How To Learn Chinese Herb4

HOW TO STUDY CHINESE HERB

Luzhou Medical College

Jiang Hua

Contents

1

Four natures

2

Five flavors

3

Lifting,lowering,floating and sinking

4

Meridian tropism of Chinese medicinal herbs

PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS  The reason that Chinese medicinal herbs can prvent and treat disease is due to their various internal natures.  The properties and actions of Chinese mecicinal herbs refer to their natures and effects relating to treatments, and they are the essential basis of the analyses and clinical usage of Chinese medicinal herbs ,and are also summarized in medical practice and on the basis of the theories of yin-yang , zang fu, meridian, and therapeutic principles of traditional Chinese medicine, etc..  The theories of their properties are mainly summarized as the four natures and five flavors,floating and sinking,meridian tropism,and toxity, etc..

Herbs Nature

Four natures

Lifting Lowering floating sinking

Five flavors

Meridian tropism

What is Four natures( 四性) of Chinese medicinal herbs?

Four properties of Chinese medicinal herbs, cold , hot , warm and cool ,are also called the four natures or four xing in TCM . Cold – cool and warm – hot are two completely different categories of natures ,  cold – cool belonging to yin , and warm – hot to yang ,

Diagram Yang

Hot

Yang Warm

Yin

Yin

Cool

Cold

 wheras cold and cool or hot and warm are only different ,to some degrees , in their variance .  Generally speaking,  cold – cool nature can clear away heat,purge fire and eliminate toxic material, which are mainly used for heat- syndrome ;  warm –hot nature have the action of expelling cold and restoring yang, which are mainly used for cold –syndrome .

In addition ,there are also some Chinese medicinal herbs known as : neutral ones whose cold or hot nature is not so remarkable and whose action is relatively mild. But actually they still have differenced in the tendency to cool or warm so that they are still in the range of four natures.

1.1 Cold nature  石膏Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum)  Medicinal Properties Bitter and sweet in flavor, extreme cold in nature and attributive to the lung and stomach meridian.  Actions Clear away heat and purge fire , relieve restlessness and thist , and induce astringent and promote tissue regeneration.

青蒿Qinghao (Herba Artemisiae Annuae) Medicinal Properties Bitter and pungent in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the liver, gallbladder and kidney meridians. Actions Clear away asthenic- heat and summerheat and prevent recurrence of malaria.

1.2 Cool nature  薄荷Bohe (Herba Menthae)  Medicinal Properties Pungent in flavor, cool in nature and attributive to the lung and liver meridian.  Actions Expel wind and heat, clear away heat from the head and eye , ease the throat , promote eruption ,soothe the liver and disperse stagnation of liver –qi.

小蓟Xiaoji ( Herba Cephalanoploris) Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, cool in nature and attributive to the heart and liver meridians. Actions Cool the blood and stop bleeding, eliminate toxic materials to treat carbuncle.

Warm nature 小茴香Xiaohuixiang(Fructus Foeniculi) Medicinal Properties Pungent in flavor, warm in nature and attributive to the liver,kidney,spleen and stomach meridians. Actions Expel cold to alleviate pain, and regulate the stomach-qi .

当归 Danggui ( Radix Angelicae Sinensis) Medicinal Properties Sweet and pungent in flavor, warm in nature and attributive to the liver, heart and spleen meridians. Actions Nourish the blood, promote blood circulation, relieve pain and moisten the intestine.

1.4 Hot nature 干姜Ganjiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis) Medicinal Properties Pungent in flavor , hot in nature and attributive to the spleen, stomach,heart and lung meridian. Actions Warm the middle-energizer to expel cold, restore yang and dredge channels , warm the lung to resove phlegm.

Sichuan pickled vegetable Ginger Hot pepper Xiao huixiang Suye pepper 1. ＋Radish 2. ＋ Garlic 3. ＋ pepper 4. ＋cowpea 5. ＋ Carrot Cake

1.5 Mild nature 佩兰Peilan Herba Eupatorii

Medicinal Properties Pungent in flavor. bland in nature and attributive to the spleen, stomach and lung meridians. Actions Eliminate dampness dut to acromatic nature, clear away summer-heat from the superficies.

We should know that treating diseases with herbs is to make use of their cold or hot nature to correct the phenomena of overabundance of heat or cold in the body to restore them as much as possible to the normal state. Therefore ,on the base of syndrome differentiation , you must distinguish heat and cold nature of disease, and have a good understanding of the cold or hot property of Chinese medicinal herbs,and then selectivel apply corresponding medicinal herbs so that you can achieve the desired results.

Principles

Warm and hot Nature

treat

cold syndrome

× Cool and cold nature

treat

Heat syndrome

Such as Ganjiang( Rhizoma Zingiberis) and Huanglian (Rhizoma Coptidis) can both be used to treat diarrhea, but the former is hot in nature, therefore , used to treat diarrhea of cold type while the latter cold in nature is indicated for diarrhea of heat type. If you don’t consider their properties,cold or hot, when you apply medicinal herbs to treat heat or cold syndromes respectively with hot or cold medicineal herbs , you cannot achieve desired results of treatment and even bring about harmful results.

