Glycyrrhiza glabra

Also known as: Guo Lao

Taste and attributes: taste sweet, sex flat; to the heart, lungs, stomach meridian.

The harmonizer of all medicines

Gancao is a very magical drug, which has the efficacy of harmonizing all medicines, and is a drug that is "not the king but the king of the clan", which can alleviate the potency of the harsh medicines without losing the efficacy of the medicines, detoxify the medicines, and alleviate the side-effects of the medicines. Tao Hongjing of the Liang Dynasty called it the "National Old Man". The Materia Medica says that licorice "passes through the twelve meridians and relieves all poisons." The Materia Medica Shuozheng" believes that "licorice with raw and roasted is indeed different, the rate of removal of evil, the treatment of Jinchuan, detoxification, are suitable for the raw; slow and tonic deficiency, thirst should be used for roasted."

Glycyrrhiza glabra small file

Glycyrrhiza glabra is mainly produced in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Shanxi, Xinjiang and other places, belongs to the legume family, medicinal parts of glycyrrhiza glabra roots and rhizomes, in the spring and fall digging. Air-dried, wet through the slices, dry, that is, raw licorice; add refined honey and a little water, mix well, fried to a deep yellow and not sticky hands, cool, that is, for the honey-roasted licorice. It is recommended to use raw licorice for clearing heat and removing toxins, and roasted licorice for tonifying the spleen and benefiting the qi, easing the pain.

Effects

Effective in tonifying the spleen, clearing heat and removing toxins, moistening the lungs, relieving cough, relieving pain and harmonizing medicinal properties.

Attention:

1. For weak spleen and stomach, such as tiredness and weakness, loss of appetite, thin stools, etc. 2. 2. 2. 2. 2. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 4. 4. 4. 4. 4. 4. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 8. 7. 8. 9. 9. 10.

Identification

Glycyrrhiza glabra is cylindrical, 25-100 cm long, 0.6-3.5 cm in diameter, the outer skin is loose and tight, the surface is reddish brown or grayish brown, with significant longitudinal wrinkles, grooves, lenticels, and sparse fine root scars. The texture is solid, slightly fibrous in section, some with fissures. There are bud marks on the surface and pith in the middle of the section. Gas is slight, taste is sweet and special. And prickly fruit licorice apical have most of the stem residue. There are longitudinal wrinkles and transverse lenticels. The cross section is grayish white, the wood is light yellow, and there is a small pith in the center. The texture is hard, the air is slight, and the taste is bitter and astringent. Rootstock with bud scars and pith.

Precautions

1. Licorice tends to promote dampness and congestion, and is contraindicated in cases of dampness, chest and abdominal distension, and vomiting. 2. Licorice should not be used in conjunction with Glycyrrhiza glabra, Morinda citrifolia, Coriandrum sativum, seaweeds, salicylic acid derivatives, and hypoglycemic agents.