Dragons in China – more than a myth
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| wikipedia – chinese dragon |
As we enter the Year of the Dragon, I thought you might be interested in the role ‘dragons’ have played in TCM.
The dragon has long been the symbol of empirical greatness in China and represents a divine creature with the ultimate goodness, prosperity and good fortune, bringing the essence of life with its celestial breath. In ancient times the Chinese believed that the fossils of bones and teeth they had found were those of mythical dragons, and they were ground up and used for their great healing powers. In old medical texts they were recommended for many ailments, including dysentery, gallstones, paralysis, malaria and internal swellings. Dragons’ teeth in particular were thought to cure headache, melancholy, fever and madness. They were also mentioned by several authors as being a remedy for liver diseases.
Today, ”dragon bone” still exists in Chinese Medicine. Made from fossilized dinosaur bones high in calcium, sodium, potassium and other trace elements, dragon bone is cooked and ground into a powder before using in pill, capsule or powder form. It has sweet and neutral properties and relates to the heart, liver and kidney. Typically included in a herbal remedy as a sedative to treat stress and calm the mind, dragon bone is also combined with herbs to treat conditions of insomnia, night sweats, excessive perspiration and chronic diarrhea.
Whether you believe in dragons or not, Gong xi fa cai!