Week 2 Flashcards
What is the difference between purging and reducing (both go DOWN btw)?
purging - down and out
reducing - just down
What is an another example of “like treats like”
flowers can treat sinus headache
What are the temperature designations?
Hot (re) Warm (wen) Slightly Warm (wen re) Neutral (ping) Slightly Cold (wei han) Cool (liang) Cold (han)
What is a big sign of heat?
4 BIGS - pulse, fever, sweat, thirst
What is a “slightly” warm or cold designation used to treat?
used for wind cold or wind heat because it is almost neutral
What are the 5 tastes and what organ do they enter?
acrid (spicy/pungent) - lungs sweet - spleen bitterness - heart sourness - liver saltiness - kidneys
What does acrid (xin) do?
disperses and moves
What does sweet (gan) do?
tonifies, harmonizes, and sometimes moistens
What does bitter (ku) do?
drains and dries
What does sour (suan) do?
astringent, prevents the leakage of fluids and energy
What does salty (xian) do?
purges and softens hardness (can be used for constipation)
What does bland (dan) do?
leaches out dampness, promote urination
What does aromatic (xiang) do?
penetrates through turbidity and can revive a particular function
What does astringent (se) do?
prevents leakage of fluids/energy
Actions of acrid/pungent/spicy
disperses up and out, moves and circulates, enters lung, releases exterior, qi regulator, helps with dampness or stagnation
Why is dang gui in the blood category?
because it is acrid
Actions of sweet
tonifies, nourishes, strengthens, relieves tension like stomach ache, enters spleen, normalizes function of ST and SP, can block qi and cause stagnation or dampness, create yin and body fluids
Actions of bitter
downward draining/purging (promotes bowel movements, purge fire/heat), dry dampness, sedating effect, enters heart
How does a bitter herb like da huang release food stagnation?
because it normalizes function of ST and SP
Actions of salty
heavy substance, purges downward for constipation, softens hardness, enters kidney, seaweeds (scrofula and goiter), animal products
Actions of sour
astringent, stabilizes and holds, stops movement, contains fluids and qi, enters liver, improve apetite, preserve yin
Actions of astringent
retains, feels like coat on tongue, sucking feeling, charring herbs can astringe, caution because it can hold pathogens in