Sentry Page Protection
Hordeum, Barley
Jau, Jao (Unani)
Tsampa (Tibetan Highland Barley)
Dai Mai 大麦 (TCM)
Tsampa (Tibetan Highland Barley)
Dai Mai 大麦 (TCM)
Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491
Della Materia Medicinale, Andrea Valuassori, 1562
Icones Plantarum Medcio-oeconomico, Vietz, 1800
Botanical name:
Hordeum vulgare
Parts used:
Seed (grain), whole or husked (Pearl Barley)
"Its peeled variety is termed as sult or Pearl Barley but both are similar in actions". (Avicenna)
See also Malted Barley, Mai Ya
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Sweet
"Cold and Dry in the First degree". (Avicenna)
Classifications:
2E LENITIVE. 2G. CLEANSING. 2K. RESOLVENT. 2L. EMOLLIENT. 2Q. ANODYNE. 2U. SUPPURATIVE. 2V. EXPEL PUS. 2W. SARCOTIC
3E. DIURETIC. 3H. LACTAGOGUE. 3K. EXPECTORANT. 3L. ANTI-TUSSIVE. 3M. ARTHRITIC.
4d. PECTORAL. 4e. STOMACHIC. 4f. SPLENETIC. 4g. HEPATIC. 4h. NEPHRITIC. 4j. NERVINE. 4k. ARTHRITIC
TCM:
B. Clears Heat
Hordeum vulgare
Parts used:
Seed (grain), whole or husked (Pearl Barley)
"Its peeled variety is termed as sult or Pearl Barley but both are similar in actions". (Avicenna)
See also Malted Barley, Mai Ya
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Sweet
"Cold and Dry in the First degree". (Avicenna)
Classifications:
2E LENITIVE. 2G. CLEANSING. 2K. RESOLVENT. 2L. EMOLLIENT. 2Q. ANODYNE. 2U. SUPPURATIVE. 2V. EXPEL PUS. 2W. SARCOTIC
3E. DIURETIC. 3H. LACTAGOGUE. 3K. EXPECTORANT. 3L. ANTI-TUSSIVE. 3M. ARTHRITIC.
4d. PECTORAL. 4e. STOMACHIC. 4f. SPLENETIC. 4g. HEPATIC. 4h. NEPHRITIC. 4j. NERVINE. 4k. ARTHRITIC
TCM:
B. Clears Heat
Uses:
1. Clears Damp, Promotes Urine:
-acute burning or urgent urine; acute Urinary Tract Infections
-acute inflammations of the Bladder or Kidney; Cystitis, Nephritis
-acute arthritis and joint inflammation associated with Heat and Damp
-Strangury, Dysuria, Edema, Cystitis, and acute Gonorrhea
-long used in the dietic treatment of Diabetics in Europe, India and the Middle East (roasted barley, barley water or barley gruel)
2. Clears Heat:
-good to clear Heat; Fever (Barley Water)
-Madness, Mania associated with excess Heat
-skin conditions
-Liver heat; Jaundice
-"Barley water elicits a cooling and moistening action in Fevers" (Avicenna)
3. Clears Heat and Phlegm, Stops Coughs:
-Cough, Bronchitis, Wheezing, difficulty breathing
-convalescence after Lung disease
-in Tibetan Medicine, roasted Barley is used for Lung conditions
4. Promotes Milk (Dioscorides)
5. Kills Worms:
-specifically Ascariasis
6. Externally:
-Headaches and for ‘Rheums’ in the Eyes. (Water Distilled from Barley in May when it has Dew)
-"Barley with or without husks is also applied on Hot swellings". (Avicenna)
-Hard Swellings (Dioscorides, Avicenna)
-"poultice of Barley meal and butter is very Anodyne, and eases painful Tumors" (Pechy)
-the ancient Egyptians used it externally for Burns, Heat and inflammations and in a suppository to cool heat of the anus.
-Ayurveda uses powdered charred Barley as a topical application to wounds and burns (it is charred by pouring boiling Sesame Oil over it).
-boiled down with strong vinegar, it is placed on Gouty and Arthritic joints to stop the flow of humors to that part. It is anti-inflammatory and anodyne. (Avicenna)
Dose:
1. ‘The crude is an enemy to the Stomach, being Windy; but it is corrected by boiling’. Also corrected by browning in a frying pan.
2. ‘Take Barley not husked, if you intend to cleanse and dry: But husk it, if you intend to digest, and quench Thirst. The Women know the way’. (Schroder)
3. "Barley water is more nutritious than its flour" (Avicenna)
4. "The water of Pearl Barley enhances moistness in the body." (Avicenna)
Barley: 30–100 grams may be decocted to be taken over the day (Barley water)
Preparations:
1. Roasted or Stir-fried Barley
Often Barley is stir-fried until golden brown and aromatic. This makes it less cold, lighter to digest, and more drying. In Tibetan Medicine, roasted Barley is preferred for Lung diseases.
