In the Qing Dynasty, the use of fruits to prevent and treat diseases was further developed and spread. Wang Shixiong published a book called Suixi Ju's Cookbook containing his studies of the therapeutic value of fruits. As mentioned in this book: "Pears have sweet taste and a cool nature. Therefore, it can moisten the lungs, clear heat from the stomach and heart, stop convulsions, resolve phlegm, relieve coughing, tonify Yin, rinse dryness, release stagnation, promote bowel movement, cure carbuncles and cellulitis, relieve extreme thirst and eliminate poison. Grapes can enrich Qi, kidney fluid and liver Yin, strengthen muscles and bones, relieve thirst and safeguard pregnancy. Sugarcane has a sweet taste and a cool nature. It can adjust the stomach, lubricate the intestines, clear intoxication, kill ascaris, resolve phlegm and enrich body fluid. Apples can moisten the lungs, improve the mood, produce saliva, improve the appetite and clear intoxication. Tangerines have a sweet taste and an even nature. They can produce phlegm and cause accumulation of rheum in the body. Therefore, patients with cough and sputum caused by wind-cold pathogens should not this fruit." Huang Gongxiu says, in the book Identification of Herbs: "Arbutus can relieve annoyance and thirst, clear heat and eliminate poison. But too much may cause disturbance of the blood circulation and nasal bleeding." The above authors made strong recommendations concerning the indications, contraindications and limitations of intake of various fruits.
Modern physicians of traditional Chinese medicine have further developed the adoption of fruits in the treatment of diseases. For example, dates are used to treat allergic purpura and hypercholesteraemia; haws are used to teat hypertension and coronary heart disease; and apples used to treat colitis.
Records of treatment of diseases using vegetables can be traced back to the Qin and Han dynasties. The seeds of leeks and stems of green onion were used to treat diseases at that time. As mentioned in Plain Questions: "The seeds of leeks can tonify the lower energizer and correct deficiency of the meridian. Therefore, it can be used to treat incontinence of urine, impotence and emission of semen in men, and leukorrhagia in women." As mentioned in Shen Nong's Herbal Classic: "The white stem of green onion can be used to treat Shanghan (infectious febrile diseases) with chills, sweating and edema of the face and eyes."
In the Tang Dynasty, following the popularity of a vegetarian diet, the adoption of vegetables to treat diseases was further developed and spread. As mentioned in a special chapter about treatment with vegetables in Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold for Emergencies: "Decoction of mustard leaf can be used to treat lacquer sores with itching." "The application of the juice of a leek into the ear can remove insects in the ear meatus." "Turnip flowers are collected in April and dried in the shade. After grinding and sifting, seven small spoonfuls of the powder are orally administered to tonify the liver and improve the vision, but overeating of this herb may cause abdominal distension." Meng Shen, a specialist in herbs, says in the Herbal Diet: "Caraway can promote digestion of food." Su Song, in Jiayou's Illustrated Herbal Classic, says, "Red amaranth has a slightly cold nature, and it can be used to treat dysentery with bloody stool. But purple amaranth does not have a cold nature or toxicity, and it can be used to treat Qi deficiency." This shows that amaranth of different colors have different effects.
Following the important development of traditional Chinese medicine in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the knowledge of vegetarian therapy was greatly improved. Vegetables are well represented among the 2,000 herbs included in Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica. He says, "Radishes with the leaves left on are pounded for external application to treat wounds of external trauma with ecchymosis on the skin, although not torn. The powder of dry leaves of eggplant is orally administered in a dosage of 6 gm with a thin rice gruel to treat discharge of blood from the intestines." Wang Shixiong, in his Suixi Ju's Cookbook, says, "Radishes can be used to treat cough, hoarse voice, diseases of the throat, CO intoxication and eggplant poisoning." Fresh radish juice is still used to treat CO intoxication in China. According to Huang Gongxiu, in his book Identification of Herbs: "Mushrooms can adjust Qi, resolve phlegm and treat diseases of the stomach and intestines." Discussions on treatment using melons, fruits and vegetables can be found in many other books.
Thus it can be seen that the therapeutic value of melons, fruits and vegetables was praised highly by physicians in successive dynasties in China. Following further scientific investigation, their therapeutic value will be further exploited and utilized for human welfare and health.
