We've introduced two famous Chinese herbs: Dong Chong Xia Cao and Ginseng. I'm going to introduce other famous and expensive Chinese herbs. First, Lu Rong (Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum). I'm sure you know it falls under the category of animals. You can then know that animal drug products are often salty. At the same time, as tonics, they are often sweet. So in terms of property, it is sweet, salty and warm and has the function of warming and reinforcing. What does it warm and reinforce? This is related to its meridian tropism. It enters the liver and kidney meridians. As for Lu Rong, it contains flesh and blood; it is warm, reinforcing but not dry, instead it is soft and moist. On the other hand, Lu Rong has an overall function of warming and reinforcing. Now there are two aspects of misunderstandings regarding Lu Rong. (1) It's exclusive to men; (2) It's specially for reinforcing yang In other words, Lu Rong has been considered a specific drug for male sexual dysfunction. Actually this is a misunderstanding. Let's take a look. The action of Lu Rong can be summarized into two words... warming and reinforcing. What does it warm and reinforce? Let's see. (1) It warms and supplements essence and blood: essence and blood are essential substances of the body and material foundation for vital activities. Insufficiency of essence-blood can cause many problems. Insufficiency of essence-blood is most closely related to human development and aging. We cannot think 'insufficiency of essence-blood' is always for the middle-aged and elderly population. Indeed, it can be used for aging and is effective to delay aging. However, at the same time, insufficiency of essence-blood can be seen in other age groups, even in babies or infants. For example, delayed closure of fontanel, late growth of teeth, late speaking ability and late walking... the so-called 'five retardations' are caused by insufficiency of essence-blood. Maldevelopment in some children or teenagers is caused by the same reason. Premature aging, for example, baldness in one's thirties is also caused by insufficiency of essence-blood. That's why we say insufficiency of essence-blood can be seen in all age groups. That means Lu Rong can be used in all age groups to tonify essence blood. This is the first aspect. The second aspect: it tonfies the liver and kidney and strengthen the sinews and bones. We all know that the liver dominates sinews and the kidney dominates bones. Deficiency of the liver and kidney can cause weakness of the sinews and bones, including osteoporosis. Lu Rong can be used in this regard. In addition, Lu Rong also helps to accelerate healing fo bone fracture, because it can tonify the liver and kidney and strengthen the sinews and bones. The third aspect is well known: reinforcing yang... warming and reinforcing kidney yang. It can be used to treat kidney yang deficiency. I'd like to mention here kidney yang deficiency is not limited to males but can also be seen in females. Men with kidney yang deficiency present with impotence and low back pain, whereas women with kidney yang deficiency present with infertility due to a cold uterine. In this sense, Lu Rong can be used for both men and women. The fourth aspect, Lu Rong can regulate Chong and Ren meridians through its warming and reinforcing function. In this sense, it's specially used for irregular menstruation due to disharmony between the Chong and Ren meridians, including leucorrhea, uterine bleeding and heavy menstruation. Finally, Lu Rong can also be used for external sores or ulcers (yin nature) through its warming and reinforcing function. This function is known to remove toxins. Since Lu Rong can warm and reinforce essence-blood and remove toxins to accelerate would healing, there is a special formula for this kind of problem called Yang He Tang (Harmonious Yang Decoction), which contains Lu Rong. Consequently, the functions of Lu Rong center on its warming and reinforcing. I've only mentioned Lu Rong here. There are many other similar ones, such as Lu Jiao (Cornu Cervi), Lu Xue (Sanguis Cervi), Lu Tai (Emoryp Cervi), Lu Sui (deer spinal cord), Lu Bian (Penis et Testis Cervi), Lu Jiao Shuang (Cornu Cervi Degelatinatum) and Lu Jiao Gao (deer horn paste), etc. All these products are related to its warming and reinforcing function. After Lu Rong, I'd like to mention another herb grown in northwestern area of China... Rou Cong Rong (Herba Cistanches). Let's take a look. It looks like being covered by layers of scales or shells. It's mainly grown in the desert in Inner Mongolia. The most authentic Rou Cong Rong is grown in A La Sai Mu in Inner Mongolia. This is also a parasitic herb. Where? Bell hammer trees. Because of their prosperous root. These trees can absorb water in deep layers resist high temperature and drought and resist wind or rains. Rou Cong Rong therefore also has such natural features: it is resistent to drought, cold and high temperature. At the same time, its scale and shall on the surface can prevent water loss, and help to defend against cold, heat, wind and sand. Because of these features, Rou Cong Rong is known as ginseng in the desert. The 'desert' is used to describe its growing place, and 'ginseng' means it's very precious. Ancient people believed that this herb is warm but not dry, reinforcing but not aggressive, and that's how it got its Chinese name... Cong Rong, literally meaning unhurried, harmonizing and moderation. Here the function of Rou Cong Rong can be summarized as follows: (1) tonifies kidney Whenever we mention tonifying kidney, we think of kidney deficiency. Deficiency of what? We need to be very clear about kidney yin deficiency, kidney yang deficiency, kidney qi deficiency or kidne essence deficiency? As for Rou Cong Rong, It is indicated for all kinds of kidneyt deficiency. It can tonify essence and blood for essence blood deficiency. So it can be used in delaying aging, and delayed growth and development. The second aspect... it can tonify kidney yang and can be used to treat kidney yang deficiency, including impotence and low back pain; it can also tonify kidney yin and can be used to treat kidney yin deficiency. This is its first characteristic... it tonifies both yin and yang. The second charactersitic... it promotes bowel movements and can be used to moisten the intestine. This is a very important characteristic. Generally speaking, herbs that tonify kidney yang can also be used to treat diarrhea, Rou Cong Rong can tonify kidney yang and promote bowel movements, so it can tonify and unblock. Rou Cong Rong is very effective for constipation due to intestinal dryness, especially senile constipation. So the action of this herb can be summarized as unblocking and reinforcing, but mainly reinforcing, reinforcing yin and yang, but especially yang; reinforcing but not aggressive, reducing but not violent, so just four words in Chinese... Cong Rong He Huan (literally means harmonizing and moderation). No wonder it's called ginseng in the desert. I believe as time goes on, people will understand more about its value. This is the information about Rou Cong Rong. So much for this session. We've learned Rou Cong Rong and Lu Rong.
