A Study Of Ancient Documents On Porridge Recipes

Congee has the advantages of taking both main and side food into consideration,suitable for both meat and vegetable,dry and thin,health and theatment,which is loved by the public and valued by traditional Chinese medicine.For example,"cereals" of Compendium ofMateria Medica in the Ming Dynasty specifically list "congee ","yin zhuan fu shi jian " of Zun Sheng Ba Jian has introductions about " congee ",and there is also LaoLaoHengYan ZhouPuShuo special chapter and Zhou Pu monograph in the Qing Dynasty,but more health and theatment congee prescriptions is scattered in prescription books,herbal medicine books,health and diet books,which urgently need to be sorted,summarized,and analyzed in order to understand the basic situation.ObjectiveThrough research,the general picture of the traditional congee prescriptions is sorted out,and its composition and application characteristics such as the attributes of the porridge items,the main diseases and the application of special populations,etc.,are summarized,in order to provide theoretical basis and practical reference for modern porridge therapy.MethodsThis research uses philology,logic,history,statistics and other research methods,combined with multidisciplinary knowledge of Chinese nutrition,Chinese pharmacy,andscience and technology history to comprehensively analyze the collected data.The main body of the paper includes two parts:data statistics and question discussion.Data statistics part:Mainly from the 13455 kinds of ancient books included in the General Catalogue of Ancient Chinese Medicine Books,4 books of prescriptions(Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang,Sheng Ji Zong Lu,Pu Ji Fang and Qu Xian Huo Ren Fang),9 books on Materia Medica(Diet Therapy Materia Medica,Food Materia Medica(Lu He).Food Collection,Compendium of Materia Medica,Medicinal Properties Complete Food Materia Medica,Food Materia Medica(Yao Kecheng),Food Materia Medica compilation,Supplementary Food Materia Medica Shijian Materia Medica),16 books on health and diet(Shi Yi Xin Jing,Shan Jia Qing Gong,Yang Sheng Za Lei,Shou Qin Yang Lao Xin Shu.Yin Shan Zheng Yao,Shi Zhi Yang Lao Fang,Zun Sheng Ba Jia,Shou Shi Qing Bian,Shi Xian Hong Mi,Lao Lao Heng Yan,Sui Yuan Shi Dan,Tiao Ji Yin Shi Bian,Yang Xiao Lu,Sui Xi Ju Tin Shi Pu,Tiao Ding Ji,Zhou Pu)and 3 other books(science and technology classics Tiao Xie Lei Bian,daily skills Duo Neng Bi Shi,and academic series Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu)with records of congee prescriptions were selected,a total of 32 books.Calculate and analyze the attributes and toxicity of the porridge items,he characteristics of channel tropism,the types of grains and the size of the congee prescriptions,the main disease syndromes,and the application of special populations.Question discussion part:Including the textual research on the other names of the congee,pension system related to congee during and before Han Dynasty,the textual research on the controversial items used in the congee prescriptions,such as Tusu and Serofluid,and analysis of the preparation method and food method of congee prescriptions,etc.ResultsData statistics part:1 From the included 32 documents,after excluding duplicates.555 congee prescriptions were counted,including 164 congee meat prescriptions(29.55%),391 vegetarian congee prescriptions(70.45%),and including 313 congee prescriptions for vegetables and fruits(including botanicals)(80.05%),62 cereals congee prescriptions(15.86%),16 mineral congee prescriptions(4.09%).Congee prescriptions are small.Including grains,there are 334(60.18%)for 2 items or less,104(13.74%)for 3 items,61(10.99%)for 4 items,499(89.91%)pieces of congee prescriptions with 1-4 items,the largest number of items that make up the congee prescription is 9,and only 2 pieces(0.36%).2 A total of 54 kinds of cereals used in the congee prescriptions include japonica,indica,glutinous,millet,sorghum,ji,liang(green,white,sorghum),millet,bai can zi rice,semen coicis,gu rice,Indian corn,sago and other rice,as well as barley,wheat,naked oats,oats,buckwheat,tartary buckwheat and other wheat grains.From the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty,among the congee prescriptions with clear records of grain types,the application of japonica rice has occupied the first place,even reaching more than 50%(55.99%)in the Song and Yuan Dynasties.In addition to cereals,the other items used in the congee prescriptions totaled 381,of which the food(290,76.12%)is much higher than the medicine(91,23.88%).In terms of cold and hot attributes,except for 23 items that have unknown,there are 94 cold items(24.67%),36 cool items(9.45%),13 hot items(3.41%),104 warm items(27.30%),111 mild items(29.13%).Warm items account for a larger proportion.Cold and cool items(133,34.12%)are higher than warm and hot items(117,31.71%),especially cold is much higher than hot items.The attributes of the five flavors and channel tropism are the same as items commonly used in the modern Diet and Nutrition of Chinese Medicine.These items are mainly sweet(244,64.04%);and mostly spleen(140.36.75%)and stomach(132,34.65%)meridian.The content of toxic substances(24.6.30%,including 15 medicines,9 foods,)is extremely low,and mainly