2. Germinated (Malted) Barley
Barley is also germinated. See Malted Barley, Mai Ya
1. ‘The crude is an enemy to the Stomach, being Windy; but it is corrected by boiling’. Also corrected by browning in a frying pan.
2. ‘Take Barley not husked, if you intend to cleanse and dry: But husk it, if you intend to digest, and quench Thirst. The Women know the way’. (Schroder)
3. "Barley water is more nutritious than its flour" (Avicenna)
4. "The water of Pearl Barley enhances moistness in the body." (Avicenna)
Barley: 30–100 grams may be decocted to be taken over the day (Barley water)
Preparations:
1. Roasted or Stir-fried Barley
Often Barley is stir-fried until golden brown and aromatic. This makes it less cold, lighter to digest, and more drying. In Tibetan Medicine, roasted Barley is preferred for Lung diseases.
2. Germinated (Malted) Barley
Barley is also germinated. See Malted Barley, Mai Ya
Main Combinations:
1. Barley with Cinnamon to cleanse Damp and promote Urine in Cold bodies (Barley Water with Cinnamon)
2. Strangury, Dysuria, Burning Urine:
i. Barley with Chickpea and Marshmallow
ii. Barley with Licorice, Date, Aniseed (as in Decoction Against Strangury and Burning Urine)
iii. Barley with Marshmallow, Licorice, Poppy seed, Purslane, Armenian Earth (as in Powder for Dysuria)
3. Edema, Barley with Celery and Corn Silk
4. Fever:
i. "In case of Hot Fevers plain Barley is used and in Cold Fevers it is used with Celery and Fennel. The oral intake of its decoction prepared with Fig and Honey water is useful in Phlegmatic Fevers". (Avicenna)
ii. Barley Water for Fever from Heat
iii. Barley Water with Celery and Fennel in Cold Fever (Avicenna)
iv. Phlegmatic Fever, Barley Water, Fig and Honey water.
v. Barley with Violet and the 4 Cold Seeds
5. To clear Heat and Bile:
i. Barley with Chicory, Cold seeds, Sorrel
ii. Barley with Prune, Tamarind, Raisin, Violet, 4 Cold seeds (as in Decoction to Cool)
6. To cleanse the Blood in Acne, Boils, and Heat-toxin skin conditions, Barley with Chicory, Dandelion, Fumitory, Rhubarb, Licorice
7. As a Cordial (to clear Heart Heat) Barley with Borage, Bugloss, Endive, Chicory, Maidenhair, Licorice, 4 Cold Seeds (as in Cordial Decoction)
8. As a Pectoral:
i. Pearl Barley, Raisins, Hyssop, Licorice
ii. Barley with Jujubes, Raisins, Figs, Hyssop, Maidenhair, Coltsfoot flower, Licorice (as in Pectoral Decoction)
9. Heat-type Cough, Bronchitis:
i. Barley with Licorice, Violet, Maidenhair, Mallow seed
ii. Barley with Figs, Raisins and Licorice (as in Compound Barley Decoction)
10. Asthma, Barley with Butterbur, Elecampane, Fennel root, Licorice, Raisins, Coltsfoot, Hyssop, Maidenhair, Aniseed (as in Anti-Asthmatic Syrup of D'Aquin)
11. To promote Breast Milk:
i. Barley with Fennel seed (Dioscorides, Avicenna)
ii. make a broth with Barley, Bran and Legumes, to which Fennel seed and root, Dill and Nigella can be added (Avicenna)
12. Threatened Miscarriage, Barley with Sesame seed, powdered and mixed with Honey (Ayurveda)
13. Arthritis:
i. A poultice prepared with Barley, Quince and vinegar is applied to Arthritic joints. (Avicenna)
ii. Barley with Guaiacum, Cinnamon, China root
14. To fatten in Convalescence or chronic Illness, Barley with Chickpea, Rice, Almond, Poppy seed (as in Powder to Fatten of Mesue)
15. Hard swellings
i. The decoction with Resin is applied (Avicenna)
ii. beat Barley meal with Figs and apply
Major Formulas
Barley Water
Decoction to Cool
Pectoral Decoction (Augustana)
Decoction Against Strangury and Burning Urine
Decoction for Arthritis (Mynsichts)
Anti-Asthmatic Syrup (D'Aquin)
Syrup of Hyssop Compound (Mesue)
Powder to Fatten (Mesue)
Cautions:
