麴糵的药物理论与应用

Medicinal Theory and Application of Qu Nie

取象比类是中国传统的思维方式,物有其象则类比而得其用。麴类的酿造有湿热熏蒸、生霉腐烂、发酵熟透成麴的过程;以麴酿酒、酿醋的制作则有汤沸麴发、消化米谷、熟透成糟粕与精液的过程;酿酱、酿豉、酿菹无不以麴作魂,腐而生香;以糵造饧则萌芽而消化谷物为甘汁。中医学的人体结构理论源自解剖,对生命现象脏腑功能的解读则是取象比类式的聆听与意会。麴糵类酿造过程,类比于人身,则五谷水液进入人体后产生气血津液和糟粕,脾胃承担了腐熟水谷的功能,故麴糵能健脾胃,助消化。糵为五谷芽,其升发之象与肝及春天相应,故能升发疏肝。糵可酿醴、酿酱、作饧,可使五谷、鱼肉软化,麴酿产气,使块垒疏松成孔洞且腐熟液化,故均可化坚积。浸麴汤沸,酝酿生热,故麴性热。

Analogy is the traditional Chinese thinking pattern,which means things could be used by comparing with their images.Qu is made by the course of steaming by heat-dampness,rotting and fermenting,which is used to make rice wine or vinegar still needing three steps.First,qu is put into water and then the cereal is dissolved into waste and essential fluid when boiling the water.Qu is also indispensable in making paste,fermented beans and meat paste with fermented fragrance.Nie can digest and catalyze cereal into maltose.From the viewpoints of traditional Chinese medicine,the body structures originate from anatomy while the life phenomenon and viscera functions originate from the analogy.The fermentation of qu nie is the analogy to the digestion of body.After water and cereal ingested into the body,qi,blood,body fluids and waste are produced,the spleen and stomach are responsible for digestion.Hence,qu nie can invigorate the spleen-stomach and promote digestion.Nie is the bud of cereal,its growth corresponds to the liver and spring,so it can be applied to soothe the liver qi.Nie can be used to make sweet wine,paste and maltose as well as ferment cereal and fish.Qu can produce qi by making rice wine and it can also loosen the solid by rotting and liquefying.So qu nie can be applied to resolve accumulation.Qu can be self-heated when put into water,so qu is ＂hot＂ in nature.