Library

The efficacy of Shengjiang (Fresh Ginger, *Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens*) is detailed in various materia medica texts. However, these descriptions do not align with the principles of clinical practice. There are indeed many misleading anecdotes propagated by those who advocate dietary therapy or elixir ingestion. Some claim: "Long-term consumption of ginger promotes spiritual clarity." Others state: "To enhance its warming property, peel the ginger; to enhance its cooling property, retain the peel." Still others assert: "Ginger neutralizes the toxicity of Banxia (Pinellia Tuber) and Houpo (Magnolia Bark)." It is also claimed that "Shengjiang Xie (Ginger Powder), Sheng Ganjiang (Dried Fresh Ginger), and Shengjiang should be used separately," and that "Ginger can ward off all kinds of pathogenic factors." None of these statements reflect the true meaning of clinical medicine, so why bother with my commentary? Alas! The notion that consuming ginger promotes spiritual clarity originates from the apocryphal text *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica). Zhu Xi once cited this view to annotate the *Analects*. Although I am unsure of its validity, such reasoning is overly pedantic. Chen Cangqi’s remarks on peeling or retaining the skin demonstrate a lack of understanding that the efficacy of fresh ginger lies in the integrity of the whole rhizome. Furthermore, the assertion that ginger neutralizes the toxicity of Banxia and Houpo is profoundly ignorant. If ginger truly neutralized Banxia’s toxicity, why did Zhang Zhongjing prescribe Shengjiang Banxia Tang (Fresh Ginger and Pinellia Decoction) and Xiao Banxia Tang (Minor Pinellia Decoction)? If it neutralized Houpo’s toxicity, why did he prescribe Houpo Shengjiang Banxia Renshen Gancao Tang (Magnolia Bark, Fresh Ginger, Pinellia, Ginseng, and Licorice Decoction) and Houpo Banxia Tang (Magnolia Bark and Pinellia Decoction)? Had Li Gao been correct in viewing Banxia and Houpo as merely inert substances, their use would have been equivalent to not using them at all. Zhang Zhongjing’s combination of ginger with Banxia and Houpo was precisely to utilize their potent properties (often referred to as 'toxicity' in classical terms, implying strong therapeutic action), not to neutralize them. Moreover, the statement that "ginger wards off all evils" is a flawed interpretation by Li Shizhen of Wang Anshi’s original text, which stated that ginger could counteract various toxic, smelly, fishy, cold, and hot pathogens. Li Shizhen abbreviated this to "warding off all evils," which is logically inconsistent. Wang Anshi’s view was already forced, let alone Li Shizhen’s. This misleads future generations and should not be followed. Sun Simiao stated: "Ginger is the sacred medicine for vomiting." Tao Hongjing remarked, "Do not remove ginger from meals, but do not eat too much," implying that ginger can be consumed regularly but in moderation, which is suitable for those with illnesses. These two scholars’ views are accurate.