1. Cold and windy; it is somewhat corrected after stir-frying.
2. Drying, so not suitable in Yin deficiency. It was said to be bad for Melancholic people for the same reason.
Main Preparations used:
Barley Water, Water Distilled from Barley in May when it has dew
1. Barley Water (Decoction of Barley):
i. Pearl Barley (2 oz.), Water (4 ½ pints); wash well, then boil for a short time in half a pint of water. Throw away that water and add the remaining (4 pints) of water and boil down to half. (London)
ii. Barley washed several times with hot water (3 oz.), Couch grass root (1 oz.), Spring Water (10 pounds). Boil to 8 pounds and strain. (Pharmacopoeia Generalis, 1783)
iii. Decorticated Barley, coarsely ground (4 oz.), Spring Water (32 pounds); boil a quarter of an hour, strain, add Licorice root (2 oz.) and boil down to two-thirds. (Pharmacopoeia Murceburgensis, 1815)
2. Decoction of Barley with Gum:
i. Barley (3 oz); boil 15 minutes, reject the water and add Boiling Water (4 pounds), boil to one half, adding towards the end Licorice (½ oz.), dissolve in the strained decoction Gum Arabic (1 ½ oz.). Dose: 1 glassful. (Geneva)
3. Compound Decoction of Barley:
i. Decoction of Barley (2 pints), Figs, sliced (2 oz.), Licorice (½ oz.), Raisins stoned (2 oz.), Water (1 pint). Boil to two pints, strain. (London)
ii. decorticated Barley (½ oz.), Water (3 lbs.), wash the Barley, boil to 2 pounds, adding towards the end: Ground Ivy (2 drams), Licorice, Red Poppy flower (1 ½ drams each), Strain. (Pharmacopoeia Hispana, 1798)
4. Acid Decoction of Barley:
i. Lemons sliced (5), Decoction of Barley (6 pounds); boil till reduced to two-thirds, strain, add Sugar (4 oz.). Mix.
ii. Pearl Barley (2 oz.), wash it, boil for a short while in half pound of water, reject this and boil again in Water (5 lbs.) to one-half. Add when strained Oxymel (2 oz.). Mix. (Pharmacopoeia medici practici universalis, Bruxelles, 1817)
5. Barley Sugar:
i. Barley (8 oz.), Spring Water (100 oz.); boil for an hour, strain, and add Sugar (16 oz.). Boil again till the threads which detaches itself from the spatula, breaks of itself; then pour onto an oiled slab and cut into pieces. (Pharmacopoeia Generalis, 1783)
1. Cold and windy; it is somewhat corrected after stir-frying.
2. Drying, so not suitable in Yin deficiency. It was said to be bad for Melancholic people for the same reason.
Main Preparations used:
Barley Water, Water Distilled from Barley in May when it has dew
1. Barley Water (Decoction of Barley):
i. Pearl Barley (2 oz.), Water (4 ½ pints); wash well, then boil for a short time in half a pint of water. Throw away that water and add the remaining (4 pints) of water and boil down to half. (London)
ii. Barley washed several times with hot water (3 oz.), Couch grass root (1 oz.), Spring Water (10 pounds). Boil to 8 pounds and strain. (Pharmacopoeia Generalis, 1783)
iii. Decorticated Barley, coarsely ground (4 oz.), Spring Water (32 pounds); boil a quarter of an hour, strain, add Licorice root (2 oz.) and boil down to two-thirds. (Pharmacopoeia Murceburgensis, 1815)
2. Decoction of Barley with Gum:
i. Barley (3 oz); boil 15 minutes, reject the water and add Boiling Water (4 pounds), boil to one half, adding towards the end Licorice (½ oz.), dissolve in the strained decoction Gum Arabic (1 ½ oz.). Dose: 1 glassful. (Geneva)
3. Compound Decoction of Barley:
i. Decoction of Barley (2 pints), Figs, sliced (2 oz.), Licorice (½ oz.), Raisins stoned (2 oz.), Water (1 pint). Boil to two pints, strain. (London)
ii. decorticated Barley (½ oz.), Water (3 lbs.), wash the Barley, boil to 2 pounds, adding towards the end: Ground Ivy (2 drams), Licorice, Red Poppy flower (1 ½ drams each), Strain. (Pharmacopoeia Hispana, 1798)
4. Acid Decoction of Barley:
i. Lemons sliced (5), Decoction of Barley (6 pounds); boil till reduced to two-thirds, strain, add Sugar (4 oz.). Mix.
ii. Pearl Barley (2 oz.), wash it, boil for a short while in half pound of water, reject this and boil again in Water (5 lbs.) to one-half. Add when strained Oxymel (2 oz.). Mix. (Pharmacopoeia medici practici universalis, Bruxelles, 1817)
5. Barley Sugar:
i. Barley (8 oz.), Spring Water (100 oz.); boil for an hour, strain, and add Sugar (16 oz.). Boil again till the threads which detaches itself from the spatula, breaks of itself; then pour onto an oiled slab and cut into pieces. (Pharmacopoeia Generalis, 1783)