by Carl Balingit
on August 18, 2015
‘Rally4Rhinos,’ by Matthew Baldwin [flickr.com/thisbrokenwheel]. License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Earlier this month in South Africa, a rhino was mutilated for her horn. Rhino horns are used by some Asian medicine practitioners, as well as general consumers who buy in to marketing claims that the horns can treat cancer, hangovers and impotence.
It is true that the use of rhino horn in Chinese medicine was first documented about 2,000 years ago in the materia medica, Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. It was traditionally used for febrile diseases, and those few Chinese medicine practitioners that still use it, likely do so with such application in mind. The indications for cancer, hangovers and impotence are modern scripts.
In 1993, China banned the use of rhino horn in traditional Chinese medicine by removing it from the official pharmacopeia administered by the Ministry of Health. It was a good measure to reduce the rhino horn market.
However, “traditional Chinese medicine” has several meanings. In regards to the ban on rhino horn, [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
acorus rhizome,
ban lan gen,
Chinese medicine,
gou teng,
isatis root,
polygala root,
rhino horn,
shi chang pu,
uncaria vine,
xi jiao,
yuan zhi
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by Carl Balingit
on August 14, 2015
‘Chinese Traditional Medicine,’ by jo3f [flickr.com/jo3f]. License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
Tea is versatile. Depending on your tea choice, it can enliven social gatherings, water an intimate talk, or foster contemplative solitude.
I guess some can probably say the same for wine, except that tea–not wine–can also aromatically open the senses. It is thus conducive to heightened awareness and meditation.
The above looks like a traditional tea pot made of Yi Xing clay. This type of clay comes from Jiangsu Province, China. It is said that the clay absorbs the flavor of the tea to enhance subsequent brews. The enhanced flavoring maintains its balance only if [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
tea,
Yi Xing clay
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