神农本草经果（中品）

Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica - Fruits (Middle Grade)

Overall Paraphrase

Plum fruit (Méi Shí), sour in taste, neutral in nature.

Its primary functions are to descend reversed qi (redirect upward-flowing qi downward to its proper position), clear internal heat, relieve vexation and chest oppression (fullness and discomfort in the chest), settle the spirit, alleviate limb pain, improve hemiplegia with numbness (half-body debilitation with loss of sensation in the skin and flesh), repair dead flesh (muscle tissue that has lost vitality), remove blue-black nevi and obstinate skin diseases (refractory dermatological conditions). It grows in mountainous and river-valley regions.

Wu Pu says: Plum fruit (recorded as "plum kernel" in the Daguan Materia Medica) can brighten the eyes and boost qi; the Yulan records that it can make one free from hunger (withstand starvation). (Cited from Wu's Materia Medica.)

The Famous Physicians say: Plum fruit is produced in Hanzhong, harvested in the fifth month, and dried over fire.

Commentary: The Shuowen Jiezi states: (left 木, right top 艹, bottom 尞) refers to dried plums, sometimes written as (left 氵, right top 艹, bottom 尞); "某" (mǒu) means sour fruit, with plum being cognate with the nanmu tree. The Er Ya says: Plum (méi) is the nanmu. Guo Pu's annotation: The plum resembles the apricot in form but its fruit tastes sour, hence "某" is used to gloss "梅." The Rites of Zhou - Meat-Offering Officer records: The offering baskets for the grain-offering feast contain dried (left 木, right top 艹, bottom 尞). Zheng Xuan's annotation: Dried (left 木, right top 艹, bottom 尞) means dried plums, with distinctions between dried peaches and dried plums—these are all preserved (dried) products. The Maoshi Shu (Annotations on the Mao Odes) says: Plums are dried and made into ingredients for preserved meat; people of the world hold them in the mouth to sweeten the breath. (Cited from the Daguan Materia Medica.)

Above is one fruit item of the middle grade; the old edition is identical.

🧠 Deep Understanding

Core Principles 💡

Plum fruit belongs to the middle grade of the Fruit section, and its core medical principle lies in the methodology of "sour constriction transforming yin." 🌿

• Sour taste governs constriction and astringency: Plum fruit is sour in taste; sourness can constrain and secure. When qi surges upward, use sourness to descend it—hence its chief action of "descending qi"; when heat pathogens drift dispersedly, use sourness to gather them—hence its ability to "clear heat." This is a medicinally focused approach centered on constriction.
• Sourness generates fluids and nourishes yin: Sour taste enters the Liver, which governs the sinews and stores blood. The sourness of plum fruit can transform and generate fluids and moisten the sinews and vessels. It is therefore significant for conditions of sinew-vessel malnourishment such as "hemiplegia with numbness," "dead flesh," and "limb pain." The ancients held that these symptoms mostly relate to yin-blood deficiency and failure of fluids to spread; sour constriction can help fluids remain internally secured and properly distributed.
• The principle of "settling the spirit": Vexation and fullness often arise from heat disturbing the spirit or from qi stagnation. Plum fruit descends qi, clears heat, and constrains floating and escaping qi, thereby allowing the spirit to settle naturally. This embodies the indirect spirit-calming approach of "when heat departs, vexation resolves; when qi descends, the heart calms."
• Removing blue-black nevi and obstinate skin diseases: This reflects an understanding at the topical application level. The ancients believed sour substances possess the power to "soften hardness and erode putrefaction"; the sourness of dried plum can be applied externally to erode and constrain growths—an early, unsophisticated empirical observation of applying acidic substances externally.

