Sweet Dew

Collected Fragments

In the Records of Inquiries by Man Zhen, the answer states that Master Red Pineoriginal: 赤松先生 "Chisong Xiansheng"; a legendary Daoist immortal and Master of Rain. collected dew to brighten his eyes. People today make "Dew-Flower Pouches" on the morning of the eighth lunar month to imitate this practice. Furthermore, Guo Xian’s Records of Penetrating the Mysteries states: During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han, there was the Kingdom of Lucky Clouds. This land produced "Lucky Cloud Grass," which, if eaten, granted immortality. The dew that fell upon it under the sun shone with five colors. Dongfang ShuoA famous scholar and advisor to Emperor Wu, often depicted as a clever, semi-divine figure in folklore. obtained three types of dew—dark, green, and yellow—and presented five heA unit of volume; five he is approximately half a liter. of each to the Emperor. The Emperor bestowed these upon his ministers; those who were ill were instantly cured upon drinking them. Shuo remarked: "Dew from the places where the spring sun first rises is as sweet as syrup." He had people decoct the dew until it reached the consistency of syrup; consuming it long-term prevents hunger. The Spring and Autumn Annals of Master Lü states: "Among the finest waters is the dew of SanweiA mountain mentioned in ancient geography, often associated with the origin of the Sanmiao people.," which, as a liquid, is heavier than ordinary water.

Shizhen says: Autumn dew used to brew wine makes it exceptionally clear and cold. The "Divine Beings of Mount GuyeA mythical mountain mentioned in the Zhuangzi, where immortals lived." were said to "inhale the wind and drink the dew." Emperor Wu of the Han constructed Golden Dew-Collecting PlatesLarge bronze statues of immortals holding basins high in the air to collect the purest dew from the atmosphere. to catch dew, which he mixed with jade powder for consumption. Consort YangYang Guifei, the famous Tang Dynasty beauty. would suck the dew from flowers every morning to quench her thirst and recover from the effects of wine. In foreign lands, there is "Rose Dew" which is extremely fragrant; it is said to be dew from flowers, though it is unknown if this is truly the case. original: 薔薇露 "Qiangwei Lu"; This likely refers to rosewater (attar of roses) imported from the Middle East, which was often mistaken for natural dew by Chinese observers.

Zangqi says: Whenever autumn dew or spring rain falls upon grass, if a person who has chronic sores or open wounds touches it, the sore will suddenly stop itching or hurting. This is actually Wind-StrokeIn this context, it refers to an external pathogen (likely bacteria like Clostridium tetani) entering the body via the "toxic water" on the grass. and "toxic water" entering the system. The body and mind will arch backward like a horn boworiginal: 角弓之狀 "jiaogong zhi zhuang"; a classic description of opisthotonos, the rigid arching of the back seen in tetanus.. One must quickly use salted fermented beans mixed with flour to make a ring-shaped "plate" and place it over the sore. Perform moxibustionThe burning of mugwort on or near the skin for healing. for one hundred sessions until several shengA unit of volume, approximately one liter. of "foul water" are drawn out. Only then will the patient regain the sensation of pain and itching and be cured.