What are the medicinal values of peach blossoms? An analysis of their effects and actions

[Source]This product is the flower of the Rosaceae plant peach, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. It is picked when it blooms in spring and dried in the sun.

[Nature, flavor, and meridian entry]Bitter, neutral.

[Functions and indications]Purging and relieving constipation, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling. Used for edema, ascites, and constipation.

[Usage and dosage]1 to 2 qian.

[Selected formulas]

① To treat beriberi, chronic water retention in the waist, kidneys, and bladder, and phlegm-fluid retention: peach blossoms, dried in the shade, measure one large sheng, pound into powder. Mix with warm clear wine, take the whole dose at once, with free bowel movement as the standard; take on an empty stomach, and after a short while there should be about six or seven bowel movements, but once indigestible food residues and the like have all been purged, if you feel hungry and weak in the meantime, take a little soft rice and thin congee. (Peach Blossom Powder, Waitai)

② To treat constipation: take peach blossoms with water, one fangcunbi. (Qianjin Fang)

③ To treat dry stool blocking the intestines with distending pain and no passage: hairy peach blossoms one liang (wet ones), flour three liang. For the above medicine, mix with flour to make wontons, cook thoroughly, and eat on an empty stomach; by the early afternoon, there will be rumbling in the abdomen, and the foul matter should be passed. (Shenghui Fang)

④ To treat difficulty in urination and defecation after childbirth: peach blossoms, sunflower seeds, talc, and areca nut one liang each. For the above medicine, pound finely, sift into powder, and take two qian each time before meals, mixed with scallion white soup. (Peach Blossom Powder, Shenghui Fang)

⑤ To treat unbearable pain in the lower back and spine with difficulty moving: peach blossoms one dou one sheng, well water three dou, yeast six sheng, rice six dou. Steam for one shichen, ferment until warm, remove the lees, and take one sheng per dose, three times a day; if making food or drink, use river water, with the same prohibitions as for medicine. (Qianjin Fang)

⑥ To treat heart and abdominal pain: peach blossoms dried in the sun and pounded into powder. Take two qianbi with water; for children, half a qian. (Meng Shen Fang)

⑦ To treat unremitting malaria: peach blossoms made into powder, take one fangcunbi with wine. (Meishi Jiyan Fang)

⑧ To treat carbuncle, abscess, and deep-rooted sores on the back: gather peach blossoms at dawn while receiving dew, grind with strong vinegar and squeeze out the residue, then take the juice and apply it to the sore. (Shengji Zonglu)

⑨ To treat favus of the scalp: collect unopened peach blossoms, dry them in the shade, and take equal parts with red mulberries, grind into powder, and mix with lard. First wash away the scabs with lye water, then apply the medicine. (Meng Shen Fang)

⑩ To treat facial sores with yellow fluid discharge and eye sores: peach blossoms, any amount, grind into a fine powder. After meals, take one fangcunbi mixed with half a cup of water, three times a day. (Haishang Jiyan Fang)

⑾ To treat on the feet