small poisons,including 1 big poison(4.17%),9 common poisons(37.50%),13 small poisons(54.17%).1 slightly toxic item(4.17%).3 Congee prescriptions involved 103 kinds of disease syndromes,the most frequent one is dysentery(146,8.96%),followed by wasting(119,7.31%).The first record of treating dysentery with congee was found in "Congee enters the stomach,and the diarrhea stops,then the weak will live " of SuWen YuJiZhenZhang Theory.Most of the congee prescriptions used to treat the deficiency syndrome are meat congee prescriptions,which reflect the characteristics of replenishing the jing and blood with " products of flesh and blood”.The use of congee prescriptions in special populations,according to the frequency and proportion,are the elderly(234 times,14.88%),women(114 times,7.25%),and children(42 times,2.67%).Question discussion part:1 Textual research on the other names of congee:粥 has 8 other names such as 饘、糜、餬、餰、糂、糁、(?)、鬻.鬻 is the original word for 粥,with the same pronunciation and meaning as congee.The ideal state of congee can be called粥 and 鬻;the thick state of congee can be called 糜、饘、餬 and 餰;those with meat,vegetables and other ingredients are called 煁、糁 and(?)anciently.There are so many names for congee,which reflects the ancients’ emphasis on congee prescriptions treatment from one side.2 Analysis of the pension system related to congee during and before Han Dynasty:"Nourishing senility" with congee can be traced back to the pre-Qin Dynasty.The LiJi YueLing proposes" Raising senility,giving furniture to lean and canes,and eating congee."and the Western Han Dynasty’s " Law for the Elderly" included the”Shou Zhou Method”for the elderly.and the Eastern Han Dynasty referred to the content of LiJi to nourish aging and changed to the "Xing Mizhou System".During the period from the pre-Qin to the Han dynasty,officials and the people implemented folk customs and edicts for the elderly,represented by the delivery of congee,which provided the social background and popular consensus for the development and popularization of the theory and practice of congee prescriptions therapy after the Han Dynasty.3 Textual research on the controversial items used in the congee prescriptions(1)Tusu:The two characters 苏 and 酥 existed until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.Although the original meanings are quite different,there are mixed usages such as"屠苏" and "屠酥".According to the analysis of ancient records,congee forms,formula effects and similar congee prescriptions,Tusu is a kind of food;in terms of efficacy and compatibility,the 酥 congee prescriptions are similar to the 苏 congee prescriptions,and Tusu in the congee should refer to the original meaning of 土酥 ghee of cheese.(2)Serofluid:There are 6 congee prescriptions containing serofluid,all of which are used for the treatment of symptoms of astringent pain or dysuria.The raw material of the serofluid in the classics is millet mostly,which is made by adding water to boil it and then lightly fermenting it.It tastes sweet and sour.From the analysis of the main diseases and syndromes of the serofluid congee prescriptions and their effects on eliminating troubles and quenching thirst,serofluid should be relatively cool.4 Analysis of the preparation and food method about congee prescriptions:According to the nature of the items used in the congee and the needs about health and treatment of congee prescriptions,the congee items need to be reprocessed,of which liquid(boiled,grind,pound)and flour(grind,clarify)are most commonly used.These items are added to the congee at first or then.Congee should be cooked with rapid fire without adding saltpeter and the degree of congee is chyme.Congee should be light and mild.ConclusionsThrough the above sorting,induction,analysis,and research.the general picture of the ancient congee recipe is basically restored.That is,the composition of ancient congee prescriptions were mainly food(especially congee represented by whole grains,fruits and vegetables),supplemented by medicines,mostly sweet,balanced nature of food,extremely low toxicity,and small.prescriptions;indications of disease syndromes and a wide range of applicable populations,especially suitable for the spleen and stomach,sensory and deficient disease syndromes,and the elderly,women,and young children;the exquisite preparation method of the congee prescriptions and the exquisite heat control of the auxiliary material processing are not only conducive to the absorption of nutrients in the congee prescriptions,but also can avoid excessive gelatinization leading to accelerated blood sugar rise,and also improve the safety of food such as preventing the elderly from choking.When eating congee,it advocates empty stomach,light diet,and no other food,which reflects the traditional diet and nutrition principle of "original taste" and "light diet",which is completely different from the modern breakfast mode of "rice congee with pickles";Emphasizes that the porridge is slightly hot but "not burns the lips" as a degree,and it is compatible with modern anti-cancer diet methods.All of these make the congee prescriptions have positive significance and practical value for the long-term recuperation of patients with chronic diseases and ordinary people,especially the elderly.