人rén參shēn殺shā人rén無wú過guò,，大dà黃huáng救jiù人rén無wú功gōng

What does 人參殺人無過，大黃救人無功 (rén shēn shā rén wú guò, dà huáng jiù rén wú gōng) mean?

人參殺人無過，大黃救人無功 (rén shēn shā rén wú guò, dà huáng jiù rén wú gōng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Ginseng kills without blame; rhubarb saves without credit." In use it means: Expensive, prestigious tonics can harm when misused yet escape blame, while cheap purgatives like rhubarb cure disease effectively but receive no recognition. Status and price do not determine a medicine's true value. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.

Literally: "Ginseng kills without blame; rhubarb saves without credit."

The reading

Reputation distorts medical judgment. Ginseng, expensive and prestigious, gets prescribed even when inappropriate, and when patients worsen, the herb escapes blame. Rhubarb root, cheap and harsh, clears dangerous blockages and saves lives, yet receives no praise. This folk saying carries a warning that applies far beyond the pharmacy: judge a remedy by its results, not by its price or its reputation.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusLooks back
• Element土 Earth
• Zodiac tie雞 Year of the Rooster

Source Traditional folk medical proverb, widely cited in Ming-Qing dynasty medical literature

Sits beside

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.