 2. What is Five flavors（五味） of Chinese medicinal herbs?

 The five flavors of Chinese medicinal herbs refer to the five different tastes, pungent, sweet, sour, bitter and salty, which can be tasted by the tongue. With the development of the theoty dealing with the medicinal properties , some flavors are summarized out of clinical actions of Chinese medicinal herbs, therefore , there is a little difference between the flavors of medicinal herbs and the tastes got by tongue.  The Chinese medicinal herbs with same flavor mostly possess similar actions , and the medicinal herbs with different flavors show different actions in the treatment .

Cycle Diagram Real tast and function

pungent

sweet

Five flavors

salty

sour bitter

Pungent: Pungent is a flavor of medicinal herbs that has an action of dispersing and promoting circulation of qi and blood. Pungent medicinal herbs are generally indicated for exterior syndromes due to invasion of exogenous facors and syndromes of stagnation of qi and blood. Keyword: Moving Direction: Out ward, Upward and Forward

麻黄（herba ephedrae） Medicinal Properties Pungent and slightly bitter in flavor, warm in nature , and attributive to the lung and bladder meridian. Actions Induce sweating to relieve superficies disperse the lung to relieve asthma and promote diuresis to subside edema.

木香Muxiang ( Radix Aculandiae) Medicinal Properties Pungent and bitter in flavor, warm in nature and attributive to the spleen, stomach, large intestine and gallbladder meridian. Actions Promote circulation of qi and alleviate pain.

红花 Honghua (Flos Carthami) Medicinal Properties Pungent in flavor, warm in nature and attributive to the heart and liver meridian. Actions Promote blood circulation to remove blood stasis, promote menstruation and alleviate pain.

麝香Shexiang (Moschus) Medicinal Properties Pungent in flavor, warm in nature and attributive to the heart and spleen meridians. Actions Regain consciousness , activate the blood, disperse stasis, arrest pain and induce abortion.

2.2 Sweet: Sweet flavors has the nourishing , harmonizing and moistening actions. These sweet in flvor are generally indicated for deficiency syndromes, incoordination between the spleen and stomach, certain pain syndromes , constipation due to intestineheat , cough due to lung-heat, etc.. Keyword: Tonifying ;Easing Direction: Staying

甘草Gancao ( Radis Glycyrrhizae) Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, mild in nature, and attributive to heart, lung, spleen and stomach meridians. Actions Enrich qi and invigorate the stomach and spleen, moisten the lung and resolve phlegm , clear away heat and toxin ,relieve spasm and alleviate pain.

黄芪 Huangqi (Radix Astragali) Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor ,slightly warm in nature, and attributive to the spleen and lung meridians. Actions Tonify qi to invigorate yang; benefit the lung to strghthen the body ; promote diuresis and relive edema; relieve skin infection and promte tissue regeneration.

蜂蜜Fengmi (Mel) Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, mild in nature , and attributive to the lung, spleen and large intestine meridians. Actions Nourish the stomach and spleen, alleviate pain and moisten the intestine.

2.3 Sour: Sour flavor has absorbing, consolidating and astringent actions. Those sour in flavor are often used to treat incessant perspiration, chronic cough, chronic diarrhea, emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis ,frequent micturition, prolonged leucorrhea, etc., caused by loss of essence due to asthenia of healthy qi. Keywords: Absorbing. Direction: Inwards

乌梅Wumei ( Fructus Mume) Medicinal Properties Sour in flavor, mild in nature and attributive to the liver, lung and large intestine meridian. Actions Astringe the lung to relieve cough, astringe the intestine to arrest diarrhea, promote production of the body fluids to quench thirst, relieve ascaris colic and alleviate pain.

五味子Wuweizi (Fructus Schisandrae)  Medicinal Properties Sour in floavor, warm in nature, and attributive to the lung, heart and kidney meridians.  Actions Astringe the lung to treat cough and asthma and nourish the kidney ,promote the production of body fluid and constrain perspiration, astringe the essence and stop diarrhea, nourish the heart and calm the mind.

白芍药Baishaoyao ( Radix Paeoniae Alba) Medicinal Properties Bitter and sour in flavor ,slightly cold in nature and attributive to the liver and spleen meridians. Actions Enrich the blood and regulated menstruation, astringe yin and arrest sweating , calm the liver and arrest pain.

2.4 Bitter: Bitter flavor has the actions of drying or resolving dampness, purging and lowering . Those bitter in flavor are used in wide range and often used for constipation due to fireheat, asthma, cough due to adverse rising of lung-qi , damp-heat or cold- damp syndrome.

黄连Huanglian （Rhizoma Coptidis） Medicinal Properties Bitter in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the heart, liver, stomach and large intestine meridians. Actions Clear away heat and remove dampness , purge the sthenic fire and eliminate toxic materials.

大黄 Dahuang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei) Medicinal Properties Bitter inflavor ,cold in nature and attributive to the spleen, stomach, large intestine, liver and heart meidians. Actions Remove stagnation by purgation, clear away heat and purge fire, cool the blood and stop bleeding, remove toxin and promote blood circulation to remove blood stasis.

