Herbs 1 Midterm Flashcards
What is a ben cao?
Chinese Materia Medica
What is yao?
Medicine/medicinals (character means ‘herb music’)
What are the five levels of qi in herbs?
Hot, Warm, Middle/neutral, cool, cold
What are the five flavors of herbs and what do they do?
Sour gathers Acrid/pungent disperses Sweet moderates bitter consolidates salty softens
extra: bland percolates and drains
What is a liang?
a unit of weight (mass)
1.5g, 2g, 3g, 13g, etc
1 liang = 24 zhu
1 Jin = 16 liang
What is Gui Zhi?
cinnamon twig
How does Gui Zhi taste?
acrid and sweet with warm qi
What channels does Gui Zhi enter?
heart, lung, and bladder
What is Gui Zhi classified as?
Herb that releases the exterior
What are the actions and indications of Gui Zhi according to Bensky?
Release the exterior and assist the Yang
Warms and unblocks the channels and collaterals
Warms the Yang and transforms thin mucus
Assists the heart yang & unblocks the yang qi of the chest
warms the middle and directs turbid yin downward
What are the therapeutic actions of Gui Zhi according to Chen & Chen?
Releases the exterior through diaphoresis
Warms and opens the channels and collaterals
warms yang to eliminate water or phlegm stagnation
warms yang in the chest
warms yang in the chong and ren mai (vessels) to restore normal menstruation
What does Gui Zhi mainly treat according to Yoshimasu Todo?
surging counterflow!
which can include running piglet, headache, heat effusion, aversion to cold, sweating and body pain.
What is Gan Cao?
Licorice root
What are the properties of Gan Cao?
sweet with neutral qi
What channels does Gan Cao enter according to Bensky?
all 12 channels
What is Gan Cao classified as?
Herb that tonifies the qi
What are the actions and indications of Gan Cao according to Bensky?
Tonifies the spleen and augments the qi moistens the lungs and stops coughs moderates spasm and alleviates pain clears heat and resolves fire toxicity may antidote a variety of toxic substances moderates and harmonizes other herbs
What channels does Gan Cao enter according to Chen & Chen?
spleen, stomach, lung, and heart
What are the therapeutic actions of Gan Cao according to Chen & Chen?
tonifies the spleen and benefits the qi moistens the lung and stops cough relieves pain clears heat and eliminates toxins treats poisoning harmonizes other herbs
What does Gan Cao mainly treat according to Yoshimasu Todo?
Urgent pressing!
which includes inner urgency, urgent pain, tightening urgency.
As well as reversal cold, vexation restlessness, counterflow, as they are various forms of urgent pressing.
What is Shao Yao (Bai/Chi Shao)?
peony root (white or red)
What are the properties of Shao Yao?
bitter, sour, mildly cold (qi)
What channels does Shao Yao enter?
Liver & Spleen
How is Shao Yao classified?
Herb that tonifies/invigorates the blood
What are the actions and indications of Shao Yao according to Bensky?
nourishes the blood and regulates the menses
calms and curbs the liver yang and alleviates pain
preserves the yin and adjusts the nutritive and protective levels
What are the therapeutic actions of Shao Yao according to Chen & Chen?
Bai - White:
Nourishes blood and preserves yin
nourishes the liver to calm liver yang and wind
softens the liver and relieves pain
Chi - Red: clears heat and cools blood dispels blood stasis and relieves pain reduces swelling from sores and abscesses clears heat and relieves eye pain