Ancient Medicine Modern World

Maggie should know better.
After all, she’s Taiwanese.

Like most businesses, 85度c Taipei’s new cool hip 24 hour coffee joint and bakery, near the vivid and colorful Yong He night market, has glass doors that slide slowly open.

Unlike American doors that trip the IR beam from meters away, the Taiwanese doors require you get right up to them, pause half a breath, then they slide.

The chocolate cakes here look fantastic, perhaps that’s what got her all wound up. Too much chocolate dust in the air, and then WHAM smack into the edge of the sliding glass.

No blood, but hard
Hard enough to leak a few tears.
And immediately raise a red welt that threaten black.

“你要不要一點 ice?” offers the profusely apologetic xiaojie with apron and baker’s hat.
It’s the common first aid that most people think about.
But, us Chinese doctors, we think ice is for dead people.
Living flesh tends to like warmth.

And when there is an injury, it is most important to 清熱， 活血， 化瘀， 消腫.
In other words, get rid of the swelling and inflammation, and improve circulation to the effected area so the injured area has the resources to heal.

“No, thanks, no”.
In my travel kit is small jar of San Huang San.

San Huang San is a derivative of a Shaolin Temple like formula. Its what the Kung Fu monks in training use when they get busted up. Frank Butler and Tom Biso introduced me to it in a seminar they did at SIOM last summer.

Already there is a bluish cast to the swelling around Maggie’s eyebrow. I liberally smear on the San Huang San.

The next day, there is no swelling. No red, no black, no blue. Just a little scrap where the skin received the impact. “I guess I did not hit it as hard as I thought I did”.

That’s what they all say after using San Huang San. This stuff rocks.
It should a part of everyone’s home or travel first aid kit.

You can make it yourself too!

Grind into a dusty powder equal parts:

Da Huang
Huang Qin
Huang Bai
Pu Gong Ying
Zhi Zi
Hong Hua

Then add to any greasy gooey base. Vaseline works. Sesame and beeswax works. Hell, Crisco would probably work too.

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And if you are not the DIY type, then stop by your friendly neighborhood Yong Kang Clinic for a jar of this excellent medicine.

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Slap in on any bruise, bump or sprain.
And then expect to be surprised when your injury is not as bad as you thought.