Tianma - Gastrodia elata (Latin name)

天麻

Tianma is a very precious Chinese herb growing in the valleys and is classified into single group Tianma.

天麻是一种珍贵的中药材，生长在深山峡谷之中，一株只长一个天麻的，叫独麻；一株长一窝天麻的，叫窝麻。

The major function of Tianma is to cure liver wind, dizziness and infantile convulsions of children, etc. with distinct effect. In China, Tianma grows in many remote mountain areas but the best are in Baokang county of northwest region of Hubei province. Legend has it that there lived a clan¹ of hundreds of families deep in Jingshan mountain living and laboring² in peace and contentment. But somehow in a year, the clan was shocked by a queer disease. Patients would have splitting headache, serious limb twitch³, or even paralysis⁴. People resorted to medicine and divine but all efforts turned out in vain.

天麻主治肝风头痛、眩晕、小儿惊风等症，功效显著。中国不少深山都产天麻，但保康出的药效最好，这里还有个传说故事。在很古的时候，荆山深处有一个部落，住着百十户人家，过着安居乐业的生活。这一年，部落里突然流行起一种奇怪的疾病。这种病一旦缠身，头痛得像裂开似的，严重的会四肢抽搐，半身瘫痪。部落里的人们占卜求医，但都不见效果。

The tribe leader was baffled by his people’s sufferings and was resolved to pay a visit to a renowned⁵ doctor in the hope of finding the cure.

部落首领平时弄点草药给人们治治头痛脑热。他见人们被病魔折磨而自己又束手无策，心中十分难受，就决心去访求名医，寻找治愈这种病的药物和方法。

Having heard of a skilled doctor in Wudao Valley who was able to cure this disease, he started for the doctor immediately with enough food. Wudao Valley was situated⁶ among deep and sparsely⁷ populated mountains. Could he get to the skilled doctor?

这位首领听说五道峡有一个神医能治疗这种病，于是带了干粮披星戴月，向五道峡进发。五道峡是山中蜿蜒曲折的大峡谷，四周崇山峻岭环绕，人迹稀少，到哪里去寻找神医呢？

Having tramped over hills and dales, the chief finally met an old man gathering⁸ firewood in a forest. He asked about the skilled doctor and was told the doctor was in a village called Shuangti.

这位首领翻越了一座座山峰，走遍了每道山坡终于在一片树林里遇到了一位打柴的老汉。他想从老汉那里打听神医住在什么地方，老汉打量了部落首领一下，说神医这几天到双梯寨去了，让他到那里找一找。

The chief bid farewell to the old man and continued his way to Shuangti village which was actually a natural stone village built on precipitous cliffs. He climbed up arduously⁹ and reached at last. The moment he entered the village gate, he felt dizzy and fell down. But in a few moments, he awoke and stopped twitching¹⁰ finding himself in a cave. Looking up and down his eyes fell on some plant roots on a stone table.

这位首领辞别了老汉，又急急忙忙地向双梯寨赶去。这双梯寨，实为耸立在万仞绝壁上的天然石寨。一路上山道崎岖，奇峰插云，这位首领吃尽千万苦，终于攀上了双梯寨。没想到他刚进寨门就感到头晕目眩，一头栽进一洞中，没过多久，四肢也不再抽搐了。他起身打量洞内的东西，发现石桌上堆着一些植物块茎。

At that time, an old man came inside with a bow of medicine in his hands ready for him to drink. The tribe leader recognized the old man as the one who he had previously¹¹ met in the mountains. He was about to say something but was stopped by the old man. “You were infected with the same disease that had been haunting your people and the herb you need is on the stone table over there.” said the old man “and they should be preserved in the shadow buried under decayed leaves.” The tribe leader took deep bows to express his profound gratitude¹² to the old man, but when he looked up the old man was already gone. The chief knew clearly that encountered a miracle doctor as well as miracle herb.

正在这时，洞外走进来一位老汉，手中端着一碗药，让部落首领喝下去。这位首领一看，眼前的老汉正是在五道峡树林里遇到的那位打柴人。他刚要说话，老汉笑哈哈地拦住他，告诉他生的病和总落的人们生的病一样，要靠一种药材医治。药材已准备好，就放在石桌，让他病好后带回部落里去。这位首领躬身下拜，感谢老汉的救命大恩。老汉告诉他说，这种"药材" 如果吃完，就把它藏在背阴的烂树叶里，它就会永远用不完。这位首领低身拜，待他抬起头时，老汉已不见踪影了。这位首领知道自己遇到的老汉是神医，他的药材是天赐之物。就把老汉备好的药材放进口袋里，背回到部落里去了。

Back home, the chief stewed¹³ the herb for all patients to drink. Shortly after, patients all recovered gradually. He hid the rest of herb under shady and rotten leafs as the old man advised. Since then, this herb grew prosperously year in year out.

回到部落，这道领把神医赐的药材熬了一大锅，让生病的人喝下，几锅药水一喝，部落里生病的人逐渐好了。他把剩下的药材，依照神医所嘱，藏在背阴处的烂树叶里，从此，这药材就一年年地繁殖下来。

.Everybody believed the herb to be panacea¹⁴ from the heaven to cure dizziness and hemiplegia . So people called it “Tianma”.

人们说这药材是神医所赐的上天之物，又专治头晕目眩，半身麻痹瘫痪，就把这种药材叫做天麻了。