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Yellow Plum
Prunus mume, JAPANESE APRICOT,
MEI
The yellow plum, mei, also called
qing mei (blue-green plum) mei guo (plum fruit) and suan mei (acid plum). It
is a deciduous tree that grows to a height of 5-10 meters. The fruit is ball
shaped with a diameter of 20-30mm, the surface covered with fine hair.
Immature fruit is green in color, the flesh hard. It ripens at the beginning
of summer when the fruit turns yellow and the flesh becomes soft. The flavor
is acid/sweet and astringent. The fruit contains a single hard stone. The
fruit's nature is neither warm nor cold.
The virtue of the plum is that it can dry out the lungs and increase saliva.
The unripe fruit contains malic acid, citric acid, vitamins, sterol, terpene,
etc. The ripe fruit also contains sugar.
:APPLICATIONS
1. HEAT PROSTRATION AND THIRST; POOR DIGESTION; LACK OF APPETITE. Take 2
pieces of fresh fruit or 1 piece of sour plum, crush, mash, and add a little
sugar and table salt. Pour boiling water over the fruit and serve.
2. TO DRAW OUT FOREIGN MATTER IN A WOUND. Take one piece of sour plum.
Discard the stone, cut up the fruit and apply to the affected place. Cover
with a bandage. Change the fruit daily.
3. CHRONIC DIARRHOEA. Take 15 grams of smoked plum charcoal. Crush, add
water, steam and serve. Do this 3 times a day.
4. DRY COUGH WITH NO PHLEGM; ACUTE OR CHRONIC LARYNGITIS. Take 1 piece of
smoked plum and suck for a long time before eating. Do this 3 times a day.
5. ROUNDWORM CAUSING STOMACH PAIN; BILIARY ASCARIASIS. Take 7 pieces of
smoked plum, 6 grams of the white inner layer of the bark of the chinaberry
(Melia azedarach L.) and 6 grams of liquorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Add
water and steam till cooked. Drink before going to bed. Reduce the amount
for children.
6. GALLSTONES; CHOLECYSTITIS,
INFLAMMATION OF THE GALL-BLADDER. Take 7 pieces of smoked plum, 30 grams of
five-flavour seeds (the fruit of the Chinese magnolia vine, Schizandra
chinensis), and 30 grams of Sichuan money grass or loose-strife (Lysimachia
paradiformis). Add water, steam till cooked and serve.
7. CARBUNCLES; WOUNDS; ULCERS THAT WILL NOT HEAL. Take an appropriate amount
of smoked plum charcoal, grind to powder and spread on the affected place.
8. ECZEMA. Take 3-5 pieces of fresh fruit and 30 grams of Chinese gallnut (Galla
Chinensis). Add water and steam for some time. Wash the affected place.
9. TINEA, ATHLETES FOOT; RINGWORM. Take 5 pieces of fresh fruit or 2 pieces
of sour plum, crush and mash. Add 3 grams of pomegranate skin, cover with
water and steam for some time. Wash the affected place with the liquid
several times daily.
10. CORNS; WARTS; FISH SCALES. Take 250 grams of smoked plum, boil in water
till cooked, then mash. Discard the stone and steam till the liquid thickens
to a paste, add a little table salt and
vinegar and blend in. Apply daily to the affected place.
11. PSORIASIS. Take 250 grams of smoked plum, add water and steam till the
stones can be removed then continue steaming till it is reduced to a thick
paste. Take 9 grams 3 times a day. If desired a little water and sugar can
be added before taking. Also rub the paste on the affected parts.
PREPARATIONS
1. SOUR PLUM. Place ripe fruit in an earthen ware jar and cover with salt.
When properly pickled the fruit will become flexible and, not contain any
liquid.
2. SMOKED PLUM. Take unripe fruit, cover with boiling water and let soak,
then slice. Add a little white alum and mix it in. Bake dry in the oven.
This is the smoked plum of traditional medicine.
3. SMOKED PLUM CHARCOAL. Place the smoked plum in a pot and stir-fry till it
blackens and the surface looks like charcoal. This is called smoked plum
charcoal.
WARNING
Do not eat plums if suffering from stomach ulcers or hyperacidity.
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