bubble_chart Property

sweet, cold, nontoxic.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Mainly treats wind-cold-dampness impediment, difficult lactation, nourishes the five zang-organs, tonifies qi, strengthens the body, reduces water retention, long-term use improves hearing and vision, prevents hunger, prolongs life, lightens the body, and makes the face radiant, enabling one to walk on water.

bubble_chart Note

Chen Xiu-yuan said:

• Alisma has a cold nature, the qi of water; its taste is sweet and non-toxic, the flavor of earth. Born in water but rising upwards, it can initiate the rising of water's yin qi to nourish the central earth.
• It mainly treats wind, cold, and fixed arthralgia because these three qi are dominated by dampness, and it can initiate the rising of water qi, which then descends again, transforming the impediment through the qi of water.
• It treats difficult lactation by nourishing the essence of water within the central earth to produce milk.
• The phrases 'nourishes the five zang-organs, tonifies qi, strengthens the body' etc., refer to how the five zang-organs store yin, and the spleen is the origin of the five zang-organs. Once it receives the qi of water essence, it can irrigate the surroundings, benefiting the five zang-organs through circulation, not only strengthening the body and reducing water retention to prevent hunger, but also showing the function of the original organs; and: the lungs benefit from the qi of water essence and gain more qi. The heart benefits from the qi of water essence and gains more strength. The liver benefits from the qi of water essence and improves vision. The kidneys benefit from the qi of water essence and improve hearing. Moreover, the body benefits from the qi of water essence and becomes lighter. The complexion benefits from the qi of water essence and becomes radiant. Life benefits from the qi of water essence and is prolonged. The reason for this is the long-term use, which can act on purging water and make it rise.
• This substance has a round shape, with a stem that grows straight up, lacking a descending nature, hence its efficacy is as described. Nowadays, people stir-fry it with salt water, which counteracts its natural properties.