Herbal Properties Flashcards
What are the 5 herbal properties?
- temperature
- taste
- direction
- channel-entering
- toxicity
Four Qi (si qi) refers to?
temperature (thermal property)
what are the Four Qi?
cold cool (neutral) warm hot
how is temperature determined?
by observing the herb’s effect in the body
what do cold/cool herbs treat?
diseases with heat signs and symptoms
what are heat signs and symptoms?
fever, sweating, thirst, rapid pulse, red face
what do hot/warm herbs treat?
diseases with cold signs and symptoms
what are cold signs and symptoms?
cold limbs, diarrhea, frequent urination, pale face
what can neutral herbs treat?
both heat and cold signs and symptoms
what is Wu Wei?
Five Tastes
what are the 5 tastes?
sour bitter sweet acrid salty
what are 2 additional tastes?
bland
astringent
what kind of herbal property is aromatic?
temperature
what is the function of acrid taste?
disperse and move (wind-cold, wind-heat)
what is the function of sweet taste?
tonify, harmonize and moisten
what is the function of bitter taste?
drain and dry (constipation, dry stool)
what is the function of sour taste? (can also be astringent)
stabilize and bind, prevent leakage (frequent urination, leukorrhea, nighttime excretion)
what is the function of salty taste?
purge and soften (nodules, constipation, edema)
what is a caution of acrid (pungent) herbs?
acrid herbs disperse, so they are drying.
use with caution in case of qi, yin, or body fluid deficiency
what is a caution of sweet herbs?
sweet herbs can be rich and cloying, hard to digest, leading to stagnation.
use with caution in patients with spleen deficiency with dampness
what is a caution of bitter herbs?
bitter herbs are drying.
use with caution in case of yin and body fluid deficiency
what is a caution of sour (astringent) herbs?
sour herbs can prevent sweating and release of the exterior
use w/ caution when there is an exterior pathogenic factor present
what is a caution of bland herbs?
bland herbs promote urination and leech and drain fluids.
use w/ caution in cases of yin and body fluid deficiency
which of the tastes are yang?
acrid
sweet
bland
which of the tastes are yin?
sour
bitter
salty
what are the 4 directions?
- ascending (upwards)
- descending (downwards)
- floating (outwards)
- sinking (inwards)
what types of herbs are ascending/upwards?
light substances
flowers, rapidly growing plants, sweet aromatic herbs
what types of herbs are descending/downards?
heavy salty substances
shells, minerals, bitter and bland herbs
what types of herbs are floating/outwards?
acrid, dispersing herbs
herbs that release the exterior
what types of herbs are sinking/inwards?
sour, astringent herbs that bind and prevent leakage
what parts of the plant are ascending or floating?
upper parts
what parts of the plant are descending or sinking?
lower parts
what are the 3 channel-entering effects?
- direct effect
- indirect effect
- specific effect
what are the 3 classifications for herbs by Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing?
- superior
- medium
- inferior
what is a superior herb classification?
- potent therapeutic action
- few or no side effects
- safe for long-term use
what is a medium herb classification?
- good therapeutic action, but also possible side effects
2. requires professional supervision for use
what is an inferior herb classification?
- more potential side effects/toxicities than therapeutic benefit
- require special processing and administration
- use only when benefits outweigh risks and always under professional supervision
what chinese herbs is responsible for most adverse reactions?
Aconite herb
- Fu Zi
- Cao Wu
- Chuan Wu
How many major categories are there of herbs?
18
How many medicinal plants are considered toxic in China?
10 out of 7000 species