杏仁 Xingren ( Semen Armeniacae Amarum)

Medicinal Properties Bitter in flavor, slightly warm in nature ,mildly toxic and attributive to the lung and large intestine meridians. Actions Relieve cough and dyspnea, moisten the intestine and relax the bowels.

2.5 Salty: Salty flavor has the effects of softening hard nodes of masses and promoting defecation, etc. so salty medicinal herbs are often used for the syndromes such as scrofula , superficial nodule, abdominal mass and internal accumulation with dry stool. Keyword : Soften Direction : Downwards

芒硝 Mangxiao ( Natrii Sulfas)

Medicinal Properties Salty and Bitter in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the stomach and large intestine meridian. Actions Soften dried feces to induce downward discharging, clear away heat.

石决明Shijueming ( Concha Haliotidis)

Medicinal Properties Salty in flavor, cold in nature, and attributive to the liver meridian. Actions Calm the liver, suppress the hyperactive yang and clear away liver-fire to improve eyesight.

2.6 Astringent and bland: In addition to the five flavors that the basic tastes of Chinese medicinal herbs, there are also astringent and bland. TCM holds that astringent flavor falls under the sour flavor category and bland flavor falls under the sweet, and also there are similar actions between sour and astringent flavor, sweet and bland flvor. so they are still included in the five flavors.

Astringent Longgu; Muli; Chishizhi;Yuyuliang 龙骨 Longgu (Os Draconis) Medicinal Properties Sweet and pungent in flavor, slightly cold in nature and attributive to the heart and liver meridians. Actions Tranquilize the mind, calm the liver and suppress the hyperactive yang ,astringe and invigorate the kidney to preserve essence.

Bland Fuling,Zhuling 茯苓Fuling (Poria) Medicinal Properties Sweet and bland in flavor, mild in nature,and attributive to the heart, spleen and kidney meridian. Actions promote diuresis to resolve dampness from the lower energizer, invigorate the spleen and tranquilize the mind.

3 What is lifting,lowering,floating and sinking propertied of Chinese medicinal herbs?

 

refer to four different directions of actions of Chinese medicinal herbs in human body when they are taken. Varying diseases often appear to bear a tendency to move upward , downward, towards the exterior or the interior. And for the state of a disease, they are distinguished into those due to adverse ascending of pathogenic factors and those due to invasion of pathogenic facors sinking deeply into the interior and lowering down to the lower energizer. While treating a disease, according to its different cause, a doctor should select corresponding medicinal herbs and make the best use of their lifting, lowering , floating and sinking actions to help dispel pathogenic factors, correct the disorder of the body’s functions and restore them to the normal.

3.1 Lifting action : toward the upper parts. Indicated for a disease in a lower and deeper parts. Such as Huangqi( Radis Astragali) ,Chaihu(Radix Bupleuri), and Shengma( Rhizoma Cimicifugae) ,etc.. can raise splenic qi and are indicated for syndrome of visceroptoses with hypospenic qi such as chronic diarrhea and lingering dysentery, prolapse of the rectum, prolapse of uterus and gastroptosis.

升麻 Shengma (Rhizoma Cimicifugae)  Medicinal Properties Pungent and sweet in flavor, slightly cold in nature and attributive to the spleen, stomach and large intestion meridian.  Actions Expel pathogenic factors from the superficies and promote eruption of measles, clear away heat and remove the toxic materials, and uplift yang-qi of the spleen.

3.2 lowering  function toward the lower parts and possess the action of descending adverse qi and are indicated for the disease due to adverse ascending of pathogenic factors,  like Daizheshi(Haematitum) ,Chenxiang(Lignum Aqulariae Resinatum) and Shijueming (Concha Haliotides) can descend adverse flow of qi and fire, subdue exuberant yang of the liver and descend adverse qi of the lung and stomach and are indicated for bleeding, painful swollen gum and aphthae due to ascendancy of rebellious qi and fire; dizziness due to exuberance of liver-yang, cough and dyspnea due to abnormal rising of lung-qi, nausea and vomiting and eructation dut to abnormal rising of stomach-qi .

旋复花Xuanfuhua ( Flos Inulae) Medicinal Properties Bitter,pungent and salty in flavor, slightly warm in nature and attributive to the spleen, lung, stomach and large intestine meridian. Actions Descend the adverse-rising qi, resolve phlegm and arrest vomiting.

3.3 Floating function toward the upper and outward parts, generally exert the effects of sweating and dispersing and are indicated for the disease in the upper and superficial parts.  For instance, Mahuang( Herba Ephedrae), Zisu( Folium Perillae), Fangfeng( Radix Saposhnikoviae) and Duhuo( Radix Angelicae Pubescentis ) can dispel wind-cold and dampness from the exterior and are indicated for wind and cold exterior-syndrome, winddamp type of Bi-syndrome,etc..

紫苏叶Zisuye( Folium Periillae) Medicinal Properties Pungent in floavor, warm in nature, and attributive to the lung and spleen meridian. Actions Relieve superficial pathogenic factors to dissipate cold, and promote the circulation of qi and regulate the function of the stomach.

