第4章 中医的图腾——葫芦

葫芦既为食物、蔬菜，又可作器皿瓢饮。葫芦干后可以倒出很多种子，用以繁殖，与生殖崇拜有关。在广西瑶族的传统中，葫芦还与洪水时救了伏羲、女娲两兄妹的命有关。因此，葫芦是南方许多民族的图腾标志。

《后汉书》及葛洪的《神仙传》中记载：壶公，不知其姓名。费长房为市掾，忽见公从远方来，入肆卖药，人莫识之。卖药口不二价，治病皆愈。常悬一空壶于屋上，日入之后，公跳入壶中，人莫能见。唯长房楼上见之，知非常人也。长房乃自扫公座前地及供馔物，公受而不辞。如此积久，公知长房笃信，谓房曰：“至暮无人时更来。”长房如其言往，公语房曰：“见我跳入壶中时，即便效我跳。”长房依言，果不觉已入。唯见玉堂俨丽，楼台重门阁道，公左右侍者数十人。乃与长房共饮，酒器如拳许大，饮之至暮不竭。后长房求道，随从入山，能医疗众病，鞭笞百鬼。后失其符，为众鬼所杀。其治病皆能愈，并每语人曰：服此药必吐某物，某日当愈，言无不效。如所周知，历来卖药的常置药于壶中；炼丹术士更是置金丹于壶中。药铺市招，常以葫芦为标识鬻卖。因此葫芦为药肆、郎中标识无疑。俗话说“不知他葫芦里卖的什么药”。从上述故事可窥见葫芦在原始意识中与医药有不解之缘，本为互渗而来的图腾标记。

Gourd--Totem of Chinese Medicine

Gourd could be used as food,vegetable and ladle or utensil for drinking.The worship of reproduction is associated with gourd because gourd produces numerous seeds when dried.Among the traditions of the Yao nationality of Guangxi in China,gourd played a part in saving the lives of Fuxi and Nuwa,brother and sister,ancestors of the Chinese people,in the great flood.In fact,gourd has been a totem for many southern nationalities in China.

Both Hou Han Shu and Ge Hong's Shen Xian Zhuan described the following story.Hu,a senior,came from afar,nobody knew his name.Fei Zhangfang,a market administrator,saw him enter a shop to sell his medicines.Although the prices were non-negotiable,the medicines worked.The man often hung an empty gourd on the beam in his room and jumped into it after sunset each day.Zhangfang happened to see this from an upper floor,and began to understand that this man was not a common folk.He swept the floor of his room and presented Hu with food and drinks.The old man took all without hesitation.Each day,Zhangfang did the same.After a period of time,the old man was assured of Zhangfang's trust and told him，"ome at dusk when nobody's around." Zhangfang went as he had been told.Then the man said，"hen I jump into the gourd,follow me immediately." Zhangfang followed him and was in the gourd before he knew it.Before him was a grand jade hall with numerous buildings and towers around,and intertwining doors and corridors.More than ten servants were waiting on Senior Hu.Then Zhangfang and Senior Hu enjoyed a feast.The drinking cup was as big as a man's fist and would never run dry till deep into the night.Later Zhangfang asked the man to teach him Taoism and followed him deep into the mountains.As a result,Zhangfang learned to heal diseases and even could lash out at ghosts.However,eventually he was killed by ghosts,after his magic talisman went missing.Whatever disease it was,Zhangfang could cure it.Each time he would tell the patient that the medicine would make him vomit something up and then the disease would be healed on a certain day.His words always came true.It is well-known to the Chinese people that a medicine seller by tradition puts his medicine in a gourd;and a Taoism alchemist hides his magic pills in a gourd at all times.Outside herbal shops,gourds are hung as a sign that there are medicines for sale.Therefore,if you see a gourd,you know that a herbal medicine shop or physician is around.Just as aChinese idiom goes "you don't know what kind of medicine he is selling in his gourd." All these stories indicate that gourds are intertwined with medicine in primitive thinking and function as the totem of Chinese medicine.