Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) story (39) - rhubarb 
 
 
The big yellow 

    In the Chinese herbal medicine rhubarb, didn't call rhubarb, called "prismatomeria tetrandra. Why then call into rhubarb? Have so a story.
 
    Was a surname yellow card shark, his family heirlooms down at excavation of rhizoma coptidis, radix astragali, rhizoma polygonati, radix scutellariae, prismatomeria tetrandra that mixed herbs, to his this generation also specializes in treating people with mixed xanthate, so we all call him "Mr" five yellow.
 
    Every spring in March, Mr Five yellow mountains herbalism. A village close to the mountains, every time he mountains herbalism as stay in the village, ma home leave until the wineries. Jun ma, farming, the whole family only couple and one child. Five huang with horse forged a deep friendship.
 
    One year, five Mr. Huang to dig the medicine again, he walked up to rely on village found the horse home of homes are not. The villagers told him.
 
    Ma's trouble! "a fire last winter, the house was burnt down to the ground, he also burned out woman. Now, with only a bachelor's father and son to go to the mountain caves."
 
    Five Mr Huang was very sad, he found the cave ma father and son. Mr Ma saw five yellow, sorrow. Mr. Huang said:
 
    "You bring children nothing now, follow me go dig drugs, sell drugs."
 
    Mr Ma happy, from now on with five yellow to learn medicine. They like the wind blows it floating around, less than half a year time, ma learns to dig five xanthate. However, five Mr Huang is never taught him to cure. One day, ma said.
 
    "Brother, why don't you teach me how to cure?"
 
    Five Mr Huang say with smile: "I see you this man temper too hard, to be advice."
 
    Mr Ma some discontent, then quietly pay attention to five yellow how to cure disease, what's the next what medicine. Last, what ma also through some of the doorway, carrying five Mr Huang also give to the onset of the rule of man. As it happens, really let him cured several people, ma is very happy.
 
    One day, five Mr Huang is not in front of, a pregnant woman to find a card shark. This woman frail and skinny. Ma asked:
 
    "Why don't you comfortable?"
 
    Woman said: "diarrhea."
 
    Originally antidiarrheal application of rhizoma coptidis, ma prismatomeria tetrandra for purging fire to her. The patient back to eat two doses of the drug, diarrhea, died two days before.
 
    Where a patient and his family agreed to, find out the original is Ma Junkai remedies, especially after him into the county government. County magistrate judge Ming going by, he broke ma a quack harm.
 
    At this time, the five Mr Huang, kneel in front of the court, said:
 
    "Sir Should convict me."
 
    County magistrate asked: "what are you from? How guilty?"
 
    "He is follow me, I teach, sin in my body."
 
    Ma sighting, quickly said: "Sir, is what I carry, it doesn't matter to him."
 
    County magistrate asked their relationship, feel the two people so heavy friendship, very admire; On weekdays, he also heard of five Mr Huang's name, so, just try our best to cover for ma. Finally, the county magistrate fined a sum of money, they gave the dead home put both of them out of my official.
 
    Ma put to shame, for five Mr. Huang said: "wish they didn't listen to your words, and never thinks himself."
 
    Five Mr. Huang said: "learn cure can't impatient ah. You see, the wrong use medicine will be fatal."
 
    Later, ma builders of deep digging, people also become much more sedate, five Mr Huang that taught him to practice medicine. In order to remember the previous lesson, five Mr Huang from now on will be five yellow prismatomeria tetrandra in medicine, "rhubarb" instead, lest make wrong again with the medicine. 
 
 
The original link: http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_6383a68a0102ee88.html