such as abdominal distension without hunger, dysentery with muteness, coma, epilepsy, forgetfulness and deafness. Acorus calamus is warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste, and enters the heart, liver and stomach meridians. It has the effects of resolving phlegm, opening the orifices, removing dampness and strengthening the stomach, killing insects and relieving itching. It is mainly used to treat phlegm. During the Dragon Boat Festival, people usually use calamus as swords and mugwort as tigers, and hang them on the door to ward off evil spirits. A folk proverb says: "At noon on May 5th, the Heavenly Master rides on an Aihu and holds a calamus sword in his hand, and snakes and insects return to the underworld." Calamus is a perennial aquatic wetland plant. Because of its growing season and appearance, it is believed to be able to sense the yin energy. Its leaves are in the shape of swords, symbolizing a sword that can remove bad luck. They are inserted at the door to ward off evil spirits. Folks usually call it "Cat Sword", implying that it can cut off all evil spirits. The stems and leaves of fresh calamus have a unique spicy aroma. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, they can dispel evil and ward off evil spirits.

·Acorus calamus and Acorus calamus·

The Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists two species of calamus: one is Tibetan calamus, and the other is Acorus calamus, both of which belong to the Araceae family. Tibetan calamus is a traditional Tibetan medicinal material; Acorus calamus is the dried rhizome of the Acorus calamus plant of the Araceae family. It is a perennial evergreen herb with a plant height of 30 to 40 cm. The whole plant has fragrance, and its leaves are thin, without a midrib, with many parallel veins and slightly raised. The calamus used by the people during the Dragon Boat Festival is water calamus. The main difference in the plant morphology of Acorus calamus and Acorus calamus is that Acorus calamus is relatively short, while Acorus calamus is very upright, with sword-shaped linear leaves, 90 to 150 cm long, and the midrib is obviously raised on both sides. It is also known as water sword and large-leaf calamus. "Essentials of Materia Medica" states that "Changyang grows by the water, and people also call it Changpu. It is different from the Changpu on the rock. The big and smelly one is this one, and it is also called Shui Changpu." This is a description of Acorus calamus. In the Song Dynasty, Su Song's "Compendium of Materia Medica" said: "Water calamus grows in many streams and swamps. Its leaves are similar, but there is no ridge in the center. After picking, it is light and has many residues. It is not as good as stone calamus and cannot be used as medicine. However, it can be ground into powder and mixed with oil to apply to scabies." There is a similar statement in the Ming Dynasty's "Compendium of Materia Medica". It can be seen that the ancient calamus was the authentic stone calamus, and water calamus was a confused variety of stone calamus. The two types of calamus have been confused in all dynasties, and it points out that water calamus is not suitable for internal use, but mostly for external use or ornamental purposes.

Since Acorus calamus and Acorus calamus are both common and commonly used medicines, today I will mainly explain these two herbs to you.

·Effects of calamus·

Acorus calamus is warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste, and enters the heart and stomach meridians. It has the functions of removing dampness and stimulating the appetite, opening the orifices and resolving phlegm, refreshing the mind and improving intelligence. It is used for symptoms such as abdominal distension without hunger, dysentery with muteness, coma, epilepsy, forgetfulness and deafness. Acorus calamus is warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste, and enters the heart, liver and stomach meridians. It has the effects of resolving phlegm and opening the orifices, removing dampness and strengthening the stomach, killing insects and relieving itching. It is mainly used to treat phlegm-induced coma, stroke, epilepsy, palpitations and forgetfulness, tinnitus and deafness, abdominal pain due to food accumulation, dysentery and diarrhea, rheumatic pain, eczema, scabies and other diseases. Both have the functions of stimulating appetite, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, and invigorating the mind. However, Acorus calamus has a slightly stronger effect in opening the orifices, while Acorus calamus has a slightly greater effect in removing dampness, and they are especially effective in treating carbuncles, scabies, eczema, etc.

Acorus calamus has a penetrating aroma, can invigorate the mind and invigorate the spirit, and is widely used in the treatment of closed-syndrome coma (an emergency and severe disease in Traditional Chinese Medicine, characterized by coma, clenched jaws, pale complexion, cold body, etc.). The combination of Acorus calamus and Musk is the first choice for expectorant and oriental-opening medicine. Clinically, it is often used in combination with other Chinese medicines to treat stroke coma, epilepsy, insomnia, forgetfulness, tinnitus, etc. Ancient medical prescriptions also used Acorus calamus as a specific medicine for curing lockjaw dysentery, but it also has contraindications for internal use: people with yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity, irritability, excessive sweating, cough, vomiting blood, and spermatorrhea should take it with caution. The Rihuazi Materia Medica states: "Avoid maltose and mutton. Do not use iron tools, as they may cause vomiting." The Medical Introduction states: "It is forbidden for people who are mentally exhausted."

The whole plant of Acorus calamus contains aromatic oleoresin and volatile oil, which can refresh the mind, open the orifices and absorb dust in the air. Ancient people often placed a pot of calamus under the oil lamp when reading at night, which could not only avoid the pain of lamp smoke but also provide a refreshing and refreshing effect to the eyes. Some people use the dew on the tip of calamus leaves to wash their eyes, which also has a good effect of improving eyesight. Fumigation with a mixture of calamus, mugwort and realgar can also disinfect the air and purify the environment.

According to folk belief, the air is hot and humid around the Dragon Boat Festival, mosquitoes breed, and this can easily cause itching on the human body. You can take the decoction of calamus and use it for fumigation and washing to treat skin diseases such as eczema and scabies. It has obvious antipruritic, anti-swollen and analgesic effects. The Tang Dynasty's "Compendium of Materia Medica" says: "Acorus calamus... can be ground into powder and mixed with oil to apply to scabies." Specific method: 200 grams of Acorus calamus (double the amount for fresh products), add 2000 ml of water, boil for about 10 minutes, remove the residue, and take the decoction. When the skin is slightly cooler, use the decoction to fumigate or rub the affected area repeatedly for 15 minutes. Do not rinse with water after washing to keep the medicine on the skin. Generally, bathing 1 to 2 times can relieve the itching. If you add 3 grams of peppercorns and boil them in water for fumigation and washing, the anti-itching effect will be better.

In ancient times, during the Dragon Boat Festival, people often drank calamus wine made from calamus to strengthen their bodies. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records that the decoction of Acorus calamus, or brewing or soaking, can treat "36 kinds of wind, 12 kinds of paralysis, unclog blood vessels, treat bone atrophy, and long-term use can improve hearing and eyesight." To make calamus wine now, take 250 grams of calamus, soak it in 1000 ml of 60-degree liquor, seal it, and use it after 15 days; drink it every morning and evening, for 1 month, to treat rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis, and can eliminate or relieve pain. Because Acorus calamus is pungent and warm in nature, it is more suitable for middle-aged and elderly people who suffer from deafness, forgetfulness, chest tightness, poor appetite and abdominal distension, as well as internal phlegm and dampness, blocked joints, and spleen and stomach disharmony. However, it should be used with caution by those with yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity. Cooking porridge with Acorus calamus, rice and rock sugar can wake up the brain, harmonize the stomach and eliminate dampness. It can be used for coma, deafness, confusion, mental retardation, blurred memory, madness, dementia, etc. caused by phlegm and dampness obscuring the mind and failure of the clear yang to rise. However, calamus porridge is dry in nature, so it is not suitable for people with yin deficiency, blood deficiency, spermatorrhea and excessive sweating.