Herbology 1 Lecture 2 Flashcards
What one should know when studying herbs
Category Name Properties: Taste, Tempature, Channels Entered Functions Indications Contra-Indications Dosage Range
Four Qi or Temperature Characteristic
Five Designations:
Hot 熱 Re Cold 寒 Han Warm 溫 Wen Cool 涼 Liang Neutral 平 Ping
Slightly Cold 微寒 Wei Han
Slightly Warm 微溫 Wei Wen
Degree of tempature for temperature characteristics (5 designations)
Hot / Warm / Slightly Warm / Neutral / Slightly Cold / Cool / Cold
熱 / 溫 / 微溫 / 平 / 微寒 / 涼 / 寒
Rind of Watermelon
Xi Gua Pi
西瓜皮
Natural White Tiger Decoction
白虎湯
Clear Yang Ming Heat (Clearing 4 Bigs)
Garlic, Ginger, Scallion
Warming
Jing Jie
荊芥
Acrid, Slightly Warm (can be used for either Wind Cold or Wind Heat) because almost neutral
Additional temperature properties
Can fell hot and not have a fever (run around block; nervous)
Can have a fever and not feel hot (aversion to cold)
Ascriptions of Actions to Taste
Sourness enters the Liver Acridity enters the Lungs Bitterness enters the Heart Saltiness enters the Kidneys Sweetness enters the Spleen
Five Tastes 味
Acrid 辛 Sweet 甘 Bitter 苦 Sour 酸 Salty 咸
Bland 淡
Aromatic 香
Astringent 澀
Sourness Enters ___________
Liver
Acridity Enters _____________
Lungs
Bitterness Enters ____________
Heart
Saltiness Enters _____________
Kidneys
Sweetness Enters ____________
Spleen
Indications Vs. Contraindications
Indications are signs and symptoms
Contra-indications are like side effects, cautions
Functions of Acrid
Xin
Disperse and Move
Functions of Sweet
Gan
Tonify
Harmonize
and sometimes thought to Moisten
Functions of Bitter
Ku
Drain and Dry
Functions of Sour
Suan
Astringent & Prevent or Reverse the Abnormal Leakage of Fluids and Energy
Functions of Salty
Xian
Purge and Soften
Functions of Bland
Dan
No Taste
Leach out Dampness and Promote Urination
Functions of Aromatic
Xiang
Ability to Penetrate through turbidity and revive a particular function
Functions of Astrigent
Se
Has the ability to prevent the leakage of fluids
Very Close to Sour
Properties of Acrid / Pungent / Spicy
Dispersing (out and upward)
Moving and Circulating
Enters the Lung
Release the Exterior is the result of Acrid
Can also be a great Qi regulator and help dampness or pain (stasis/stagnation)
Example: Dang Gui is the Qi Herb in the Blood Category (because tonify qi and able to move) due to Acrid properties
Lungs are dispersing and descend. Acrid for the dispersing part. Use other herbs for Descend part
If Wei level, will disperse out. Tai Yang & UB channels are most exterior
Properties of Sweet
Tonifying, Nourish and Strengthen
Harmonizing and moderating (Not Strong & Intense)
Relieves Tension (Stomachache, Spasms & Pain)
Enters Spleen
Can Normalize Function fo ST and SP, but caution with SP Qi Deficiency and dampness (will make worse)
Richness, stickiness, thickness – blocks Qi – creates stagnation leading to dampness
Sweet is not very moving
Gan Cao, Da Zao
Properties of Bitter
Downward draining
Purging (promote bowel movement; purge heat/fire; descend Qi for vomiting, nausea, belching)
Dry Dampness
Becuase of Descending tendency can have a sedating effect
Enters the Heart
Da Huang – Could also release food stagnation and in a sense tonify
Counterflow of Qi brought down with bitter herbs
How can Da Huang release food stagnation and tonify?
Primary herb for purging constipation
Sometimes just have to get rid to clear problem
Restoring homeostasis, balancing
Properties of Salty
Heaviest besides minerals Purges downwards for constipation Softens Hardness Enters Kidney All the seaweeds (scrofula and Goiter) Many animal products
Lu Rong (deer antler) because blood product inside
Blood is salty
Properties of Sour
Stabilize and Bind
Astringe / Hold / Contract
Stops movement and can move backwards
Contains fluids and Qi
Enters the Liver
Can refresh and improve the appetite as well, when used appropriately
Stomach Yin – Preserve Yin (with Sweet can produce yin and body fluids)
Pickles
Sour + Sweet produces yin and body fluids
Sweet – Tonifies / Nourishes
Sour – Holds / Don’t Lose
Properties of Astringent
Include sour and sweet
Retain and Bind
Sometimes non-ripe persimmon, inner lining of pomegranate or some red wines (tannic)
Feels like a coat on tongue and sucking feeling
Happens with charring of herbs
Caution – Could hold in a pathology and trap it in – especially with an exterior invasion, also don’t want to tonify
Like sucking on a lemon
Heavy Menstruation
Properties of Bland
Diuretic Influence (Edema)
Promote Urination
Leech Out Dampness (through urine)
Goes down, but milder than bitter or salty
Properties of Aromatic
Awakens and Revives
Moves in all Directions
Stronger than acrid (which moves up and out)
Penetrates through turbidity (if closed or blocked)
Eliminate damp (rheumatism)
Very similar to acrid, but goes in all directions
Acrid/Pungent and Sweet can produce ______
Yang
Sweet goes to middle Jiao (pre-heaven qi), like checking account, generate energy/nourishment
Acrid moves
Sour and Sweet can produce _____
Yin
Sour Holds
Acrid warm can treat exterior _______
Cold
Channels and organs
Lung -- Large Intestine -- Metal Spleen -- Stomach -- Earth Heart -- Small Intestine -- Fire Kidney -- Urinary Bladder -- Water Pericardium -- San Jiao -- Fire Liver -- Gallbladder -- Wood
Zhang Yuan Su
12th Century
Specified channels in his writing
Origins of Medicine (Yi Xue Qi Yuan)
Pouch of Pearls (Zhen Zhu Nang)
By entering a specific channel the herb can guide to that particular channel or organ
Ren Shen enters which channel?
