[Medicinal Alcohol in Treating Sixty diseases and the Qi Harmony Decoction Method in the Tian Hui Yi Jian]

Treating Sixty diseases and the Qi Harmony Decoction Method (hereafter He Qi Tang Fa) in the Tian Hui Yi Jian presents abundant information on medicinal substances and formula construction, in particular, the fully-developed use of medicinal alcohols. This paper examines He Qi Tang Fa in this book, The Prescriptions for Fifty-Two Diseases and The Prescriptions for Nourishing Life from the Mawangdui tombs, analyses the various terms and types of fermented liquors recorded in the texts, explores their functional differentiation in medical practice from the perspectives of modes of application and producing techniques. It was found that the use of medicinal alcohols in He Qi Tang Fa was grounded in a sophisticated understanding of the nature of fermented beverages. The nature of different types of alcohol, such as its body, quality, or whether they have to be heated, were drawn on to fulfill multiple functions, including facilitating the effects of drugs, processing medicinal substances, and serving as a basis for compound formulas. It was found that the formula "Medicinal Fermented Mash for Treating Cold-Heat Cough" seems to be the most complete medicinal alcohol prescription preserved in excavated medical texts to date. Its production process shows notable continuity with later traditions of medicinal alcoholic beverage, demonstrating its foundational significance and its long-term influence.