神农本草经果（中品）

Shennong Bencao Jing: Fruits (Middle Grade)

Overall Paraphrase

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

Its main effects are descending rebellious qi (causing upward-reversing qi to return downward), clearing internal heat, relieving vexation and chest oppression (chest fullness and discomfort), calming the spirit, alleviating pain in the limbs, improving hemiplegia with numbness (one-sided bodily disability with insensate skin), repairing dead flesh (muscle tissue that has lost vitality), and removing blue-black moles and obstinate ailments (stubborn skin diseases). It grows in mountain and river valley regions.

Wu Pu says: Plum fruit (recorded as "plum kernel" in the Daguan Bencao) can brighten the eyes and boost qi; the Yulan records that it can make one not feel hungry (withstand hunger). (Cited from the Wu Family Bencao)

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

Commentary: The Shuowen Jiezi states: (characters) refer to dried plums, or alternatively written as (other variant characters); "mǒu" means sour fruit, with méi taken as nán wood. The Er Ya says: Méi is nán. Guo Pu's commentary: The méi resembles the apricot in form but its fruit tastes sour, hence "mǒu" is used to annotate méi. The Rites of Zhou · Bian Ren records: The food-offering bamboo vessel holds dried (variant character). Zheng Xuan's commentary: Dried (variant) means dried plum; there are dried peaches and dried plums — these are all dried goods. The Mao Shi Shu says: Plums are dried to be used as condiments for cured meat; people of the age would hold them in the mouth to freshen the breath. (Cited from the Daguan Bencao)

The above is one item from the middle grade of fruits; the old edition is the same.

🧠 Deep Understanding

Core Principle 💡

Plum fruit is listed in the middle grade of the fruits section; its core medical principle lies in the method of "sour constriction transforming yin". 🌿

• Sour taste governs constriction and astringency: Plum fruit is sour in taste; sourness can constrict and secure. When qi rebelliously ascends, sourness is used to descend it, hence its effect of "descending qi"; when heat evils float and scatter, sourness is used to gather them, hence its ability to "clear heat." This is a medicinal agent centered on constriction.
• Sourness generates fluids and nourishes yin: The sour taste enters the Liver, which governs the sinews and stores blood. The sourness of plum fruit can transform and generate bodily fluids and moisten the sinews and vessels; therefore it holds regulatory significance for conditions such as "hemiplegia with numbness," "dead flesh," and "limb pain," which involve malnourishment of the sinews. The ancients believed these symptoms are often related to deficiency of yin blood and failure to distribute fluids; sour constriction can help fluids remain within and be distributed.
• The principle of "calming the spirit": Vexation and fullness often result from heat disturbing the spirit or qi stagnation. Plum fruit descends qi, clears heat, and restrains floating and scattering qi, thereby allowing the spirit to settle naturally. This embodies the indirect spirit-calming approach of "when heat departs, vexation ceases; when qi descends, the heart is at peace."
• Removing blue-black moles and obstinate ailments: This reflects an understanding at the topical application level. The ancients believed sourness possesses the power to "soften hardness and erode putridity"; the sourness of dried plum could be used externally to corrode and astringe growths, reflecting early empirical experience with topical acidic substances.

Modern Understanding 🌟

• The evolution from green plum to dark plum (Wūméi): The "plum fruit" recorded in this entry, when dried over fire, became what later generations call Wūméi (dark plum). Modern Wūméi still centers on "sour constriction" as its core function, used for Chronic coughs, Chronic diarrhea, and biliary ascariasis — consistent with the thread of "descending qi" and "clearing heat and vexation" from the Bencao Jing.
• The scientific correspondence of organic acids: The sourness of plum fruit primarily comes from citric acid, malic acid, and other organic acids. Modern research shows that organic acids have antibacterial effects, promote the secretion of digestive fluids, and regulate the intestinal environment — providing verifiable parallels to the ancients' "clearing heat" and "calming the spirit" (which may relate to vexation caused by gastrointestinal discomfort).
• Historical limitations must be acknowledged honestly: The claims of "removing blue-black moles" and "curing obstinate ailments" bear clear marks of their era. Although using acidic corrosion to remove skin growths has a rudimentary chemical basis, the efficacy is uncontrollable and the risks are significant. Modern medicine has safer and more precise methods; ancient topical treatments for skin lesions are not recommended. The claim of "not feeling hungry" may stem from sourness stimulating constriction of digestive function, but it should not be used as a basis for fasting.
• Interpretation of "hemiplegia with numbness" and "dead flesh" requires restraint: These descriptions roughly correspond to states of limb dysfunction, muscle atrophy, or reduced sensation. The sourness of plum fruit in nourishing yin may provide supplementary support in certain cases of fluid deficiency with failure to nourish the sinews, but such conditions are multifactorial in cause — far beyond what a single herb can resolve, and such claims must not be exaggerated.

Health Insights ⚡

• 🌿 Sourness in daily life — moderate use stimulates the appetite: Moderately consuming dark plum or green plum products in the daily diet can stimulate saliva and gastric juice secretion, helping to improve poor appetite and sensations of dry mouth or greasiness. However, moderation is essential — excessive sourness damages the teeth and stomach.
• 💨 A touch of sourness in hot weather: During summer heat, the body is prone to feelings of vexation, thirst, and floating qi. Moderately consuming sour-plum-type beverages (preferably sugar-free or low-sugar) can generate fluids, quench thirst, and restrain scattered spirit — consistent with the ancient approach of "sour constriction."
• 🧘 Temperance in diet — not fixating on any single flavor: Although plum fruit is beneficial, its placement in the Bencao Jing's middle grade itself implies that "it may be taken regularly but still requires moderation." Daily health cultivation values the harmony of the five flavors, not 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 own affinities and functions. Plum fruit is the archetypal representative of "sour constriction," resonating with the Plain Questions · Treatise on Organ Qi and the Times: "When the Lung desires constriction, urgently consume sour to constrict it."
  • The Middle Grade Positioning: In the three-grade classification of the Bencao Jing, the middle grade "governs nurturing life and corresponds to humanity," being non-toxic or mildly toxic, suitable for harmonious supplementation. Plum fruit's placement here indicates that the ancients regarded it as a regulative item for regular use, not a harsh medicinal.
  • The Origins of Wūméi: The "plum fruit" of this entry, after fire-drying, gradually became what later generations know as Wūméi. Its processing method — "harvested in the fifth month, dried over fire" — is a precious early record of medicinal material processing.
  • Plum preserves and peach preserves: The "peach preserves and plum preserves" mentioned in Zheng Xuan's commentary are appellations for dried fruit storage in the pre-Qin period, reflecting the ancient tradition of the unity of medicine and food.

• Further Reading

  • Bencao Gangmu · Fruits Section · Plum: Li Shizhen's detailed discussion of plum fruit, Wūméi, and Báiméi — worth consulting to see later developments.
  • Shanghan Lun Wūméi Pill: Wūméi as the sovereign ingredient demonstrates the classic combinatory thinking of "sour constriction to quiet roundworms."
  • Plain Questions · Yin-Yang Correspondence: "Sourness generates the Liver; the Liver generates the sinews" — helpful for understanding the theoretical basis of plum fruit's sourness entering the Liver and governing sinews and vessels.

This content is based on classical Chinese medical texts and is provided solely for the study of traditional culture; it does not constitute any medical diagnosis, medication recommendation, or treatment advice. If you experience discomfort, please seek medical attention promptly.