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Spring 2013 / Herbs 1 > week 2 - annie > Flashcards

week 2 - annie Flashcards

1
Q

4 Qi / 4 temperature characteristics

5 designations

A
  • hot (re)
  • cold (han)
  • warm (wen)
  • cool (liang)
  • neutral (ping)
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2
Q

temperature continuum

A

hot –> warm –> slightly warm –> neutral –> slightly cold –> cool –> cold

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3
Q

examples of how temperature of herbs are used in treatment

A
  • watermelon rind is used to cool heat

- garlic, ginger, and scallion are used to warm

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4
Q

5 tastes + their directions

A
  • acrid (xin) - disperse + move; out + upward
  • sweet (gan) - tonify, nourish, strengthen, harmonize, and sometimes moisten
  • bitter (ku) - drain + dry; downward
  • sour (suan) - astringent; stablize + bind; hold, contract, astringe; prevent or reverse abnormal leakage of fluids + energy
  • salty (xian) - purge + soften; downward
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5
Q

additional tastes

A
  • bland (dan) - [no taste] - leach out dampness + promote urination
  • aromatic (xiang) - ability to penetrate thru turbidity + revive a part. function
  • astringent (se) - ability to prevent leakage of fluids
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6
Q

ascription of actions of herbs

tastes matched with organs

A
  • acridity enters LU
  • sweetnss enters SP
  • bitterness enters HT
  • sourness enters LV
  • saltiness enters KD
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7
Q

acrid / spicy / pungent

A
  • disperse out + upward (e.g. thru sweating)
  • moving + circulating
  • releases the exterior
  • enters the LU
  • can be a great Qi regulator + help dampness or pain (stasis / stagnation)
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8
Q

sweet

A
  • tonify, nourish, strengthen
  • harmonize + moderate (not strong + intense)
  • relieves tension (e.g. stomachache, spasms, pain)
  • enters the SP
  • can normalize function of ST + SP, but caution w/ SP Qi xu + dampness
  • richness, stickiness, thickness – blocks Qi – creates stagnation leading to dampness
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9
Q

bitter

A
  • downward draining / purging (promotes bowel movement; purges heat / fire; descents Qi for vomiting, nausea, belching)
  • dry dampness (esp. damp-heat in abdomen or below)
  • can have a sedating affect due to descending tendency
  • enters the HT
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10
Q

salty

A
  • heaviest substance besides minerals
  • purges downwards for constipation
  • softens hardness
  • tends to enter KD
  • includes all seaweeds + many animal products (bc sea is salty + blood is salty)
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11
Q

sour

A
  • stabilize + bind
  • astringe / hold / contract
  • stops movement + can move backwards
  • contains fluids + Qi
  • enters the LV
  • can refresh + improve the apetite, when used appropriately (e.g. kombucha, pickles)
  • stomach Yin – preserve Yin (Sour combined w/ Sweet can produce Yin + body fluids)
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12
Q

astringent

A
  • includes sour + sweet
  • retains + binds
  • feels like a coat on tongue + sucking feeling (e.g. inner lining of pomegranate, tannin from some red wines, non-ripe persimmon)
  • if you char an herb, it will be astringent but not necessarily taste sour
  • caution: could hold in a pathology and trap it (esp. w/ an exterior invasion)
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13
Q

bland

A
  • diuretic influence (e.g. edema)
  • promote urination
  • leech out dampness (thru urine) (esp. if dampness is in lower jia)
  • has downard direction, but milder than bitter or salty
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14
Q

aromatic

A
  • awakens + revives (e.g. good for a sluggish digestive system)
  • moves in all directions
  • stronger than acrid (which moves up + out)
  • penetrates thru turbidity (if closed or blocked) (e.g. smelling salts)
  • eliminates damp in joints (rheumatism)
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15
Q

2 tastes that produce Yang

A

acrid/pungent + sweet can produce Yang

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16
Q

2 tastes that produce Yin

A

sour + sweet can produce Yin

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17
Q

ba gang (8 parameters)

A

exterior – interior
hot – cold
excess – deficiency
yang – yin

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18
Q

6 channels

A
  • Tai Yang (SI, UB) - exterior + cold diseases
  • Shao Yang (SJ, GB) - half interior + exterior
  • Yang Ming (LI, ST) - interior excess diseases
  • Tai Yin (LU, SP) - Lung + Spleen pathologies
  • Shao Yin (HT, KD) - Heart + Kidney pathologies (most severe)
  • Jue Yin (PC, LV) - reverting
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19
Q

4 levels

A

exterior to interior:

  1. wei
  2. Qi
  3. ying (nutritive)
  4. xue (blood)
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20
Q

3 jiaos

A
  • upper jiao (governed by LU)
  • middle jiao (governed by SP)
  • lower jiao (governed by KD)
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21
Q

directional properties of herbs

A
  • floating + ascending

- sinking + lowering

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22
Q

floating + ascending herbs can be used to…

A
  • expel superficial evils
  • ascend Yang
  • expel wind + cold
  • induce vomiting
  • open the orifices (coma = closed orifice)
  • promote eruptions (measles)
  • warm Yang
23
Q

sinking + lowering herbs can be used to…

A
  • clear heat
  • purge
  • promote urination (move down + out)
  • calm the mind
  • descend Yang (down, but not out)
  • stop vomiting
  • stop cough + asthma
  • astringe
  • promote digestion
24
Q

FUNCTION vs INDICATION of an herb

A
  • function will include TCM terms (e.g. downbear counterflow or rebellious Qi)
  • indication will be what the patient tells you (signs + symptoms) (e.g. vomiting, couging, hiccup)
25
Q

ba fa (8 therapeutic methods)

