Despite the legendary nature of ginseng most of us in the West are more likely to have heard of the various uses to which opium has been put. This drug has in fact been employed optimistically as an aphrodisiac over the centuries. Even a mild dose of opium is supposed by Orientals to provide about one hour of continuous genital stimulation - "assuring the desideratum of at least three thousand phallic thrusts"; it is worth quoting further the poetic mention of the opium pill as it appears in Chin P'ing Mei

Take but a speck of this, set it upon you, then

Rush like a whirlwind to the bridal chamber

The first engagement will leave you full of vigour;

The second, even stronger than before. Though twelve exquisite beauties, all arrayed in scarlet, wait your onset

You may enjoy each one, according to your fancy ...

And so on and so forth - "Ten women in one night will be as one to you."

Most detailed Chinese aphrodisiac recipe

There are some immensely complicated formulae for ancient Chinese aphrodisiacs. A number of these, from the Wang Tao "Collection of Secret Prescriptions", are quoted by Eric Chou. One example will suffice here (for use in the spring)

1 fen = 0.36 grams

Fuling (underground fungus) - 4 fen

Chtang p'u (Acorus calamus) - 4 fen

Shan chu yu (plant) - 4 fen

K'u lou root (herb) - 4 fen

T'u ssu tzu (herb seeds) - 4 fen

Niu ch'i (herb) - 4 fen

Dry ti huang (Rebmannia) - 7 fen

Hsi hsin (wild ginger) - 4 fen

Fan feng (herb) - 4 fen

Shu yu (yam root) - 4 fen

Hsu tuan (herb) - 4 fen

The ingredients of this prescription, as with other concoctions were to be ground down and made into pills.