3.4 sinking function toward the lower and inward parts, have the effects of lowering the adverse flow of qi and relaxing bowels and are indicated for the disease in the lower and interior.  For instance, Dahuang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei) and Mutong( Caulis Akebiae) separately have the effects of relaxing the bowels and promoting diuresis and are used to treat constipation , abdominal distention and pain, and dysuria, etc..

木通Mutong( Caulis Akebiae) Medicinal Properties Bitter in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the heart, small intestine and bladder meridians. Actions Clear away heart-heat, promote diuresis, menstruation and lactation.

 two couples whose direction of actions is opposite. Lifting and floating are similar in their actions, so are sinking and lowering.  Therefore lifting and floating may be called concurrently, so may sinking and lowering .  The lifting and floating medicinal herbs moving in ascending and outward directions generally exert the effects of invigorating splenic yang, reliebing superficies, dispelling wind and cold, and resuscitation, etc.;  the lowering and sinking medicinal herbs moving in descending and inward directions generally have the effects of clearing away heat, lowring the adverse flow of qi, purging, promoting diuresis, tranquilizing the mind, suppressing the hyperactive yang and stopping wind, and astringing, etc..

The lifting, lowering, floating and sinking of medicinal herbs are generally based upon their natures, flavors and qualities. Generally speaking, pungent and sweet in flavor, warm and heat in nature are mostly lifting and floating in their actions while those bitter,  sour and salty , and cold or cool in nature are mostly sinking and lowering in their actions.

 flowers, leaves, and branches, etc., which are light in property are mostly lifting and floating in their actions,  while those of fruits,seeds, and minerals,etc., which are heavy in property are mostly sinking and lowering.  But there is an additional small number of Chinese medicinal herbs, for example, Houpo (Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis) , a bark kind, pungent, bitter and warm in its flavor and nature can lower qi and relieve dyspnea. Xuanfuhua ( Flos Inulae), a flower kind, can lower qi and Chuanxiong ( Rhizoma Chuanxiong), a root kind ,can move in upper direction even to the head and eyes and yet in descending direction to uterus( blood sea).

 It may be affected by some medicinal processing of medicinal combination.  For instance, the sinking or lowering medicinal herbs can turn into the lifing or floating ones when they are stir-baked with wine; in the same way,  the lifting or floating herbs will turn into the sinking or lowering ones, which enter the kidney when they are stir-baked with a salt solution, and when they are used in combination with a variety of strong sinking or lowering herbs, their lifting or floating actions are changed into obscurity.

 What is meridian tropism of Chinese medicinal herbs?

Meridian tropism refers to that medicinal herbs may often produce their therapeutic effects on some portion of a human body in preference, that is to say, their therapeutic action is mainly related to some viscus or channel or some channels in predominance but it may seem to produce fewer effects on or seem not related to the other viscera and channels.

4.1Liver – Gallbladder meridian 青皮 Qingpi( Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Vride) Medicinal Properties Bitter and pungent in flavor, warm in nature and attributive to the liver, gallbladder and stomach meridians. Actions Soothe the liver to break qi stagnation, eliminate mass and relieve dyspepsia.

水蛭 Shuizhi( Hirudo)

Medicinal Properties Salty and bitter in flavor, mild in nature, mildly toxic and attributive to the liver meridian. Actions Remove blood stasis.

全蝎 Quanxie( Scorpio) Medicinal Properties pungent in flavor, mild in nature, toxic, and attributive to the liver meridian. Actions Stop endogenous wind to relieve convulsion, eliminate toxic materials and disperse the lumps, and drege the meridian and alleviate pain.

天麻 Tianma ( Rhizoma Gastrodiae) Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, mild in nature and attributive to the liver meridian. Actions Stop endogenous wind to arrest convulsion, calm the liver and suppress yang.

柴胡Chaihu ( Radix Bupleuri) Medicinal Properties Bitter and pungent in flavor, slightly cold in nature and attributive to the liver and gallbladder meridians. Actions Regulate the functional relation of internal organs to relieve fever, diperse the stagnated liver-qi and uplift yang-qi to raise sinking.

青黛Qingdai ( Indigo Naturalis) Medicinal Properties Salty in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the liver meridian. Actions Clear away heat and liver-fire, and relieve toxin, cool blood and disperse maculae, and stop convulsion.

茵陈蒿Yinchenhao ( Herba Artemisiae Scopariae) Medicinal Properties Bitter in flavor, slightly cold in nature and attrivutive to the spleen, stomach, liver and gallbladder meridians. Actions Clear away heat and eliminate dampness, drain the gallbladder to relieve jaundice.

4.2Heart - Small intestine meridian 朱砂 Zhusha( Cinnabaris) Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, cold in nature, toxic and attributive to the heart meridian. Actions Relieve palpitation and calm the mind, clear away heat and remove toxic materials.

桂枝Guizhi ( Ramulus Cinnamomi) Medicinal Properties Pungent and sweet in flavor, warm in nature, and attributive to the heart, lung and bladder meridians. Actions Induce sweating to relieve superficies and activate yang and circulate qi by warming meridian.

淡竹叶Danzhuye (Herba Lophatheri) Medicinal Properties Sweet and bland in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the heart, stomach and small intestine meridians. Actions Clear away heat to relieve restlessness, clear away heart-fire and promote diuresis.

