石斛加工炮制和用法考

Preliminary processing,processing and usage of Dendrobii Caulis in history

对历史上石斛的加工炮制方法和用法进行总结以供今天使用石斛参考。经梳理历代有关石斛加工炮制与用法的本草医籍,结果表明:1石斛药用部位为茎,须去根、去芦;2因表皮致密,石斛较难干燥,为缩短干燥时间,古代用"桑灰汤沃"、酒洗、酒浸、"米饮浆晒"等处理方法进行预处理;3因体坚质韧,古人认为石斛入药须用切、锉、拍打、捣等方法充分破碎,否则难达药效;4古代石斛的加热炮制方法有炒、炙、焙、蒸、煮等(通常用酒共制),其中酒处理后蒸制是主要炮制方法(明代《补遗雷公炮制便览》绘有此法彩图);5近现代砂炒、发汗炕黄、硫磺熏等追求药材卖相的炮制方法有违古人炮制石斛的初衷;6石斛鲜用、干用均可,泡茶、泡酒是其常见用法;清代强调其入汤剂需先煎久熬,并推崇单味熬膏使用。古人经验对今天使用石斛的最大启示是:应以保证药效作为加工炮制和使用石斛的前提,不应一味追求药材卖相。

On account of the dense cuticles of the fresh stem and the light, hard and pliable texture of the dried stem, Dendrobii Caulis is difficult to dry or pulverize. So, it is very important to the ancient doctors that Dendrobii Caulis should be properly treated and applied to keep or evoke its medicinal effects. The current textual research results about the preliminary processing, processing and usage methods of Dendrobii Caulis showed that： （1）In history the clinical use of fresh or processed Dendrobii Caulis as teas and tinctures were very common. （2）Its roots and rhizomes would be removed before using. （3）Some ancillary approaches were applied to shorten drying times, such as rinsing with boiling mulberry-ash soup, washing or soaking with liquor, mixing with rice pulp and then basking, etc. （4）According to the ancients/ knowledge, the sufficient pulverization, by means of slicing, rasping, hitting or pestling techniques, was necessary for Dendrobii Caulis to take its effects. （5）The heat processing methods for Dendrobii Caulis included stir-baking, stirfrying, steaming, decocting and stewing techniques, usually with liquor as an auxiliary material. Among above mentioned, steaming by pretreating with liquor was most commonly used, and this scheme was colorfully drawn in Bu Yi Lei Gong Pao Zhi Bian Lan （ Ming Dynasty, 1591 CE） ; moreover, decocting in advance or long-time simmering so as to prepare paste products were recommended in the Qing Dynasty. （6）Some different processing programs involving stir-baking with grit, air-tightly baking with ondol （ Kangs）, fumigating with sulfur, which appeared in modern times and brought attractive outward appearance of the drug, went against ancients＇original intentions of ensuring drug efficacy.