Enrich the interest in the names of traditional Chinese medicines: In daily life, we will find that the names of western medicines are often difficult to remember, such as azithromycin and norfloxacin. Comparatively speaking, the names of traditional Chinese medicines are distinctive, thought-provoking and easy to read and remember, such as Moongrass, Plantago and Lilac. Even people who don't know Chinese medicine can't help but admire the wisdom and literary talent of their ancestors and marvel at the elegance and appropriateness of the names of Chinese medicine.
In fact, the name of TCM contains a lot of traditional cultural information. There are Chinese medicine practitioners, folk doctors, literati and ordinary people who give names to Chinese medicine. Influenced by traditional Chinese medicine, philosophy, literature and other cultures, the naming methods of Chinese medicine are also extremely diverse.
Naming according to the efficacy and performance of drugs is the main way to name Chinese medicines. Many Chinese medicines know their efficacy by their names. For example, windproof has the effect of windproof and dispelling wind; Aspergillus aspergillus has the effect of bone setting and breaking. There is also Schisandra chinensis, which was regarded as a powerful medicine by famous Chinese medicine teachers more than two thousand years ago. This fruit with five flavors and five elements can just balance the five internal organs of the human body.
Secondly, it is named according to the growth characteristics of plants and the collection season of medicinal materials. Different climatic characteristics naturally lead to great differences in plant growth. For example, Prunella vulgaris is named for its dry ear when it grows to the summer solstice. Farfa, named after the winter solstice, has blossomed. The collection of Chinese medicinal materials is one of the important links to ensure the quality and effective components of drugs, and it is very important to master the collection time. Mulberry leaves collected after first frost in late autumn or early winter are called "Frosted Mulberry Leaves", and Gastrodia elata is called "Winter Hemp" from winter to the next year before Qingming stem seedlings come out.
Thirdly, the variety of nature provides a broad aesthetic imagination space for the naming of traditional Chinese medicine. Some are named after the color of drugs. For example, Scrophularia, which is black, is called Scrophularia because its stems are very similar to ginseng and its roots are black. Bai Shan, the Six Heroes in the Snow, etc. More poetic name. It is also common to name drugs according to their forms. Such as Achyranthes bidentata, named after its stem node is similar to the knee joint of cattle; Pulsatilla got its name because it has white velvet near its roots and looks like a bald old man.
In addition, it can also be named according to literary legends and traditional concepts. For example, Liu Yi Nu, a traditional Chinese medicine, is said to be the fairy grass obtained by Song Wudi's snake hunting, and this medicine is named after his nickname "Liu Yi Nu". In the traditional concept, the names of polygala tenuifolia, Albizia Albizzia, Evergreen and Anemarrhena asphodeloides are often semantic puns, which not only have the efficacy of drugs, but also place people's good wishes and emotions.
Of course, the naming methods of Chinese medicine are far more than the above. As China's rich and precious scientific and cultural heritage, the rich and interesting names of traditional Chinese medicine not only reflect the exquisiteness and profoundness of China's language, but also fully demonstrate the intelligence of our working people, which has far-reaching cultural influence.