• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.63-80
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• 2004

The Sasang constitution food is classified by Sadang theory(四黨論), Aroma-Scent-Fluid-Taste(馨臭液味), Inhale-Exhale-Incomings-Outgoings(呼吸出納), Ascent-Descent-Open-Close(升降開闔), Healthy Energy(保命之主), which is different from the Oriental medicine herb classification of traditional oriental medicine. So, we obtained the result of the characteristic of radish, one of much used food materials by examining ancient documents as follows. First, today 'Rae(來)' is used as to come' but in ancient days, was used as 'wheat'. Radish(萊服) is the word made by meaning which removes and overcomes the poison of wheat Second, Ancient people realized the power of its Inhale Disperse Qi (呼散之氣) when the root of radish raises quickly from the soil, and recognized that radish has such a good dissolving function when seeing Bean-curd becomes soft if radish is added to Bean-curd dish. That’s why they classified that radish is lung medicine, and used it as Taeumin type medicine. So if someone is suffocated by the smoke and has indigestion, chronic asthmatic coughing, now we use radish by applying the Inhale Disperse Qi of radish.