Introduction
To Chinese Herbology
Medicinal
Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to cure diseases and
alleviate discomfort due to many different disorders. The first
herbal classic written in china was published in the Qin Dynasty
(221-206 BC) called the Agriculture Emperors Materia Medica. The
first plants discovered and used were usually for digestive system
disorders (i.e. Da Huang ) and slowly as more herbs were discovered
the herbs became more useful for an increasing number of ailments
and herbal tonics were created.
Every
herb has its own properties which include its energy, its flavor,
its movement and its related meridians to which it connects too.
The
for types of energies are cold, cool, warm and hot. Usually cold
or cool herbs will treat fever, thirst, sore throat and general
heat diseases. Hot or warm herbs will treat cold sensation in
the limbs, cold pain and general cold diseases.
The
five flavors or herbs are pungent, sweet, sour, salty and bitter.
Pungent
herbs are generally used to induce perspiration and promote circulation
of both blood and Qi. These herbs are usually used for superficial
disorders. Sweet Herbs have 3 main functions; nourishing deficiency,
harmonizing other herbs or reduce toxicity, relieve pain and slow
the progression of acute diseases. Sour Herbs also have 3 functions;
constrict, obstruct and solidify. These herbs are good to stop
perspiration, stop diarrhea, stop seminal emission and stop leucorrhea.
Salty herbs soften hardness, lubricate intestines and drain downward.
These herbs are used to treat hard stool with constipation or
hard swellings as in diseases like goiter. Bitter herbs induce
bowel movements, reduce fevers and hot sensations, re direct rebellious
Qi, dry dampness and clear heat. They can also nourish the kidneys
and are used to treat damp diseases.
After
a herb is absorbed by a patient it can move in 4 different directions;
upward towards the head, downward towards the lower extremities,
inward toward the zang-fu organs or outward towards the superficial
regions of the body. Upward movement herbs are used for falling
symptoms like prolapsed organs.
Onward
moving herbs are used to push down up surging symptoms like coughing
and vomiting. Outward moving herbs are used to induce perspiration
and treat superficial symptoms that are moving towards the interior
of the body. Inward movement of herbs induce bowel movements and
promote digestion.
Each
herb will have a corresponding meridian or meridians to which
it will correspond to. For example; Jie Geng corresponds to the
lungs and can be used for asthma or cough. Rib pain and sore eyes
relate to the liver so as Gou Teng has an affinity for the liver
meridian it can be used for the treatment of liver diseases.
