Qi Shu

Qi Shu, a kind of Atractylodes macrocephala, is a rare and authentic Chinese medicine, named after it was produced in Qimen. Atractylodes macrocephala is produced in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Yunnan and other provinces in China, but Qi Shu has the best quality and is the top grade of Atractylodes macrocephala. Qi Shu students are born on the hillside with cloudy and fertile soil over 1000 meters above sea level. They are afraid of high temperature, avoid water accumulation and are cold-resistant. Qi Shu is a perennial herb of Compositae, with a stem height of 20-80 cm and branches on the upper part. The leaves are ovate-lanceolate, with serrations on the edges, pilose on both sides, long dark red stalks, large flower heads and yellowish white flowers. Achenes are densely feathered, and the seeds are smaller than sesame seeds and gray-black. The big rhizome is like a fist, which looks like a wish, and the connection with the stem is slender, such as a crane neck. Therefore, when appraising Qi Shu, the old pharmacist in Qimen summed up a proverb "The crane neck is in a satisfactory shape" to summarize its characteristics. The cross section is white and moist, with vermilion spots in the center, and the taste is sweet first and then bitter. Qi Shu is used as medicine by tuber, which has the functions of invigorating qi and stomach, enriching blood and strengthening tendons. As early as "Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing", it contained Atractylodes macrocephala "sweet smell, non-toxic. Main cold-dampness arthralgia, muscle spasm and jaundice, stopping heat, removing heat and promoting digestion. If you take it for a long time, you will not be hungry for a long time. " The description of the function of Atractylodes macrocephala in Compendium of Materia Medica can be described in detail. "Its function is very hot, that is, invigorating the spleen and warming the stomach, eliminating dampness in the middle, benefiting qi and generating blood, eating and drinking, treating fatigue, eliminating malaria addiction, removing vomiting, eliminating phlegm and water, stopping diarrhea and dysentery, collecting white sweat, growing muscles, and relieving anxiety." People in mountainous areas are familiar with the medicinal value of Qi Shu, and describe it as "a serious illness, Qi Shu is inseparable, eating two pounds, and going up the mountain is strong". According to modern pharmacology, the main components of Qi Shu contain volatile oil, which has obvious and lasting diuretic, hypoglycemic, strong and anticoagulant effects, and can be used to treat hepatitis, gastric ulcer, diabetes and other diseases. Qi Shu has high economic value. As early as the end of the Qing Dynasty, Qi Shu was rated as an excellent variety at the international native products conference held in Nanyang Islands. During the Republic of China, when selling Qishu, the medicine number (that is, today's drugstore) was packed in a special small box, with 1 kg of Qishu in each box. Every QiShu sold has a neck about 5 inches long to show its difference from the common Atractylodes macrocephala. On the outside of the box, there is a copy called "Tianshengqi Shan Ye Atractylodes macrocephala", which costs 32 silver dollars a catty. Qimen has unique natural conditions suitable for the growth of Qishu, and in recent years, artificial planting of Qishu has also been successful.
Reprinted with attribution： https://cnlocality.com/(Chinese Specialty Products)