4.3 Spleen- Stomach meridian 人参 Renshen( Radix Ginseng) Medicinal Properties Sweet and slightly bitter in flavor, warm in nature, and attributive to the spleen, lung and heart meridians. Actions Invigotate renal qi, strengthen qi of the spleen and lung, promote production of the body fluids to quench thirst, and calm the mind to promote intelligence.

白术Baizhu ( Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) Medicinal Properties Bitter and sweet in flavor, warm in nature, and attributive to the spleen and stomach meridians.  Actions Invigorate the spleen and benefit qi, eliminate dampness and promote diuresis, stop sweating and soothe the fetus.

山药Shanyao( Rhizoma Dioscoreae)

Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, mild in nature, and attributive to the spleen, lung and kidney meridians.  Actions Invigorate the spleen and stomach; promote production of the body fluids and benefit the lung, invigorate the kidney and preserve the essence.

半夏 Banxia ( Rhizoma Pinelliae) Medicinal Properties Pungent in flavor, warm in nature,toxic and attributive to the spleen, tomach and lung meridians. Actions Dry dampness and eliminate phlegm, lower the adverse rising qi to stop vomiting, disperse stagnation and lumps and externally disperse swelling and relieve pains.

4.4 Lung-Large intestine meridian 苍耳子Cang’erzi ( Fructus Xanthii) Medicinal Properties Pungent and bitter in flavor, warm in nature, mildly toxic and attributive to lung meridian. Actions Expel wind and dampness, clear the nasal passage and alleviate pain.

桔梗Jiegeng( Rradix Platycodi)

Medicinal Properties Bitter and pungent in flavor, bland in nature and attributive to the lung meridian. Actions Disperse the lung to resolve phlegm, ease the throat and drain the pus.

前胡Qianhu( Radix Peucedani) Medicinal Properties Bitter and pungent in flavor, slightly cold in nature and attributive to the lung meridian. Actions Lower the adverse- rising qi and resolve phlegm, expel sind and heat.

瓜蒌Gualou ( Fructus Trichosanthis) Medicinal Properties Sweet and slightly bitter in flavor and cold in nature and attributive to the lung, stomach and large intestine meridian. Actions Clear away lung-heat and resolve phlegm,ease the chest and disperse lumps, lubricate the intestine and relax the bowel.

番泻叶Fanxieye ( Folium Sennae) Medicinal Properties Sweet and bitter in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the large intestine meridian. Actions Purge and relax the bowels.

4.5 Kidney- Bladder meridian

鹿茸Lurong ( Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum) Medicinal Properties Sweet and salty in flvor, warm in nature, and attributive to the liver and kidney ,Du meridians. Actions Nourish kidney-yang, promote the production of the essence and blood, strengthen tendons and bones.

龟版Guiban (Carapax et Plastrum Testudinis)

Medicinal Properties Sweet amd salty in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the liver, kidney , heart ,and Ren meridians. Actions Nourish yin and suppress the hyperactive yang , benefit the kidney and strengthen the bone, enrich the blood and nourishing the heart, regulate menstruation and relieve bleeding.

猪苓Zhuling( Polyporus) Medicinal Properties Sweet and bland in flavor, mild in nature and attributive to the kidney and bladder meridians. Actions Promote diuresis to resolve dampness.

羌活Qianghuo ( Rhizoma et Radix Nottopterygii)

Medicinal Properties Pungent and bitter in flavor ,warm in nature, and attributive to the bladder and kidney meridians. Actions Expel wind and dampness, dispel cold to relieve pain.

4.6 Triple energizer- Pericardium meridian 栀子 Zhizi(Fructus Gardeniae) Medicinal Properties Bitter in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the heart, liver and triple energizer meridians. Actions Purege excess fire to relive vesation, clear away heat and remove dampness, cool blood and remove toxic materials, subside swelling to alleviate pain.

香附Xiangfu( Rhizoma Cyperi) Medicinal Properties Pungent, slightly bitter and sweet in flavor, mild in nature and attributive to the liver and triple energizer meridians. Actions Soothe the liver to regulate qi and regulate menstruation to relieve pain.

丹参 Danshen ( Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) Medicinal Properties Bitter in flavor, slightly cold in nature and attributive to the heart, pericardium and liver meridians. Actions Promote blood circulation to remove blood stasis, regulate menstruation to relieve painm cool the blood to relieve carbuncle, and clear away heat from the heart and tranquilize the mind.

川芎 Chuanxiong ( Rhizoma chuanxiong) Medicinal Properties Pungent in flavor, warm in nature and attrivutive to the liver, gallbladder and pericardium meridians. Actions Promote the circulation of the blood and qi, expel wind and alleviate pain.

Meridian tropism  Basis theory of viscera and meridians, and the indication of syndromes.  For instance,Mahuang( Herba Ephedrae) and Xingren( Semen Armeniaccae Amarum) effective to syndromes of the disorder of the lung meridian marked by cough and dyspnea are attributed to the lung-meridian;  Qingpi(Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride) and Xiangfu(Rhizoma Cyperi) indicated for syndromes of the disorder of the liver-meridian marked by distending pain of breast and hypochondrium and hernia pain are attributed to the liver meridian.  So generally speaking, what meridian or meridians a medicinal herb is attributed to is just related to the certain meridian or meridians on which the herb may work. The more meridians the herb can be attributed means the wider the herb can be used to treat the disorders of these meridians.

