The American Association of Oriental Medicine’s Complete Guide to Chinese Herbal Medicine How to Treat Illness and Maintain Wellness with Chinese Herbs, David Molony, Berkley Books New York, 1998.
Chinese herbal medicine is an ancient science, something that can be appreciated only by comparing Eastern and Western points of view. For Eastern philosophy concerns itself with looking at herbs deeply and repeatedly over time as agents of balance in the body, while in the West, herbs become known as simples, curing identified syndromes. An herb in the Chinese herbal pharmacopoeia is described by taste, action, the part of the plant which benefits, and its common and traditional purposes. These attributes are considered to assist the body, most often in formulas or combinations of several herbs.
The complexity of Chinese medicine lies in its capacity to examine both the body and the malady, to explain imbalances, to locate an imbalance, and predict possible responses.
Several chapters in the book under the heading “Understanding Oriental Medicine…” introduce the concepts of Chinese medicine, such as “Philosophy of Healing”, and “Diagnosis and Treatment”, exposing the concepts of Yin and Yang, the Five Energies (Jing, Shen, Qi, Blood and Jin-Ye fluids), the Meridians, and the functions and attributes of internal organs. This is supported by a chart, p. 38-40, of the common symptoms of imbalance and a glossary of terms, p.41-43. In the chapter “Understanding Oriental Medicine: Herbs and Herbal Treatment”, herbs are shown to be strongly affecting, at first due to their nature and taste. The author gives tables of healing properties, and a page devoted to groups of herbs known to have special affinity for the body in cases of particular diseases and bodily disorders. From this chart, p. 68, “Healing Effects of Major Single Herbs”, we see that Nelumbinus stamen is used to “dispel internal heat and damp and to purge fire” and that Lonicera flower and Forsythia fruit, are listed, among more than 12 other herbs. Effective in cases of heat and damp conditions, these herbs are always used in formulas. Damp and heat imbalances are explained in the text as painful joints, osteoarthritis, edema, excess mucus, high blood pressure and neurological problems. Examples of heat include heatstroke, constipation, rashes and fevers.
Listed below are a few selections of herbal medicines from The American Association of Oriental Medicine’s Complete Guide to Chinese Herbal Medicine How to Treat Illness and Maintain Wellness with Chinese Herbs, David Molony, Berkley Books New York, 1998. The list references Common and Botanical names and shows uses in the text with the names of Chinese patent formulas. Formulas are typically seen in all herbal medicines prescribed by practitioners, frequently created upon presentation of an individual’s imbalance. This book has included recipes for known “premixed standard herbal formulations” available for purchase in the form of pills, powders, tinctures, and the like. The inclusion of these formulas gives insight into the method of compiling custom formulas, the complex art of herbal combination and prescription.
The following selections are mostly food-based, and are a way of viewing all the possibilities of a plant food, that not only supports life but can help heal it as well. Molony points out the holistic nature of Oriental medicine, p. 25. You may notice a difference in the Latin or Botanical name suffixes: these are utilized in pharmaceutical classification. Molony has also included the Pinyin name of the plant in all instances, with English names as well.
Entries are given as Common name: botanical name, part used, with common uses of the herb and perspective in Oriental medicine as stated by author Molony given here in parentheses.
Asparagus: Asparagi Cochinchinensis, root, (moistening lungs for dry cough, dry skin, and in Oriental Medicine, for “internal fire and dryness in excess yang”in Ginseng and Zizyphus formula* page 87-88 to “moisten lungs, cool heat and nourish kidneys”).
Cardamom seed: Amomi Fructus seu Semen, fruit, (releasing food stagnation in the stomach and vomiting and diarrhea; in Oriental Medicine, for “stagnant Qi; dampness obstruction, and internal cold and damp” in numerous formulas, p. 96 to “move the Qi and strengthen the stomach”).
Cinnamon: Cinnamomi cassiae, bark, (chronic conditions of the intestines, in Oriental Medicine for “internal core coldness, deficient Kidney and Spleen Yang, deficient
Qi and Blood and false symptoms of heat in the upper part of the body”, p. 99, in numerous formulas, p. 100 to “warm the Kidney yang”).
Citrus Peel: Citri Reticulatae, fruit peel, (moves food, transforms phlegm, in Oriental Medicine it “moves Qi, dries dampness, stops vomiting”, p. 103, in numerous formulas, “moves Qi, strengthens stomach and stops vomiting”.)
Curcuma or Turmeric: Curcumae, root, (for arthritic pain, in formulas to “move Qi and allieviate pain” p. 108.
* Patent formulas can contain 12 or more different herbs which by their nature (actions) and tastes can effect change and essentially, balance. With attributes such as “Cooling upward Heart fire, Tonifying Qi and Blood, Invigorating Blood, Nourishing Heart and Yin, Moistening Lungs, Calming the spirit”, etc. p. 197-198, the formula’s common use is for insomnia, disturbed sleep, restlessness and forgetfulness, hyperactive thyroid and dry stools.
The relationship of these herbs in formulas to bodily imbalances such as acne, allergies, arthritis, etc. is revealed in the chapter “Treating 25 Common Ailments”. Here the author puts in perspective the possible syndromes under each imbalance. As an example, constipation could be treated by eight different formulas, according to the kind of pattern presented by the affected person. There are these patterns to consider: “internal heat, stagnant Qi, Qi-deficiency, blood-deficiency, Yang-deficiency, Yin-deficiency, and after eating spicy food”.
Another way to view the actions of an herb is to take account of its nature and how it affects the body. Fresh Ginger root is hot, goes to the Lung, Stomach and Spleen meridians, stopping nausea or headaches that get triggered by other medicinal substances in the formula. In Oriental medicine, Ginger helps “Protective Qi, Warms the Middle Burner, and dispels exterior cold”. It is used in formulas to “disperse cold and adjust Nutritive Qi”. Molony’s compilation of Oriental medicine and herbal medicine is fascinating indeed.
Follow
