Can Yangqishi Be Directly Infused in Water for Drinking?

Yangqishi, often mistakenly believed to be a type of stone, is actually a mineral and also serves as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. In daily life, some people may choose to steep certain Chinese medicinal herbs in water and drink them as tea for health maintenance. Yangqishi is known for its ability to warm the kidneys and tonify yang energy, and it is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. However, it is not advisable to use Yangqishi for bodily conditioning by steeping it in water in daily life.

In terms of its mineral properties, Yangqishi belongs to the silicate mineral group. It is formed when more than 2% of the magnesium ions in tremolite are replaced by divalent iron ions. It is a member of the amphibole series, often referred to as amphibole asbestos. When Yangqishi is in a blocky or dense form, it is considered warm and salty in traditional Chinese medicine, and is believed to have the effect of warming the kidneys and strengthening yang energy. It is used to treat symptoms such as impotence, spermatorrhea, and premature ejaculation.

Yangqishi is a silicate mineral, and its crystals are long columnar, needle-like, or hair-like. Its color ranges from grayish-green to dark green, and it has a glassy luster, ranging from transparent to opaque. The crystal aggregates are irregularly blocky, flattened, or stubby, and vary in size. They can be white, light grayish-white, or pale greenish-white, with a silky luster. Yangqishi is relatively hard and brittle, but some varieties may be slightly porous. When broken, the fracture surface is uneven and may show fibrous or fine columnar structures.

Preparation methods for Yangqishi include:

1. Cleaned Yangqishi: Take the raw material, remove impurities, wash it clean, dry it, and crush it into small pieces.

2. Calcined Yangqishi: Place clean Yangqishi blocks in a crucible and heat them in a smokeless fire until they are thoroughly reddened. Remove them, allow them to cool, and then crush them.

3. Yangqishi with Wine: Place cleaned Yangqishi on a smokeless fire or in a suitable container, heat it vigorously until it is thoroughly reddened, then pour in yellow rice wine and soak it until it is crushed. Repeat this process of heating and soaking until the medicine becomes crispy and all the wine is absorbed. Remove and allow it to dry, then crush it. For every 100 kilograms of Yangqishi, use 20 kilograms of yellow rice wine.

Drug combinations for Yangqishi include:

(1) Combined with pilose antler, it enhances the ability to warm the kidneys and tonify yang energy, while also benefiting essence and blood, regulating the Chong and Ren meridians, and is used to treat conditions such as decline of vital fire, discordance of the Chong and Ren meridians, extreme deficiency of yang energy, profuse uterine bleeding, and infertility due to coldness in the uterus.

(2) Combined with leek seeds, it can tonify the kidneys, strengthen yang energy, and solidify essence, and is used to treat conditions such as kidney yang deficiency, spermatorrhea, and leukorrhea.