When Blood runs short and dryness sets in
Dry skin and lips, a dull complexion, hair losing its shine, a feeling of inner dryness, a digestion that seems to lack drive, fatigue that sets in over the years or after a demanding period… In TCM, these signs may be associated with Blood deficiency that lets Dryness settle in. According to tradition, Blood nourishes and moistens the whole body, right down to the Large Intestine; when it runs short, what should stay supple dries out.
Tong Chang Wan is a modern preparation from the Chinese pharmacopoeia. Its method is that of a family of formulas that tradition calls “moistening”: rather than forcing, they nourish and soften. A classic image sums it up: you don’t push a stranded boat, you raise the water under its hull (增水行舟).
Nourishing Blood to moisten
The three herbs of the formula have two things in common: they nourish or move Blood, and all three are unctuous. Fleeceflower root, which on its own makes up half the formula, nourishes Blood; angelica nourishes it and keeps it moving; peach kernel, rich in oil, sets it in motion while moistening.
Gently nourishes the Blood: Fleeceflower root and angelica nourish Blood; the former also supports the Liver and Kidney, which tradition regards as the body’s reserves.
Helps ease dryness: By replenishing Blood, the three herbs give back to the body what moistens it from within, with an unctuousness all their own.
Supports Blood circulation: Peach kernel and angelica keep Blood flowing, so that what the formula nourishes does not stagnate.
Promotes intestinal comfort: According to tradition, peach kernel and angelica moisten the Large Intestine; with fleeceflower root, they support an inner comfort that rests on sufficient Blood.