So the theory of meridian tropism plays a certain role in clinical selection of Chinese medicinal herbs according to syndromes, giving a rise of direction and strengthening the therapeutic effects, and in addition, you can take this theory to probe their potential effects of some medicinal herbs and to extend their applying range.

 But in clinical practice, owing to frequent occurrence of transmission of a disease between zangfu-organs or meridians in addition to the Chinese medicinal herbs only for one viscus or meridian, those for the other viscera or meridians are also usually used together.  For instance, when treating lung disorders affects the spleen, both the medicinal herbs for treating lung disorders and invorgorating the spleen should be used too, which is called supplementing the spleen to nourish the lung.  For the same reson, a syndrome with hyperactivity of liver-yang due to insufficiency of kidney-yin should be treated in combination with the medicinal herbs nourishing kidney- yin to have the liver nourished and deficiency of yang calmed, which is the method of nourishing renal yin to tonify liver yin.

Wheras pathological changes in the same viscus or meridian are maybe different in cold ,heat, asthenia of sthenia, and in adverse ascending or descending, and the medicinal herbs which are attributed to the same meridian also have the difference in cold, warm, or cool, tonifying or reducing and adverse descending or ascending. Therefore when you apply medicinal herbs in clinic, you must combine their various properties and effects to give them an allround consideration so that you can select and apply them correctly and avoid one-sidedness.

 What should we pay attention to do when using the poisonous Chinese medicinal herbs ?

 “ treating virulent pathogen with poisonous agents”, that is , some poisonous medicinal herbs with obvious therapeutic effects, under the safety of administration, may be used properly for such serious intractable disease as malignant boil with swelling, scabies, scrofula, goiter,cancer tumor and abdominal mass.  Toxicity refers to a harmful effect of a medicinal herbs to the human body, a poisonous medicinal material being known as a toxin. The medicinal herbs drastic or poinsonous in nature, if used improperly, can do harm to the body for the light and can cause death for the severe. In order to ensure safety in the use of medicinal herbs, their toxicity must be thoroughly understood.  In order to ensure the safety in administration of medicinal herbs and bring therapeutic effects into play and avoid poisonous reaction ,we shoud pay attention to the foullowing points.

5.1 Strictly processing  The toxicity can be reduced by being processed. Therefore, you must strictly follow the process rules of preparing raw medicinal materials.  Badou( Fructus Crotonis), a kind of drastic purgatives that is poisonous in nature, easily results in poisoning if not prepared into Badushuang( Semen Crotonis Pulveratum) which is taken orally.  After Fuzi( Radix Aconiti) is prepared through soaking, its toxicity decreases and it can be widely used and meanwhile does not easily cause poisoning.

5.2 Control of dosage Poisonous occurrence is related to the excessive dosage of administration. So the dosage of toxic medicinal herbs,especially those with extreme toxin, must be strictly controlled and their dosage can not be increased at will. They should be used from small dose and increased according to patient’s condition after they are taken.  But they are not used for a long time in order to prevent the body from being poisoned due to accumulation of toxicity.

5.3 Notes of application  The poisonous medicinal herbs, their toxicity being extreme or mild, are not used in completely common way.  Some can be applied exteriorly and can’t be taken orally, such and Shengyao( Caorsely prepared mercuric oxide) and Maoliang( Herba et Radix Ranunculi);  some can be added to pill or bolus and powder, not to decoction, such as Chansu( Venenum Bufonis) and Banmao( Mylabris);  some cannot be prepared into pill or tablet with wine, Such as Chuanwu( Radix Aconiti).  If some are put into a complex prescription , their toxicity is weakened and if a single dose is taken orally, the toxicity is severer.  For instance, Fuzi( Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata) has an extreme toxin if taken singly and its toxicity will decrease if taken with Shengjiang( Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens).

 What is compatibility of Chinese medicinal herbs?

 Compatibility of Chinese medicinal herbs refers to the combination of more than two herbs with purpose in the light of the clinical requirement and medicinal properties and actions. It is the main method of medicinal application in clinic and also the basis of making up for formulae of Chinese medicinal herbs.  The relationship between a single and the compatible ingredients was generalized previously by ancient physicians as seven aspects. Except that singular application means using a single medicinal herb, the other six aspects mainly denote the relationship of compatibility between Chinese medicinal herbs.

6.1 Mutual reinforcement:  That is , two or more ingredients with similar properties and effects are used in combination to reinforce each other’s action.  Dahuang( Rhizoma et Radix Rhei) and Mangxiao (Natrii Sulfas) which are both purgative, after they are used in combination, can reinforce each other’s original purgativing action;  Honghua( Flos Carthami) and Taoren( Semen Persicae) of blood invigorating herbs used in combination can reinforce their action of invigorating herbs used in combination can reinforce their action of invigorating the blood and removing blood obstruction.

