Introduction to Herbs Flashcards
First book to focus on descriptions of individual herbs
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing
Divine Husbandman’s Classic
364 kinds of herbs. The term “medicine property” first appears in this book
Materia Medica that divided herbs into 3 categories
Tao Hongjing: Collection of Commentaries on the Classic Materia Medica Three Categories of herbs: Upper - tonifying Middle - most herbs (moving, sour, etc) Lower - herbs w/ toxicity
China’s first illustrated materi medica
Tang Materia Medica, compiled bhy government
Omissions from the Classic of Meteria Medica
Cheng ZangQi
Seven forms of pprescriptions
Major Materia Medica od the Song Dynasty
The Materia Medica Arranged According to Pattern
Very prosperous dynasty
Li Shizhen’s materia medica
The Grand Materia Medica, 1st printed in 1596, is the best known example of TCM sustances.
Li Shizhen is China’s celebrated herbalist
Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Substances
printed 1977, newer and more entries than older materia medicas
Chinese Materia Medica
printed 2002, Newer and more entries than older materia medicas
1st book to outline the 8 therapeutic methods
Medical Revelations: Cheng Zhong Ling
The 8 Therapeutic Methods
Sweating, Vomiting, Purging (draining) Harmonizing Warming Clearing Dispersing Tonifying
1st book outlining linkages between herbs and particular organs, channels
Origins of Medicine, by Zhang Yuan Su
Factors of herbal efficacy: growth and gathering conditions
- Best quality from native growing places
- Gathering time - when effective ingredients reach maximum
Whole plant - fully grown-up or blossom
Leaf - Blossom or fully flowering
Flower - Fully opened up
Seed & Fruit - reach the full maturity
Root - Fedruary & August
Objectives of processing methods
Reduce or remove toxicity or side effects
Change the function of the herb
Easier to store
Get rid of impurities and easier to be taken in
Processing Methods
Mechanical Methods
Methods that utilize water
Methods that utilize heat
Methods utilizing both heat and water
Mechanical methods of processing herbs
Cleaning, peeling, scraping, grinding, etc
Herbal processing methods which utilize water
Soaking
Bleaching (rinsing)
Aqeous Trituration - minerals ground to a powder with water
Herbal processing methods which utilize heat
Dry Frying (browning, deep frying, charring)
Frying with liquid (Honey, vinegar, wine, juice )
Calcining (makes mineral substances brittle like tortoise or oyster shell)
Roasting in ashes (Wrap herb in mud or wet paper & roast on coals)
Herbal processing methods utilizing both heat & water
Steaming
Boiling
Quenching
Simmering
“Four” Qi
Cold Hot Cool Warm Neutral
“Five” Tastes
Sour Bitter Sweet Acrid Salty Bland
Yang tastes
Acrid, Sweet, Bland
Yin Tastes
Bitter, Sour, Salty
Acrid
Disperse & move
Sweet
Tonify, harmonize, moisten
Bitter
Drain & dry
Sour
Astringent & prevent abnormal leakage of fluids and energy
Salty
Purge & soften
Bland
Leech out dampness & promote urination
Astringent
Prevent the leakage of fluids
Up and floating herbs
acrid, sweet, warm, hot
Down and sinking herbs
sour, bitter, salty, astringent
Toxicity
Use toxic herbs to treat toxicity
Herbs entering lung channel
Jie geng and Xing ren
Herbs entering Liver channel
quan xie (calms liver wind)
Herbs entering Heart chnnel
zhu sha
Mutual accentuation
2 substances with similar functions to accentuate their actions
Examples: Shi Gao & Zhi Mu
Da Huang & Mang Xiao
Mutual enhancement
one substance enhances the effect of the other
Ex) Fu ling & Huang Qi
Ex) Da Huang & Huang Qin
Mutual Counteraction
The toxicity or side effects of 1 substance are reduced or eliminated by another substance
Ex) Ban xia & Sheng Jiang
Nan Xing & Sheng Jiang
Mutual Suppression
Converse of mutual counteraction. Aka from the perspective of the toxic herb being suppressed
Ex) Sheng Jiang kills toxicity of ban xia
Mutual antagonism
The ability of 2 substances to minimize or neutralize each other’s positive effects
Ex) Ren Shen & Lai Fu Zi
19 antagonisms
Mutual incompatibility
The combination of 2 substances give rise to side effects or toxicity which would not be caused by either if used alone
18 incompatibilities
Single effect herbs
Like shen ren & huang qin
Principles of combining substances
Chief
Deputies
Assistants
Envoys
Chief herb in a formula
Principal ingredient, provides the main effect
Deputies in a formula
Enhance or assist the actions of the chief
Assistants in a formula
Treat accompanhying symptoms; moderate the harshness or toxicity of the primary substances; assist chief & deputies, or provide assistance from another therapeutic direction
Envoys in a formula
Guhide the other medicines to a specific channel or organ, or exert a harmonizing influence
Most common form of herbal delivery
Decoctions
Why are some herbs decocted 1st?
Toxic - cooked for 30-45 minutes Minerals and shells - 10-20 minutes lightweight substances used in large dosage - 20 min Ex) Zhi Chuan Wu Zhi Fu Zi Zhi Cao Wu Shi Jue Ming Long Gu Mu Li Ci Shi Zhen Zhu Dai Zhe Shi Gui Ban Bie Jia Shi Gao Shui Niu Jiao Si Gua Luo
Why are some herbs added at the end?
Aromatic herbs maintain potency if cooked for only 4-5 minutes Ex) Bo He Mu Xiang Sha Ren Bai Dou Kou Qing Hao Da Huang
Why are some herbs decocted in gauze?
Prevents raw herb from stimulating the throat or digestive tract.
Ex) Xuan fu hua
Che qian zi
Chi shi zhi
Why are some herbs decocted or simmered separately?
Rare or expensive substances
Ex) Ren Shen
Xi yang shen
Lu rong
Delivery methods
Decoctions, Pills, Powders, Special pills, Syrups, Plasters, Medicinal wines
How long to cook Release the Exterior Herbs?
generally cook for short amount of time
How long to cook tonifying herbs?
genreally cook for longer amount of time
When to take herbs (arouhnd meals)?
Tonifying - Usually before meal
Purging - On empty Stomach
BUT in general taken after a meal is safest, relies less on digetive strength of the patient.
Why are some herbs dissolved in the strained decoction?
because they are highly viscous or sticky (they will stick to the pot and burn)
Ex) E Jiao
Yi tang
Why are some herbs taken first and “chased” by the decoction?
because they are expensive or aromatic, like precious hornsThese herbs are taken as a powder. Ex)Chuan bei mu San qi Niu huang Zhu li
What are the 19 antagonisms? (we need only 5 pairs)
Ba Dou - qian niu zi Ding Xiang - yu jin Zhi Wu Tou - xi jiao Ren Shen - wu ling zhi Rou Gui - chi shi zhi
18 incompatibilities: Which herbs are incompatible with Gan Cao?
Gan Sui
Da Ji
Yuan Hua
Hai Zao
18 incompatibilities: which herbs are incompatible with Zhi Wu Tou?
Bei Mu Gua Lou Zhi Ban Xia Bai Lian Bai Ji
18 incompatibilities: which herbs are incompatible with Li Lu?
Ren Shen Sha Shen Dan Shen Ku Shen Xi Xin Bai Shao