Goes to Lung & Spleen to Tonify Qi
Shu Di Huang enters which channel?
Enters Kidney, Liver, Heart at the blood level to tonify blood
Directional Properties of Herbs
Directions always dealing with gravity
Upwards
Downwards
Sink, inward
Float, Outward
Directional Properties of Herbs:
Upwards
Most flowers go upwards
Exception: Xuan Fu Hua and Kuan Dong Hua
These Descends
Jie Geng – boat to carry up to the lung
Directional Properties of Herbs:
Floating and Ascending
Expel superficial evils Ascend Yang Expel Wind and Cold Inducing Vomiting Open the Orifices (coma -- closed orifice) Promoting Eruptions (Measles) Warming Yang
Directional Properties of Herbs:
Sinking and Lowering
Clear Heat Purging Promoting Urination Calming mind Descending Yang Extinguish Warm (internal) Stop Vomiting Stop Cough and Asthma Astringent Promote Digestion
Qiang Huo vs. Du Huo
Qiang Huo best for upper body wind-cold damp heat
Du Huo – best for lower body wind-cold damp heat
Qiang Huo (UB, KI) goes upwards in relation to Du Huo (KI, UB) and vice versa. This is a comparison to each other, but doesn’t mean that Qiang Huo doesn’t go upwards
Li Dong Yuan
Pi Wei Lun
Discussion of the Spleen and Stomach
Li wrote that each herb tends to either: Rise Fall Float Sink
Functions of Herbs
Primary actions of the herb
Often knowing what category the herbs is in will give you the first and most important function
Different from indications:
Function: Clears Heat
Indication: Fever, flushed face, acid reflux
Eight Therapeutic Methods
Ba Fa
Promote Sweating -- Han Fa Clear -- Qing Fa Purge -- Xia Fa Harmonize -- He Fa Warm -- Wen Fa Tonify -- Bu Fa Reduce / Sedate -- Xiao Fa Induce Vomiting -- Tu Fa
Clear represents clearing _____
Heat
Pathogens enter the body via
Skin
9 Orifices
Pathogens are eliminated via
Skin
Mouth
Bowels
Urine
Indications
Signs and Symptoms
To treat an indication one must choose an herb based on its: Function Channels Entered Temperature Taste
Sx > Dx > TP > Rx
Symptoms: Chills, fever, aversion to cold, stiff neck, cough, no sweating
Diagnosis: Wind Cold Excess
Treatment Principle: Release Exterior
Prescription (Herbal Formula): Ma Huang Tang
Cautions and Contraindications:
Temperature
Don’t use cooling herbs when there is pathogenic cold
Don’t clear heat when there is a cold condition
Cautions and Contraindications:
Six Pathogenic Factors
Don’t use herbs that drain damp if there is dryness
Don’t use astringing & binding when a patient needs purging
Caution with using tonifying herbs or astringing herbs when there is an exterior pathogen present
Cautions and Contraindications:
Other Cautions
Some relate to toxicities when combined with another specific herb or food
Some relate to dosage
Lots of herbs cannot be used in pregnancy especially in beginning
Be cautious. Be aware.
Dosage Properties
Amount of drugs/herbs to be used
It mainly refers to the daily amount of each drug for an adult, and also the relative amount of different drugs/herbs in a recipe/formula
Refers to use in a decoction
Refers to dry, prepared herbs
Dosage: Classical Measurement
Qian
Dosage: Modern Measurement
Grams
Normal Dosage Range
3-12 Grams
1 Fen
(1/10th)
0.3 g
1 Qian
~3 g
1 Liang
10 x
30 g
Additional Dosage Properties
Drastic and Poisonous Drugs should be given in small dosages or gradually increased from small dosage to larger dosages
Normal dosing of Da Huang
3-9 grams
(start with 3 grams and gradually go up to 9 grams)
Da Huang for constipation
Herbs can be pretty tough on the digestive system
Substances that are prescribed in larger dosages
Hard, Heavy, Moderate and Bland Substances
Minerals and Shells
Substances that are prescribed in smaller dosages
Light, Toxic and Strongly-flavored Substances
Flowers, Leaves and Aromatic Herbs