6.2 Mutual assistance:  Chinese medicinal herbs that are not certainly similar but have some relationship in the aspect of medicinal properties and actions are used in combination, in which one herb is taken as the dominate factor and the others as its assistants to raise its therapeutic effects.  Huangqi( Radix Astragali) with the effect of tonifying qi and promoting the flow of water is used in combination with Fangji( Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae) with the effects of promoting the flow of water and permeating the dampness, the latter reinforcing the former’s action of promoting the flow of water, so thir combination can be used for edema due to spleen-dificiency; Shigao(Gypsum Fibrosum) with the effect of clearing away heat and purging fire in combination with Xixin( Herba Asari) can purge fire to relieve pain and treat toothache due to stomachfire.

6.3 Mutual restraint: mutual restraining effect of different medicines to weaken or neutralize each other’s harmfulness, such as toxity or sideeffects. the poisonous action of Banxia( Rhizoma Pineliae) or Nanxing( Rhizoma Arissaematis) may be decrease or eliminated by Shengjiang( Rrizoma Zingiberis Recens), therefore we say there is mutual restraint between Banxia( Rhizoma Pineliae) or Nanxing( Rhizoma Arisaematis ) and shengjiang( Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens).

6.4 Mutual detoxication: one medicinal herb can relieve or remove toxic properties and side-effects of the others. So actually we can see that mutual restraint and mutual detoxication refer to same thing, yet each one is putting its constraint into the others.

6.5 Mutual inhibition: when two herbs are used together, one herb and the other act on each other, resulting in their original actions being weakened, even lose of their medicinal effects. For instance, the qi- tonifying effect of Renshen( Radix Ginseng) can be weakened by Laifuzi( Semen Raphani),so we say there is mutual inhibition between them.

6.6 Incompatibility : toxic reaction or side-effects may result when two incompatible ingredients are used in combination. For instance, there are eighteen incompatible medicaments which are believed to give rise to serious side effects if given in combination.

 In clinical application of medicinal herbs, We should make the widest possible use of the two kinds of ingredients with the relation of mutual reinforcement or mutual assistance so as to make full use of their coordination and reinforcing each other’s action and to raise their therapeutic effects and extend the range of their treatment.  When we use medicinal herbs with toxity or severe side-effects, we should choose the herbs with the relation of mutual restraint of mutual detoxication with the purpose of weakening or eliminating each other’s toxic action or side-effects.  the relation of mutual inhibition and incompatibility should be avoided as much as possible to use in combination to prevent the therapeutic effects from decreasing or losing. Or to stop producing toxin and side effects.

Contraindication of Chinese medicinal herbs

The preponderant properties of these medicinal herbs which have and unfavorable aspect on human body should be corrected or avoided, which is essential to understand the contraindications of medicinal herbs. Some herbs are not suotable for some cased as for their medicinal natures, but they can combined with other or give improvement of their administration, they can also be used.

Prescription incompatibility 18 Incompatible medicaments Wutou- × ---Banxia, Gualou, Beimu, bailian,Baiji, Gancao --× ---Haizao, Daji, Gansui Lilu-×----Renshen, Shashen, Danshen, Xuanshen, Kushen, Xixin, Shaoyao

19 med8caments of mutual antagonisms

× -- Qianniuzi × Dingxiang-- × --Yujin Chuanwu,Caowu- × --Xijiao Yaxiao- × -- Sanleng, danggui Guangui- × --Wulingzhi Liuhuang -

×

What is the processing of Chinese medicinal herbs?

The processing of the herbs ,we also call it Paozhi in TCM. We refer to various process of preparing crude medicinal materials according to the theries of TCM and requirements of therapy,prescription , preparation of forms, and storage of Chinese medicinal herbs. It includes common or special treatment of crude or part of crude medicinal materials.

 Since most Chinese medicinal herbs come from the crude plants, some of them are mixed with impurity in the collecting process, some may easily change their properties and are not to be stored for a long time, some are violently toxic and are not to be taken directly and may need to be treated in special way so as to tally with the needs of treatment.  Therefore , it is necessary for them to be processed so as to produce satisfactory medicinal effects and ensure safety in clinical practice before their use and preparation.

What is the purposes of processing Chinese medicinal herbs?

1. Removing or reduce the toxity , drastic properties and side effects of some chinese mdicinal herbs

Removing or reduce the toxity :Chuanwu, Caowu, Gansui, Tiannanxing, Banxia reduce side effects: Changshan ,after stir-baked with wine , easily induce vomiting and if used to prevent recurrence of malaria.

2. Promoting therapeutic effects  Roasted with honey: Baibu, Pipaye ,can promote nourishing the lung to relieve cough.  Stir-baked with wine: Chuanxiong, Danggui, can promote warming channels to circulate the blood.  Prepared with vinegar can strengthen the effects of relieving pain,soothing the liver and regulating liverqi ---Yanhusuo,Xiangfu  Stir-baked with earth or rice:---strengthen the effect of invigorating the spleen to relieve diarrhea .: Baizhu

3. Modifying the natures and actions of chinese medicinal herbs so as to make them suitable for therapeutic requirments. Before processing

Dihuang

Dahuang

Shengdihuang cool in nature has the effect of eliminating blood-heat.