A
  1. promote sweating
  2. clear (e.g. clear heat)
  3. purge
  4. harmonize
  5. warm
  6. tonify
  7. reduce / sedate
  8. induce vomiting
26
Q

pathogens enter body via…

A
  • skin

- 9 orifices

27
Q

pathogens are expelled/eliminated via…

A
  • skin (sweating)
  • mouth (vomiting)
  • bowels (purging)
  • urine
28
Q

correct way to come up with herbal formula

A

Sx –> Dx –> T.P. –> Rx

Symptoms –> Diagnosis –> Treatment Principle –> Prescription / Herbal formula

29
Q

cautions with temperature

A
  • don’t use cooling herbs when there is pathogenic cold

- don’t clear heat when there is a cold condition

30
Q

cautions with 6 pathogenic factors

A
  • don’t use herbs that drain damp, if there is dryness
  • don’t use astringent + binding when a patient needs purging
  • caution when using tonifying herbs or astringent herbs when thereis an exterior pathogen present
31
Q

main caution

A

pregnancy

32
Q

contraindications may relate to…

A
  • toxicities when combinedw another specific herb or food

- dosage

33
Q

dosage refers to…

A
  • amount of drugs/herbs to be used
  • mainly: daily amount of each drug/herb for an adult; but also refers to relative amount of different drugs/herbs in a recipe/formula
  • use in a decoction (e.g. mix 5g granules with warm water)
  • amount of dry, prepared herbs
34
Q

classical measurement for dosage

A

qian (1 qian = approx 3 g)

35
Q

most common heb dosage range

A

3 to 12 grams

36
Q

herbs that are typically prescribed in higher dosages

A
  • hard, heavy, moderate, and bland substances

- minerals + shells (bc they tend to weight more)

37
Q

herbs that are typically prescribed in lower dosages

A
  • light, toxic + strongly-flavored substances
  • flowers, leaves + aromatic herbs (bc they tend to be more lightweight)
  • drastic or poisonous substances
38
Q

other factors are involved with dosage

A
  • severity of problem
  • patient constitution (do they tend to be sensitive?)
  • age (smalelr dosage for children)
  • stomach Qi depletion
39
Q

6 (or 7) techniques for combining herbs

A
  1. mutual accentuation
  2. mutual enhancement
  3. mutual counteraction
  4. mutual suppression
  5. mutual antagonism
  6. mutual incompatibility
    (7. single effect)
40
Q

mutual ACCENTUATION vs mutual ENHANCEMENT

A

mutual accentuation = combination of 2 substances with SIMILAR FUNCTIONS to accentuate their therapeutic actions

mutual enhancement = combination of 2 or more subtances with DIFFERENT ACTIONS in which one of the substances enhances the effect of the other in a specific clinical situation

41
Q

mutual COUNTERACTION vs mutual SUPPRESSION

A

these are very similar, but the emphasis is either on herb A or herb B:

mutual counteraction = a combination in which the toxicity or side effects of a substance (herb A) are reduced or eliminated by another substance (herb B)

mutual suppression = converse of mutual counteraction in that here the emphasis is on the substance that reduces the undesirable side effections of the other (herb B)

42
Q

mutual ANTAGONISM vs mutual INCOMPATIBILITY

A

these are undesirable outcomes!

mutual antagonism = the ability of 2 substances to minimize or neutralize each other’s positive effects

mutual incompatibility = when the combination of 2 substances gives rise to side effects or toxicity which would not be caused by either substance when used alone (18 incompatibles)

43
Q

example of SINGLE EFFECT with herb combining

A

use of one medicinal substance (e.g. Gingseng / Ren Sen) to treat a patient

44
Q

composition of formulas

based on ancient Chinese government structure

A
  • CHIEF (king, sovereign) = substance that provides main therapeutic thrust of Rx
  • DEPUTIES (ministers, associates) = enhance or assist the therapeutic actions of the chiefs
  • ASSISTANTS (adjutants) = provide one or more of the following FX: treat accompanying SX; moderate the harshness or toxicity of primary substance(s); assist the chief + deputies in accomplishing their main objective; or provide assistance from another therapeutic direction
  • ENVOY (messenger, courier) = either guide the other substances to a specific channel or organ, or exert a harmonizing influence (e.g. Gan Cao)
45
Q

do all roles need to be present in a formula?

can an herb serve more than one of the functions?

A
  • not all roles need to be present in a formula

- one herb can serve more than one function

46
Q

what is GONG BU?

A
  • simultaneous attack on a pathogen AND reinforcement / tonification
  • often seen in patterns of excesswith underlying deficiency
  • not the best situation bc ideally you want to drain excess before tonifying deficiency, but occasionally need gong bu
47
Q

nomenclature of Chinese herbs based on…

A
  • shape
  • color
  • smell + taste
  • geographic location (specific province or continent)
  • life cycle
  • specific parts
  • function
  • human action involved / story
48
Q

shades of red

A

hong = red (Hong Hua = red flower)

chi = bright red (Chi Shao = bright red peony)

zhu = dull red (Zhu Sha = dull red sand)

49
Q

shades of yellow

A

huang = yellow (Da Huang = big yellow)

jin = gold (Jin Yin Hua = gold/silver flower)

50
Q

shades of white

A

bai = white (Bai Shao = white peony)

yin = silver (Yin Guo Ye = silver fruit leaf)

51
Q

shades of green

A

qing = blue/green (Qing Pi = blue green peel)

lu = green (Lu Dou = green beans)

52
Q

shades of black

A

hei = black (Hei Zao = black dates)

wu = black

53
Q

purple

A

zi = purple (Zi Cao Gen = purple herb root)

Spring 2013 / Herbs 1 (49 decks)

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