What time the tea was used as medicine？

     

      Trace to the source: What time the tea was used as medicine？nowadays, tea is not only a drink after dinner, is also considered to be able to cure a variety of diseases of traditional Chinese Medicine. When people drink tea, like to put one or several Chinese herbs in the tea, homemade herbal tea, in order to achieve the health care and prevention of illnesses. So, What time the tea was used as medicine？ What is the history of tea development?
      Tea, for a long time, has been regarded as a variety of functions of traditional Chinese Medicine. The medical books written herbal tea recipe, there are at least more than 200 herbal tea recipe. There is a single flavor, there are also compound; for the treatment of diseases, and health care and prolong life. Wide varieties, indeed called the motherland medicine one assemble.

      In the history of four thousand years of utilization of tea, there are more than three thousand years as the main medicinal. Tea as a medicinal, in many ancient books in China were recorded. For example: The Chinese Materia Medica" Shennong pharmaceutical"(《神农本草》) monograph the earliest extant, the function of tea，there is a clear record:"Tea taste bitter, drinking tea is easy to make people think, little lie(少卧), make light of one's life, improving eyesight." And have "shennong tastes a hundred grasses, one day meet seventy-two poison, to have tea and to solve it." According to legend: Shennong taste more than 100 herbal, when taste the golden green rolling mountain pearl， Shennong poisoned, happened to fall in the tea trees, and the dew on the tea leaves flow into the mouth, awaken to salvation. Although this is a legend, but the fact that the tea has the function of detoxification is recorded. The famous doctor Hua Tuo in "food theory"(《食论》) wrote "tea long food benefits mean(苦茶久食益意思)", show that tea has a refreshing effect. The Han Dynasty famous doctor Zhang Zhongjing in "Shanghanzabinglun"（《伤寒杂病论》） is described in the "tea cure astriction effect(茶治便脓血甚效)" is verified. Liang dynasty famous doctor Taohongjing said:"Long time drink tea can make your body light and change your bone(久喝茶可以轻身换骨)". Although that have a little exaggeration, but it also shows that the tea has the effect of physical health and longevity.

      In the Tang Dynasty, in the court ask Su Jing written "Tang Materia Medica"(《唐本草》) said:"Tea taste sweet bitter，micro cold and non-toxic, attending sore fistula, conducive to urination, remove phlegm and heat thirst, main lower gas, remove dyspepsia. Lower gas and remove dyspepsia? For drink, add onion, ginger, dogwood are good(茶味甘苦，微寒无毒、主瘘疮，利小便，去痰热渴，主下气，消宿食。??下气消食，作饮，加茱萸、葱、姜良)." Chen cangqi "Herbal supplements"(《本草拾遗》) record:"Break the heat gas, remove miasm gas, have advantage with Large small intestine(破热气、除瘴气、利大小肠)."