Chinese Materia Dietetica, Ming: Sweet dew

Illustration of gan lushui (sweet dew water) from Shiwu bencao (Materia dietetica), a dietetic herbal in four volumes dating from the Ming period (1368-1644). The identity of the author and artists is unknown. It contains entries on over 300 medicinal substances and is illustrated by almost 500 paintings in colour. Gan lushui is also known as gaolu (sweet dew), ruilu (auspicious dew), tianjiu (celestial liquor) and shenjiang (divine liquid). Liquan shui (sweet spring water) is equivalent to ganquan shui (sweet spring water). The text states: Sweet dew water (gan lushui), like sweet spring water (liquan shui), is sweet in sapor, delicious, and non-poisonous. Drinking it will moisten and lubricate the five viscera, confer longevity, and assuage hunger. It is used medicinally to treat heat conditions of the chest and diaphragm, improve vision and alleviate thirst. These two types of water are hard to obtain.

Sweet dew water (gan lushui)