Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa

Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa. The Chinese characters on this label are read from right to left, perhaps to suggest an older time period. Other versions of the product have been produced with the characters printed from left to right, although right to left is still often used in the logo that features the red and yellow drawings of the son tending his mother.

King-to Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa (京都念慈菴川貝枇杷膏, Jīngdū niàn cí ānchuān bèi pípá gāo) or more commonly, Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa or simply Pei Pa Koa is a Traditional Chinese natural herbal remedy used for the relief of sore throat, coughs, hoarseness, and loss of voice. It is a throat demulcent and expectorant. Today, it is manufactured and sold by Nin Jiom Medicine Manufactory Limited, a Hong Kong corporation. It is available worldwide.

In the name of the company, "King-to" means "capital", referring to Peking, and "Nin Jiom" means "in memory of my mother". "Pei Pa Koa" means "Loquat syrup".

History

The formula for Pei Pa Koa was originally created by Doctor Ip Tin-See, a physician for the Qing Dynasty.^[1] Yang Jin, a county commander, asked Doctor Ip to treat his mother's persistent cough. They were so impressed that they created a factory to mass-produce it. Later, the Yang family sold the business to Tse Sui-Bong, a medicine practitioner. Nin Jiom Medicine Manufacturing was incorporated in 1962 to expand the business.

Today, Pei Pa Koa has annual sales of 45 million USD.^[1].

Effectiveness

A study at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine published in a 1994 article, "Pharmacological studies of nin jion pei pa koa", indicated that Pei Pa Koa had significant effect on relieving coughs, removing sputum, relieving asthma in vivo and in vitro.^[2]

Composition

Pei Pa Koa is made up of a blend of herbal ingredients^[3] including the fritillary bulb (Fritillariae cirrhosae, Chinese: 川貝母), loquat leaf (Eriobotrya japonica, Chinese: 枇鈀葉), ladybell root (Adenophora stricta, Chinese: 南沙參), Indian bread (Wolfiporia extensa, Chinese: 茯苓), pomelo peel (Citrus maxima, Chinese: 化橘紅), chinese bellflower root (Platycodon grandiflorum, Chinese: 桔梗), pinellia rhizome (Pinellia ternata, Chinese: 半夏), Schisandra seed (Schisandra chinensis, Chinese: 五味子), Trichosanthes seed (Trichosanthes cucumerina, Chinese: 瓜蔞子), coltsfoot flower (Tussilago farfara, Chinese: 款冬花), thinleaf milkwort root (Polygala tenuifolia, Chinese: 遠志), bitter apricot kernel (Prunus armeniaca, Chinese: 苦杏仁), fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale, Chinese: 生薑), licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Chinese: 甘草),^[4] and menthol in a syrup and honey base; giving the cough syrup a favorable taste.

Delivery

Taking a dose neat from the bottle is common. Alternating between sipping and inhaling, a watered down tablespoon in a hot mug and inhaling the hot vapours through the throat and nasal cavity is very effective.

See also

• Cough medicine

References

External links

• Official company site
• Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa (Institute for Traditional Medicine article)
• King-to Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa