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Herbal Medicine I (CNM) > L4: Western Energetics I: Humoural system > Flashcards

L4: Western Energetics I: Humoural system Flashcards

1
Q

Summarise the elements and the qualities

A
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2
Q

Four Elements

What does Fire govern?

A
  • Digestive secretions
  • All enzymes
  • Yellow bile
  • Metabolism
  • ‘Digestive fire’
  • Heart, Liver, Stomach (heat-generating organs)
  • Active, muscular heat-generating tissue
  • Spirit and intelligence
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3
Q

Four Elements

What does Water govern?

A
  • All vital fluids* (especially clear)
  • Kidneys, bladder, urinary tract
  • Mucosa (digestive, respiratory, genitourinary)
  • Lymphatic system
  • Brain and spinal cord

*Phlegm, mucus, plasma, lymph, serous and interstitial fluids

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4
Q

Four Elements

What does Earth govern?

A
  • Dense, solid parts of the body
  • Bones, joints, structural connective tissue
  • Nervous tissue and bone marrow
  • Teeth and gums
  • Hair and nails
  • ‘Solidity/groundedness’
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5
Q

Four Elements

What does Air govern?

A
  • Lungs, chest, thorax
  • Cavities and open spaces
  • Blood and vital force
  • Arteries
  • Hollow/porous tissues
  • Points of exchange/contact (lungs, kidneys, digestive mucosa)
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6
Q

Five Qualities

What are the bodily experiences and appearances with Heat?

A
  • Hot (inflammation)
  • Swollen
  • Tender
  • Excess of blood (redness)
  • Pain
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7
Q

Five Qualities

Examples of manifestations of Heat

A

Fever
Inflammation
Anything with -itis on the end

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8
Q

Five Qualities

Diagnostics of Heat

A
  • Rapid, superficial pulse
  • Red, elongated tongue
  • Autoimmune condition
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9
Q

Five Qualities

How does Heat work therapeutically in the body?

A
  • Purifies
  • Drives impurities out of the body (eg Cayenne)
  • Clears out pathogens (immune reactions, fever)
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10
Q

Five Qualities

What are the herbs we consider for Heat qualities ?

A
  • Rosemary: increases circulation, improves brain function
  • Thyme: stimulates immunity and is antimicrobial
  • Garlic: circulation, digestion, immunity
  • Cayenne: safe, natural stimulant
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11
Q

Five Qualities

What are the bodily experiences and appearances with Cold?

A
  • Pale
  • Dark
  • Inactive
  • Lack of stimulation
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12
Q

Five Qualities

Examples of manifestations of Cold

A
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Poor circulation
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13
Q

Five Qualities

Diagnostics of Cold

A
  • Deep, slow pulse
  • Dark red, purple, black tongue
  • Pale or blue/purple skin
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14
Q

Five Qualities

How does Cold work therapeutically in the body?

A

Binds and tightens
(eg cold pack on inflammation)

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15
Q

Five Qualities

What are the herbs we consider for their Cold qualities ?

A
  • Rose: cools the liver, topically soothes skin, balances hormonal excesses
  • Plantain: takes the heat out of bites and stings
  • Barberry bark: cooling and anti-microbial digestive remedy
  • Goldenseal: cooling anti-inflammatory action on mucous membrane surfaces
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16
Q

Five Qualities

What are the bodily experiences and appearances with Moist?

A
  • Lack of tone
  • Respiratory discharges
  • Skin discharges
  • Soggy or boggy tissues, prolapses
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17
Q

Five Qualities

Examples of manifestations of Moist

A
  • Phlegm, mucous
  • Diarrhoea
  • Profuse sweating (hyperhydrosis)
  • Oedema
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18
Q

Five Qualities

What are the herbs we consider for Moist qualities ?

A
  • Marshmallow -lubricates the skin and mucous membranes
  • Wild Lettuce – lubricating expectorant to treat dry coughs
  • Slippery Elm bark powder – stool softener and mild laxative for hard, dry stool
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19
Q

Five Qualities

Diagnostics of Moist

A
  • Relaxed or obscure pulse
  • Wet, coated tongue (glossy or white)
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20
Q

Five Qualities

How does Moist work therapeutically in the body?

A
  • Nourishes
  • Lubricates
  • Eg marshmallow and aloe vera protect mucous membranes and skin
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21
Q

Five Qualities

What are the bodily experiences and appearances with Dry?

A
  • Withered/atrophied
  • Weak
  • Pallor from lack of fluids/nourishment
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22
Q

Five Qualities

What are the herbs we consider for Dry qualities ?

A
  • Golden seal –dries up infective discharges e.g. upper respiratory, urinary, digestive system
  • Raspberry leaf– stops uterine and vaginal discharges
  • Oak Bark – firms up flesh and stops bleeding e.g. gums
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23
Q

Five Qualities

Examples of manifestations of Dry

A
  • Dry skin and mucous membranes
  • Loss of muscle mass
  • Constipation due to internal dryness
  • Osteoporosis
24
Q

Five Qualities

Diagnostics of Dry

A
  • Weak, tense (wiry) pulse
  • Dry tongue, no coating
  • Rigidity, brittleness
25
Q

Five Qualities

How does Dry work therapeutically in the body?

A
  • Sets limits and boundaries in health
  • eg drying up excess secretions in diarrhoea, stopping bleeding
26
Q

Five Qualities

What was the most prized quality in Hippocratic medicine?

A

Neutral

27
Q

Five Qualities

What does a Neutral quality indicate?

A

Balance between hot/cold, dry/damp

28
Q

Five Qualities

Neutral can be said to be opposite to _____?

A

Wind

29
Q

Five Qualities

What are the herbs we consider for Neutral qualities ?

A

Adaptogens
* Siberian ginseng
* Ashwagandha
* Schisandra berry
* Gota kola
* Reishi mushroom

Nutritive
* Oatseed
* Schisandra berry
* Ashwagandha
* Maca
* Bilberry

30
Q

Five Qualities

Herbs may be hot, cold, moist or dry in varying _____ and _____

A

degrees
combinations

31
Q

Five Qualities

Marshmallow is _____ and _____

A

Cool and moist

32
Q

Five Qualities

Golden seal is _____ and _____

A

Cold and dry

33
Q

Five Qualities

Cayenne is _____ and _____

A

Hot and dry

34
Q

Five Qualities

Pleurisy root is _____ and _____

A

Warm and moist

35
Q

Four humours

List the four humours, their related elements and their associated ‘characteristic’

A

Melan - black
Cholic - bile

36
Q

Four humours

Characteristics of Blood

A
  • Relates to Air
  • Hot and Moist
  • Affintity to Spring
  • Youth, health, vitality
  • Carries the vital force to all tissues
  • First humour from digestive processes
  • ‘Produced’ in the liver
37
Q

Four humours

Blood out of balance

A
  • Excess -> stagnation
  • Weight-gain
  • Overburdening of digestion (liver, gall bladder, pancreas)
  • Poor circulation (reduced supply of nutrients)
  • Fatigue, high BP, hypoxia
  • High quantity/low quality blood
38
Q

Four humours

Strategies to normalise Blood

A
  • Minimise rich foods, meat, alcohol
  • Mainly vegetarian diet to cleanse and restore blood (green*, leafy vegetables, bitter greens, beets)
  • Dark red, black and blue forest berries
  • Blood-moving spices (garlic, ginger)
  • Social exercise (dancing, team games)

*Remember chlorophyll molecular structure similar to haemoglobin

39
Q

Four humours

Characteristics of yellow bile

A
  • Relates to Fire
  • Affinity with Summer
  • Hot and Dry
  • Represents Fire of Digestion*
  • Heat of metabolism
  • Physical activity
  • Action-oriented people
  • ‘Produced’ in the gall bladder

*transformation of raw materials

40
Q

Four humours

Yellow bile out of balance

A
  • Excess can lead to hot/dry consitution#
  • Red skin
  • Skin eruptions, eczema, psoriasis
  • Febrile (physical fevers and state of mind:)
  • Indigestion, dyspepsia, heartburn, ulcers
  • Sleeplessness
  • Irritability, anger, frustration
  • Cravings (excitement, drugs, alcohol when bored)
41
Q

Four humours

Strategies to normalise yellow bile

A
  • Cooling foods and juices
  • Salads and raw foods
  • Avoiding unhealthy fats
  • Maintain fluids, correct hydration
  • Bitter tonics (release bile, cool digestion)
  • Calming exercise, deep breathing
  • Eating in calm atmosphere (not close to bedtime)
42
Q

Four humours

Characteistics of phlegm

A
  • Relates to water
  • Affinity to autumn
  • Cold and moist
  • Clear fluids of the body (plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, mucous and serous exudations of respiratory, urinary and reproductive tracts)
  • Functions: lubricate, nourish, moisten, flush out toxins (lymphatic system)
  • Is ‘produced’ in brain and lungs
43
Q

Four humours

Phlegm out of balance

A
  • Cold, wet conditions (excess mucous/catarrh, common cold)
  • Water retention/oedema
  • Lymphatic stagnation
  • Slow metabolism, hypo-function of adrenals and thyroid
  • Disturbed water balance (as a result of sluggish digestion)
  • Stagnation: cysts and tumours
  • Arthritis: thickening of synovial fluid
44
Q

Four humours

Strategies to normalise phlegm

A
  • Avoid foods that weaken digestive fire (cucumbers, melons, dairy, cold drinks, sugars, starches)
  • Include stimulating, drying foods (pungent: cayenne, garlic, black pepper, ginger)
  • Fennel seed, cardamon, fenugreek, milk thistle act on liver to produce less phlegm
  • Warming, drying expectorants to remove thick accummulations (pleurisy root)
45
Q

Four humours

Characteristics of black bile

A
  • Relates to earth
  • Affintity to winter
  • Cold and dry
  • Opposite to blood*
  • Associated with pathology and disease
  • Is ‘produced’ in the spleen

*youth and vitality

46
Q

Four humours

Black bile out of balance (pathologies)

A
  • Accumulations may be difficult to clear, requiring longer treatment
  • Melancholy (nervous humour) rises to the head
  • Tics, spasms, tremors, nervous exhaustion
  • Rheumatism, arthritis, neuromuscular disorders
  • Circulatory disease, hardening of the arteries
  • Digestive bloating, acidity, regurgitation, constipation
  • Itchy, dry skin, psoriasis
47
Q

Four humours

Strategies to normalise black bile

A
  • Avoid rough, dry or astringent foods (nuts, pulses unless soaked or puréed, nightshades)
  • Include blood-building foods (spinach, nettle, leafy greens, dark red berries)
  • Include soluble fibre (flaxseeds, high pectin fruits)
  • Spicy foods to promote better digestion (fennel, cardamon, cumin, coriander)
48
Q

Four humours

Herbal strategies to normalise black bile

A
  • Purgative, liver-cleansing: senna, cascara, rhubarb root, barberry bark, wormwood
  • Cholagogues and bitters: barberry bark, dandelion root, gentian root, myrhh
  • Colonics, enemas, bowel cleansing protocols
  • Detoxification protocols
  • Nervines: skullcap, St John’s wort, valerian, lavendar
49
Q

Four temperaments

Who introduced the concept of the four temperaments that are associated with the four humours?

A

Galen

50
Q

Four temperaments

What are the characteristics of a sanguine temperament?

A
  • Hopeful
  • Courageous
  • Youthful
  • Naive
51
Q

Four temperaments

What are the characteristics of a Choleric temperament?

A
  • Firey
  • Quick to anger
  • Forceful
  • Proactive
52
Q

Four temperaments

What are the characteristics of a Melancholic temperament?

A
  • Despondent
  • Sleepless
  • Reflective
53
Q

Four temperaments

What are the characteristics of a Phlegmatic temperament?

A
  • Calm
  • Unemotional
  • Philosophical
54
Q

Four humours

A
55
Q

Four humours

What are the states that could exist between the humours?

A
  • Dyscrasia was the term used to refer to imbalance, which caused disease.
  • Eucrasia was the desired state of harmony and balance in the humours.
  • Plethora referred to an excess of any humour
56
Q

Four humours

What lifestyle issues also need to be in balance for good health?

A
  • Fresh air
  • Exercise
  • Sleeping and waking
  • Food and drink
  • Excretion
  • Passions and emotions
57
Q

Which Middle Eastern system of medicine is closely related to humoural medicine?

A

Unani Tibb

Herbal Medicine I (CNM) (31 decks)

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