Nowadays, gourds are widely used to treat diseases of various medical branches, as a result of the development and application of the useful experiences of ancient physicians. For example, cucumber is used to treat sore throat and burn injuries; pumpkin is use to treat oligogalactia, whooping cough and intestinal parasites; oral administration of bitter gourd can relieve stomachache and pain in the eyes, and the external application of bitter gourd can treat pyogenic infections of the skin. The application of gourds in clinical practice has been much enriched and spread recently.
The therapeutic effect of fruits has been known in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time. For example, the date is recommended as a common herb to tonify the spleen and stomach and to adjust there function in the Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic, an ancient classical medical book; and grape, longan, sesame, lily and walnut are presented both as food and as herbs in Shen Nong's Herbal Classic, the first herbal book published in China. There is much useful information about the therapeutic value of fruits mentioned and recorded in these ancient medical books.
As mentioned by Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty in his book Ocean of Famous Prescriptions: "One dark plum, 2 dates and 7 almonds are pounded together for oral administration with wine for men and with vinegar for women to effectively prevent and treat pain in the heart." As mentioned by Zhu Danxi of the Yuan Dynasty: "Abdominal pain in women due to retention of lochia, and occipital headache in children can be treated by drinking the warm decoction of one hundred haws with cane sugar before a meal."
Physicians of the Ming Dynasty were more interested in the use of fruits in clinical therapy. According to Li Shizhen: "Because the tough meat of cold chicken can be easily boiled to cook a tender meat dish by using haws, the latter can be used to treat stagnation of meat dishes in the stomach." Since then, haws have been used as an important herb to promote digestion of meat and release stagnation of food. As mentioned by Miao Xiyong: "Dark plums have a sour taste. They can clear heat pathogens, relieve annoyance and tranquilize mind by inspiring air down to the lower energizer. Dysentery is due to failure of the large intestine, and dryness of the mouth after repeated expectoration of saliva is due to upward flaming of deficient fire and deficiency of saliva. Therefore, sour plums can constrain deficient fire, produce saliva, safeguard the intestines and cure dysentery."
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.
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.
