History of fumigation of traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine fumigation therapy has a long history, and it was popular in the court and royal family during the Western Zhou Dynasty. It is used to purify the body, treat diseases and ward off evil spirits, and it is also a courtesy of mutual hospitality. It was applied to clinical disciplines from the Tang Dynasty and reached its peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Classic Chinese medicine, such as Neijing, Synopsis of the Golden Chamber, Parallel Prose of Li Long and Golden Mirror of Zong Yi, are recorded in detail. The ancients pointed out from the principle that the mechanism of external treatment and internal treatment is unified: "the principle of external treatment is the principle of internal treatment, and the medicine of external treatment is also the medicine of internal treatment." The only difference is the way of management ... For thousands of years, there have been countless cases in which doctors and folks have applied Chinese medicine fumigation therapy to achieve remarkable results. Traditional Chinese medicine fumigation, also known as traditional Chinese medicine steam therapy, is an external treatment method to treat diseases or strengthen the body by steaming the human body with the medicinal flavor produced by decocting Chinese herbal medicines. Traditional Chinese medicine fumigation therapy can avoid the irritation of drugs to oral mucosa, digestive tract and gastrointestinal tract, reduce the burden on liver and kidney, and thus improve the utilization rate of drugs. Natural medicinal materials are environment-friendly, safe and reliable, which is in line with the trend of world drug research from chemical synthetic drugs to natural plant drugs. Treatment based on syndrome differentiation has a unique curative effect, which has medical functions that oral drugs can't play, and is especially suitable for people who are too bitter to take medicine. After fumigation, the body feels relaxed, comfortable and free to move, plus massage therapy, the effect is remarkable. Skin is the largest organ of human body, which has many functions such as secretion, absorption, infiltration, excretion, feeling and so on. Traditional Chinese medicine steam therapy uses the physiological characteristics of the skin to make drugs absorbed through the surface layer of the skin, penetrate into the stratum corneum, and transport them into the blood circulation to exert their efficacy. The absorption and penetration of skin are related to humidity, and the humidity of drug vapor just enhances the absorption and penetration effect. The warm stimulation of medicinal steam raises the skin temperature, dilates the skin capillaries, promotes the circulation of blood and lymph, promotes metabolism and improves the nutrition of surrounding tissues. The warm stimulation of medicinal steam can also open pores, make the whole body sweat, and let the "evil poison" in the body be excreted with sweat, which not only strengthens the body, but also eliminates fatigue and gives people comfort. At the same time, it can stimulate the nerve terminal receptors of the skin and form new reflexes through the nervous system, thus destroying the original pathological reflex connection and achieving the purpose of curing diseases. The medicinal steam circulates from bottom to top, and also permeates the acupoints and dredges the meridians (the so-called "general principle is painless, but pain is impassable"), so it can replenish qi and nourish blood and regulate the balance of yin and yang in the body. Appropriate steam therapy equipment can make the treatment process a sauna-like enjoyment process, which is helpful to eliminate patients' tension and discomfort, improve the acceptance of drug treatment, and mobilize patients' ability to resist and get rid of diseases independently from the psychological and conscious levels. This article comes from Huaxia Chinese Medicine Network.