«Tibetan medicine
The taste
Flavor acts as an indicator of the elemental composition. and it can be of six types: acid, saline, sugary, alkaline, bitter and acrid. The elementary composition of the main types is as follows:
- - sugary: water and earth
- - acid: fire and earth;
- - acrid: water and fire;
- - alkaline: water and air;
- - saline: air and earth.
Flavor is an element that is perceived directly, but the composition, properties and probable activity of the drug are elements whose knowledge is possible only deductively and by observing the effects of flavor on the body. For example, the sugary taste causes an increase in phlegm, which has a heavy and obtuse nature, from which it can be deduced, by the law of constitutive uniformity, that if the taste is heavy, the drug also has this characteristic. law of discrepancy, as the remedy determines a decrease in bile and air, unlike Earth and Water.
After identifying the elemental composition of a medicament by its flavor, it is possible to deduce its properties. A drug with main constituents Earth and Water will have characteristics of heaviness, stability, dullness, smoothness, oiliness and dryness. Consequently, that drug will have a stabilizing, concentration and physical and mental control action; it will therefore be particularly effective in disorders of the Air element.
Pharmaceutical methods
In Tibet, many medicinal plants grow, many of which are not easily found in other parts of the world. Despite the great use of animal and mineral substances, herbal remedies are the product still used in greater quantities. Tibetan pharmacognosy is not only an "art but a refined science, handed down from the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, for more than 2500 years. It studies plants in their raw state, but also their natural derivatives and, in a wider context, includes knowledge of the history, distribution, cultivation, collection, selection, preparation, trade, identification, evaluation, conservation and use of substances that have an effect on the health of humans and other animals. Often a Tibetan pharmacist, who is usually also a doctor, uses raw drugs as therapeutic agents, but usually the main active ingredients are extracted by various means and used in a more specific way.
Preparation of medicines
The collection of medicinal substances takes place on a large scale and although, in a traditional system such as the Tibetan one, the distraction of the collector can still be a significant factor of error, those involved in this phase are usually skilled and expert in the art. to identify, select and harvest medicinal plants.
The method cannot be separated from a deep knowledge of the geographical origin and habitat of the plants, because each plant possesses an intrinsic natural efficacy influenced by its origin and its habitat. Harvesting should only be carried out in the areas where the plants grow under proper conditions. Cold type medicinal plants should grow in places not directly exposed to the sun or other heat sources. Hot type medicinal plants should be grown in areas with direct sun exposure. cultivated should be clean, dry or sufficiently humid, at the right temperature and free from weeds and poisonous animals. It is particularly important to know the right moment for harvesting, since the nature and quantity of the components vary considerably in the different species. The most suitable moment is when the part of the plant that constitutes the drug contains the maximum quantity of ingredients. active and when the material can dry in such a way as to ensure the highest quality and best appearance.
Some collection rules
- Roots, stems and branches are harvested in autumn, when the vegetative process is over.
- Leaves, sap and seeds are collected in the months of flowering, when photosynthesis is most active.
- Flowers, fruits and seeds in summer, during pollination and at the time of ripening.
- Roots and secretions in spring, before the vegetative process begins.
- The purgative medicinal plants are harvested after autumn, when the vegetative process is over.
- Emetic medicinal plants, on the other hand, in spring, as soon as the vegetative process has begun.
Harvesting is carried out manually, but mechanical means could conveniently be employed. However, the Tibetan pharmacist is of the opinion that naturally prepared drugs undergo fewer changes in their original structure and therefore have greater efficacy.
The drying
The correct drying of the plant material is a fundamental factor in the preparation of the drug, because it allows to eliminate the humidity, so as to guarantee a good maintenance of the quality and to prevent mold, bacterial action and other possible alterations. used is air drying, which can take place in the sun or in the shade, depending on the material. After a first cleaning, the medicinal plants are cut and lightly pounded, before putting them to dry. Hot drugs are dried in the sun, cold drugs in the shade. One of the advantages of shade is that it helps to preserve the natural color. Correct and effective drying involves temperature control and air regulation. If the temperature and air flow are properly regulated, the drug dries perfectly and reaches the highest quality, both in constitution and appearance. A very important factor in the preparation is the drying of the plants immediately after harvesting, because this favors the preservation of the intrinsic properties of the medicinal substance. Furthermore, the plant must not have, for any reason, any contact with smoke, humidity or other drugs. .
To be continued: Tibetan medicine and pharmacognosy "
Disclaimer
The practices described here are not accepted by medical science, have not been subjected to experimental tests conducted with a scientific method or have not passed them. This information is for illustrative purposes only.