Strong effect of purging

After processing

Shudihuang can be warm and good at nourishing the blood

Purging effect can decrease , after stirbaked into charcoal , it hardly has purge effect but is good at stopping bleeding.

4. Facilitating decocting and taking medicine, making preparation and storing medicine  Most botanical medicinal herbs after cut into segments or pieces will be easily decocted in water and their effective domponents will be easily dissolved out or the forms of medicines will be easily prepared.  Most minerals and shells of chinese medicinal herbs, after calcined or quenched with vinegar, will be easy to ground into powder. Some medicinal herbs are to be stirbaked and fully dried so as to be kept for a long time from being moldy and rot.

5. Taking away the impurity , non-pharmaceutical parts and unpleasant tastes, thus making the medicinal herbs clean and pure, and convenient for patients to take.  The herbs wich are generally mixed with mud and sand must be washed and the impurity in the plants must be clear away, thus they are convenient for patients to take.  Some pharmaceutical plants need to be softened so as to be easily cut or prepared.  The hair of some plants must be brushed away; heads, feet or wings of some pharmaceutical animals must be taken out; and the salty or offensive tast or smell of some sea products must be eliminated by rinsing with water.

Purify and cutting Discarding impurity: - mud,impurity, non-pharmaceutical Breaking into fine pieces: be pounded or ground into powder for convenience in decoction ,making preparations or administrating. Cutting: pieces, parts or tiny bit

Processing with water Whashing Softening Rinsing（for removing the salty elements, offensive smell , poisonous substances from the medicinals by putting them a certain time in a large container with water which must be running or changed frequently）

 Powder-refining method with water:  （for refining and getting the fine powder by grinding the insoluble and minerals in water.  Firstly applied to crush the medicinal materials into particles,  then grind them in a mortar which contains a certain amount of clean water.  During grinding , the supernatant suspension is decanted and then water is added again. The procedures above may be repeated until all the coarse particles are ground into fine particles.  The sediment of coarse particles will be left when the supernatant fluid of suspension is decanted, from which fine powder is precipitated, separated and then dried in the sun for use.  The medicinal herb through powder- refining method with water as pure, fine and smooth, easily absobed and light stimulative when used exteriorly; during this process, the loss of medicinal materials can also be reduced.）

Processing with fire        

Parching: 炒 1 simple parching 清炒 Parching till become yellowish Stir-baked into yellow surface of till they bulge while there is no change in their interior.----can reduce the coldness and change the tastes. Parching till become burnt-collor Toasted into burnt yellow or burnt-brown surface and yellow interior with burnt odor.--- promote invigorating the spleen and digestion. Parching till become carbonized: Surface becomes burnt black and the interior is burnt yellow while their medicinal properties still exist.--arresting hemorrhage can be reinforced.

2 Complex parching 辅料炒 Stir-baking with certain amount of solid adjuvants until the degree needed. The commonly-used adjuvants are mud, bran, rice, talc or powder of surf clam shell, etc.

Zhi:炙 Stir-baking with liquid adjuvants The commonly used liquid adjuvants include honey, wine,vinegar, salty solution , and ginger juice.

Processing chaihu

vinegar Xuan husuo

Xiangfu

Processing

Moisten the lung and relive cough Spleen and stomach, reduce toxic

Honey Salt- solution

Stir-baking

Tonifying kidney , nourishi yin, lowing fire

Relieving cold, vomiting and reduce toxicity

Ginger juice

with liquid adjunvants

Calcining:煅 Treating crude medicinal materials by direct or indirect burning with strong fire .----to make them pure, clean, crispy, easy to be powdered and effective components decocted out or produce better therapeutic effects.

Hard minerals or shells may be burned directly till they are thoroughly reddish, then they are quickly put into vinegar or clean water. Some herbs like Xueyutan, Zonglvtan should be burned and carbonized in a sealed refractory container till its bottom gets fully flushed.

Roasting in hot ashes:煨 Wrap the raw medicinal materials with wet paper or dough and roast them in smouldering ashes till the coat becomes burnt black so as to eliminate some oil, irritant materials or reduce toxic side effects.

Processing with both fire and water Steaming: 蒸 Boiling：煮 Scalding: 燀

Other processing method  Germination:crude seeds are germinated to certain highness, which are then dried.  Fermatation: crude materials are fermented at certain temperature with a series of procedures.  Frost-like powder: crude seed is frosted on the surface of defatted herbal seed with a seried of procedures.  Put mangxiao into watermelon in windy place, there would be a frost layer be produced.

How to design a formula?

《Huangdi Neijing· Zhizhenyao Dalun Di qishisi pian》 （those qi are at spring） Excess Evil qi

Treat

wind

adjuvant

relax

dispersing

Pungent bitter cool

sweet

pungent

heat

Salty Cold

Sweet bitter

sour（to astringent）

Bitter

dampness

Bitter hot

Sour bland

bitter （to dry）

bland （to purge）

fire

Salty Cool

Bitter Pungent

sour（to astringent）

Bitter

dryness

Bitter Warm

Sweet Pungent

Coldness

Sweet hot

Bitter Pungent

bitter （to make it down ） Pungent （to moisten）

Salty （to purge） Bitter （to consolidate）