Modern Perspectives 🌟

• Evolution from green plum to black plum (Wūméi): The "plum fruit" recorded in this entry, after drying over fire, becomes what later generations call Wūméi (smoked/dried dark plum). Modern use of Wūméi still centers on the "sour constriction" function, applied to chronic cough, chronic diarrhea, and roundworm reversal disorder—consistent with this classic text's approach of "descending qi" and "clearing heat and vexation."
• Scientific correspondence with organic acids: Plum fruit's sourness comes primarily from citric acid, malic acid, and other organic acids. Modern research shows organic acids possess antibacterial properties, promote digestive secretion, and regulate the intestinal environment—offering corroborative parallels with the ancient understanding of "clearing heat" and "settling the spirit" (potentially linked to vexation arising from gastrointestinal discomfort).
• Historical limitations should be acknowledged candidly: The claims of "removing blue-black nevi" and "eliminating obstinate skin diseases" carry a distinct imprint of their era. While using acidic erosion to remove skin growths reflects rudimentary chemical cauterization principles, the therapeutic outcomes are uncontrollable and carry significant risks. Modern medicine offers far safer and more precise methods, and the ancient approaches should not be adopted for external treatment of skin conditions. The notion of "freedom from hunger" may derive from the sour taste stimulating and constricting digestive functions but should never be used as a basis for dietary restriction.
• Interpretations of "hemiplegia with numbness" and "dead flesh" require restraint: These descriptions roughly correspond to states of limb dysfunction, muscle atrophy, or diminished sensation. While sour constriction and yin nourishment from plum fruit may offer ancillary support in certain cases of fluid depletion and sinew malnourishment, such conditions are etiologically complex and by no means resolvable by a single medicament—this cannot be overstated.

Health Cultivation Insights ⚡

• 🌿 A touch of sour in daily life, in moderation to stimulate appetite: In everyday diet, moderate consumption of Wūméi or green plum products can stimulate saliva and gastric juice secretion, helping improve poor appetite, dry mouth, and greasy sensations. However, moderation is essential—excessive sourness harms teeth and the stomach.
• 💨 A hint of sour refreshment in hot weather: During summer heat, the body is prone to vexing heat, thirst, and floating qi sensations. Drinking modest amounts of sour plum beverages (ideally sugar-free or low-sugar) can generate fluids, quench thirst, and constrain a wandering spirit—aligning with the ancient principle of "sour constriction."
• 🧘 Dietary restraint—do not fixate on one flavor: Plum fruit is beneficial, yet its middle-grade placement in the Classic itself conveys the sense of "may be taken regularly yet still requires moderation." Daily health cultivation values the harmonious blending of the five flavors rather than sole reliance on any single substance.

📚 Related Knowledge

• Related Concepts

  • The Five Flavors Theory: The five flavors—sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty—each have their corresponding entry points and governing functions. Plum fruit stands as the archetypal representative of "sour constriction," resonating with the Plain Questions - Treatise on Zangqi Timing: "When the Lung desires constriction, promptly ingest sourness to constrain it."
  • Middle-grade positioning: In the three-grade classification of the Classic, middle-grade items "primarily cultivate life and correspond to humans," being non-toxic or mildly toxic, suitable for harmonizing and tonifying. Plum fruit's placement here indicates the ancients regarded it as a regularly available regulating substance rather than a harsh medicinal.
  • Wūméi lineage: The plum fruit of this entry, after fire drying, progressively evolved into later Wūméi (dark plum). Its processing method—"harvest in the fifth month, dry over fire"—is a precious early record of medicinal material processing.
  • Plum preserves and peach preserves: The "peach zhū" and "plum zhū" mentioned in Zheng Xuan's annotation are pre-Qin designations for dried preserved fruits, reflecting the ancient tradition of medicine and food sharing the same origin.

• Further Reading

  • Compendium of Materia Medica - Fruit Section - Plum: Li Shizhen's detailed discussion of plum fruit, Wūméi, and bailmé (white plum), useful for comparative study of later developments.
  • Treatise on Cold Damage Wūméi Pill: Wūméi as the sovereign medicament in the formula, exemplifying the classic配伍 principle of "sour constriction settling roundworms."
  • Plain Questions - Discourse on Yin-Yang and Correspondences in Images: "Sourness generates the Liver; the Liver generates the sinews"—aids in understanding the theoretical origin of sour plum entering the Liver and governing the sinews and vessels.

This content is based on classical Chinese medicine texts and is provided solely for traditional cultural study and reading. It does not constitute any medical diagnosis, prescription, or treatment advice. If you feel unwell, please seek medical attention promptly.