Honey (FENG MI)
Apis mellifera L. (Fam. Apidea)
Pharmaceutical Name:
Miel
Latin Name:
Apis cerana Fabricius or Apis mellifera L. (Fam. Apidea)
Common Name:
Part Used:
Honey
Miel is produced mainly in the provinces of Hu Bei, Si Chuan, Yun Nan, He Nan, Jiang Xi, Guang Dong, and Jiang Su. It is filtered or heated to remove
water for use.
Properties Taste & Meridians:
Sweet in flavor, neutral in property, acts on the Spleen, Lung, and Large Intestine channels.
Functions:
Tonifies the Spleen and Stomach and relieves pain, moistens the lungs to stop cough, moistens the intestines to relax the bowels.
Indications & Combinations:
1. For lassitude and poor appetite, and for pain in the epigastrium. Honey has a tonifying function and is used to regulate other herbs. Tonics are often made into a bolus or soft extract with honey.
2. For chronic cough due to Lung Deficiency, dry cough due to Dryness of the Lung, it is used alone or with other herbs. For dry cough with hemoptysis due to Deficient Lung Yin, it is used with Radix Rehmanniae (Sheng Di Huang), Sclerotium Poriae Cocos (Fu Ling), and Radix Ginseng (Ren Shen).
3. For constipation due to dry intestines, it is taken alone with water once a day before meals or made into a suppository and inserted into the anus. Honey also removes toxins. It is applied externally to treat sores, swelling and scalds. It is taken internally to neutralize the toxicity of Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata (Zhi Fu Zi) and Radix Aconiti (Wu Tou).
Dosage and administration:
10–30 g, put into a decoction or used in pill or powder form. Proper amount for external use.
Precautions:
Not to be used in patients with accumulation of Damp-Heat, stuffiness in the chest, and loose stools due to Spleen Deficiency.
