Clove
Clove (정향, 丁香) is recorded in the Donguibogam as a interior-warming herb. Its nature is warm and its taste pungent, associated with the Lung, Stomach, Kidney meridians. Traditional uses recorded in the text include warms the spleen and stomach, descends counterflow qi, stops vomiting and hiccup, warms kidney yang. Caution: Warm and pungent; not suited to heat-excess conditions or dry-mouth heat signs.
Overview
Clove is the same nail-shaped flower bud known worldwide as a spice, recorded in the Donguibogam as a warming remedy for a cold stomach and its own famous freshening trick: a Han-dynasty official said to have chewed cloves to cure his bad breath before appearing at court.
In the Donguibogam
寶鑑
Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam
- Warms the spleen and stomach
- Descends counterflow qi, stops vomiting and hiccup
- Warms kidney yang
- Freshens breath
Traditional applications recorded in the classical text
- Cold-type vomiting or hiccup
- Cold abdominal pain
- Stomach reflux
- Bad breath
Traditional preparation
Or ground fine for pill and powder use.
This describes traditional preparation recorded in the classics, not a recommendation for use today. DonguiHub does not provide dosage guidance — consult a qualified professional before using any herb.
Cautions
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same clove used as a cooking spice?
Yes — the identical nail-shaped flower bud. The Donguibogam records it as a stomach-warming medicine and even preserves the anecdote of an official chewing cloves to cure bad breath before court.
What was clove's main traditional use?
Warming a cold stomach and stopping cholera-type vomiting or hiccup, alongside warming kidney yang and freshening the breath.
Sources
- 『동의보감』 탕액편, 허준, 1613 (원문) — 한문 원문
- 한의학고전DB (mediclassics.kr) — 원문 및 국역 자료 참조