The Understanding And Application Of Wine in Chinese Medicine
Feb 07, 2025
Abstract:Wine and Traditional Chinese Medicine are closely related. The origin of the two can be traced back to the oracle-bone inscription period. As wine-making technology advanced and Chinese medicine theory developed, the comprehensive understanding and utilization of wine by doctors in various dynasties emerged as a distinctive aspect of Chinese medicine. This utilization primarily encompasses two areas: making medicinal wine and processing of Chinese medicines with wine. This paper delves into the properties, flavor, meridian tropism and functions of different kinds of Chinese medicinal wines as understood by physicians across different dynasties. It also details the preparation methods and functions of these medicinal wines as recorded in the herbal prescription books of various eras, and it organizes the historical emergence and application of wine in processing Chinese medicines. Based on this, the author discusses the scientific application of wine in modern Chinese medicine to enhance its beneficial role in promoting human health.
Keywords Medicinal Wine; Processing of Chinese Medicines with Wine; Historical Evolution
Chinese Medicinal Cistanche Wine
click for more details
Wine is an important part of traditional Chinese material culture and an important carrier of the history, culture, spiritual connotation, etiquette and morality of Chinese civilization. It has been passed down to this day and has formed a unique wine culture system in China - with wine as the center, radiating to various social levels such as politics, economy, agriculture, and industry. At the same time, wine is also one of the important raw materials for the prevention and treatment of diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. It is itself regarded as a Chinese medicine and plays an important role in curing diseases and maintaining health.
Chinese medicines Cistanche Wine
I. Overview of the History of Winemaking in China
There are many different opinions about the origin of winemaking in China. Compared with the "invention" of wine by humans, modern scholars are more willing to accept the view that humans "discovered" wine. In ancient times, there was a legend that Yi Di of the Xia and Shang dynasties made wine and Du Kang brewed wine. Today, archaeologists have excavated a large number of pottery and bronze vessels used for drinking, brewing, filtering, and storing wine at cultural sites such as Cishan, Sanxingdui, and Longshan, indicating that winemaking existed in the Neolithic Age [1]. The history of Chinese winemaking is accompanied by the improvement of koji making technology and the innovation of winemaking process: in ancient times, people used naturally moldy koji and koji (i.e. loose koji) to make wine; in the Qin and Han dynasties, cake koji and block koji were invented, and the rice wine brewing technology was rapidly improved; in the Tang and Song dynasties, there were more and more varieties of koji, and the development of rice wine brewing technology reached its peak, and the brewing of medicinal wine, fruit wine and distilled wine also developed further; the development of distillation technology in the Yuan Dynasty made distilled shaojiu gradually popular; by the Ming and Qing dynasties, shaojiu had become one of the daily drinking wines, and the rice wine brewing process was basically finalized, with Shaoxing wine becoming the most representative wine; in modern times, a large number of Western wines have flooded into China, and my country's winemaking has transformed from small-scale workshop production to mechanized production in wine factories; in modern times, scholars use biotechnology to study winemaking microbiology, analyze the composition of wine, and innovate winemaking equipment and processes, so that China's wine industry has developed more scientifically [1-5].
2. Discussions on Wine by Doctors of Different Dynasties
The traditional Chinese character for "醫" is written as 醫. 酉 is the ancient character for wine. Shuowen Jiezi explains: "醫 is a doctor who treats diseases. 殹 means bad posture; this is the nature of a doctor. He uses wine and is composed of 酉. Wang Yu said. Another saying is 殹, which is the sound of 病. Wine is used to treat diseases. The Zhou Li has medical wine. In ancient times, Wu Peng was the first doctor." Analyzing the composition of the character "醫", we can see that medicine and wine are closely related [6]. The understanding of the nature, flavor, meridians and effects of wine by doctors of different dynasties is summarized as follows (Table 1).
Table 1 The understanding of the nature, flavor, meridians and effects of wine by doctors in different dynasties
| Period | Source | Name | Original Text Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before Tang | Records of Famous Physicians | Wine | Bitter, spicy, hot, toxic. Mainly medicinal, kills evil qi. |
| Annotations on Materia Medica | Wine | Greatly warms the sea, wine is not water, its unique nature is to generate heat. | |
| Compendium of Materia Medica | Wine | Opens blood vessels, strengthens intestines, moisturizes skin, removes dampness, expels depression, and enhances speech. | |
| Tang | Newly Revised Materia Medica | Grape Wine | Drinking grape wine can eliminate chest blockages. |
| Materia Dietetica | Rice Wine | Various wines have different effects, but rice wine is commonly used medicinally. | |
| Great Peace Materia Medica | Wine | Harmonizes blood vessels, strengthens the spleen and stomach, and enhances medicine's effectiveness. | |
| Song | Materia Medica Verified | Wine | Bitter, spicy, hot, toxic. Mainly medicinal, kills evil qi, expels dampness, and enhances speech. |
| Wine | Sweet and bitter, slightly toxic. In moderation, clears qi, removes cold, and relieves body pain. | ||
| Yuan | Important Principles of Medicine | Wine | Bitter, spicy, hot, toxic. Mainly medicinal, kills evil qi, expels dampness, strengthens intestines, and moistens the skin. |
| Grape Wine | Warms the qi and blood, drives away cold. | ||
| Materia Medica Summary | Wine | Able to invigorate qi and blood, harmonize yin and yang. | |
| Ming | Compendium of Materia Medica | Distilled Wine | Clears stagnant qi, disperses cold, opens meridians, and eliminates blockages. |
| Old Wine | Warms the blood and qi, nourishes the spleen and stomach, and invigorates movement. | ||
| Rice Wine | Warms the organs, clears cold, opens meridians, and enhances medicinal absorption. | ||
| Qing | Materia Medica Essentials | Wine | Harmonizes blood circulation, relieves pain, and strengthens digestion. |
| White Wine | Generates heat and eliminates cold. | ||
| Modern | Great Dictionary of Chinese Medicine | Wine | Harmonizes the heart, liver, and lungs. Bitter, spicy, hot, and toxic. |
As shown in Table 1, Chinese medicine believes that wine itself is a kind of Chinese medicine. Different types of wine have different properties, flavors, meridians, and efficacy. In general, wine tastes spicy, warms the body, and is good at promoting blood circulation and menstruation.
