We hope you have enjoyed Mitesh’s fine work about Chinese herb flavors and their combinations. What I loved about this project was the willingness to examine cherished Chinese medicine concepts – testing them using the most sophisticated laboratory known on Earth – the human body.
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If you missed any of the series, just read through the links below.
Part 1 (Beginning of the Pungent + Sweet = Yang Qi experiment)
Part 2 (Continuation of the Pungent + Sweet = Yang Qi experiment)
Part 3 (Conclusion of the Pungent + Sweet = Yang Qi experiment)
Part 4 (Beginning of the Sweet + Sour = Fluids experiment). You’re on part 5, the conclusion of the Sweet + Sour = Fluids experiment, right now!
Flavors Experience
This section contains the experiences felt during the ingestion of each herb and pairings.
Calibration Herbs
The calibration process was to know the intimate experience of the herbs from a personal perspective and have a knowing that converged in a way that the authors of the Tang Ye Jing had. Therefore, much of this is poetic serving a pivot role for the further experiences. This is a rehashing from the first experiement.
Dang Shen
The simple act of sipping this herb allowed for relaxation to pour through my entire body. Hints of warm milk were hidden in this and spun me back to childhood.
All I wanted was to cuddle up and under a comforter, turn on a movie and rest.
Ancient tension fell away.
Worries melted into peace.
And a smile held me in her embrace.
My breath grew deeper and unhurried and my brow opened and tingled in delight.
(Sheng) Di Huang
Wafting past my nose
my heart flows with joy
Exhale
Joy settles
Gently blowing on the hot medicine
Sip
Sip
Sip
This dark mistress grabs a hold on my mind
the initial joy of heart is hidden because
the over powering grounding of mind
Sip
Sipsip
The bottom of my tongue holds true
as if waiting for the fog on the horizon
to clear
I grip the ground and straight
my neck
peering into the depths
Breathe
Breathe
sip
Gulp
My sides now ground
and the imminence of what may be subsides
I am Here
Somber
Salty
But bound
My upper heart beats
in unison with the first
I feel a turtle shell hold me together above my head
Peacefully and powerfully she commands me not to drink anymore…
What do I do with the rest.
Offer it to a friend.
Xuanfu Hua
Bitter!
My eyes jump from my head!
Never let that touch your lips again!
Hold on… a phone call… let me answer that
I’m back.
Feeling cleaver.
Not so sure if that’s a good thing.
But reverent now.
This goes to my heart
Tears that otherwise fog my mind
Lift in wondrous praise like steam
Something shines through
Quasar like
Going to surrender as stairway to heaven plays
Drink her all. in deepened brightened ming-yi.
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misleading.
super cold
That one was particularly hard on my stomach and had to neutralize it with a little Sheng Di Huang and a little more of Dang Shen.
Wu Wei Zi
I’ve tasted you before… have I not?
What a joy to pucker my lips
But taxing this time.
My spine straightens into a J
Relax but strong
My sides again.
But especially my shoulders come to life
Thank you for being warmer than XuanFu
You shook me all night long!!!!!
Did you know that the electromagnetic field of the earth is one of several qualities that allows it to be habitable for life? We’d be with out a subtle protection and possibly a way of thinking without it.
You are beautiful!
When the levee breaks
Gui Zhi
Pungent.
Mud that has been hardened flaking off the back of my neck
Flavorful breathing
Gentle muscle relaxant
Effervescent smile
Delicate
Does it even work?
I think so.
A little fiery
Playful?
Giggling
Gypsy!
I’m working hard to keep my spirit in my body
Combinations
These combinations are explored in a more prose and scientific sense. It lacks the poetic nature of above because I’m looking for a convergence of experiences.
Sheng di Huang and Wu Wei Zi
Water and Metal
Salty and Sour
At first it settled my energy. But then it started to awaken my senses after about 10 minutes of sipping.As time comes on, its effects become more powerful. It seems to settle me and awaken me a little at a time. Eventually it started to kick out some stagnation in my body which was delightful. As a flavor combination, I found it rather consolidating and grounding.
Xuan Fu Hua and Sheng Di Huang
Fire and Water
Salty and Bitter
The first thing that jumps out at me is the intensity of smell and flavor of Xuan Fu. The powerful nature of the Xuanfu Hua forced me to consolidate myself into a meditative state. It drew me into my heart’s warmth and asked that I shut my senses. Once inside, the qi moved along the most primal pathways in my body with ease and authority. Its not they were excited to do so, rather that when all else was withdrawn, this was what held its ground out of necessity.This take lot of stomach energy to digest. And so proceeded cautiously waiting for my energy in my stomach to return. In fact I hesitate to take another sip at this time.
Gui Zhi and Sheng Di Huang
Wood and Water
Pungent and Bitter
The three fire centers in my body, ming men, heart and third eye warmed immediately.The expansive nature of pungency is contained by the sinking nature of water and water is then bought to its bounds through the pungency. I feel like this is living water.
Xuan Fu Hua and Gui Zhi
Fire and Wood
Salty and Pungent
This is great! Its the first time Xuan Fu Hua hasn’t just shut me down. That coldness is spread through the rest of the body and has a warming and protective effect. Its still meditative but gently so. There’s an internal external balance here.
Gui Zhi and Wu Wei Zi
Wood and Metal
Pungent and Sour
There’s is something unbelievably beautiful about this combination! I found an area or stagnation in my right side started to pulsate and move. This was rather impressive how it was able to awaken and circulate energy around my body.
Wu Wei Zi and Xuanfu Hua
Metal and Fire
Sour and Salty
This basically wants to run through my body rather quickly. Its like a brick in my digestion. Which seems to lay on top of the lower half of my digestion. I was careful not to ingest too much of this as it seemed to most potent combination yet. This is the closest to what was said in the Suwen regarding Sour and Bitter “gush forth Yin.”
Conclusions
There is definitely need for further investigation. I still have quite a bit of confusion with the Fire Calibration Herb of Xuanfu Hua and the Water Calibration Herb of Sheng Di Huang. However, when paired together, the classical Fire and Water reference didn’t fail to impress.
I was also astonished with the effects of Wood and Metal working together. This was powerfully circulating on a more surface level compared to the primal circulation of Fire and Water.
I would like to continue working with the Bitter and Salty Herbs according to Tang Ye Jing assignments and -see if I truly understand what they were trying to say with these.
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Appendix 1 – Further Combinations
Three Taste Combinations
Pungent + Sour + Sweet
Pungent + Sour + Bitter
Pungent + Sour + Salty
Sour + Sweet + Bitter
Sour + Sweet + Salty
Sweet + Bitter + Salty
Four Taste Combinations
Pungent + Sour + Sweet + Bitter
Pungent + Sour + Sweet + Salty
Sour + Sweet + Bitter + Salty
Five Taste Combinations
Pungent + Sour + Sweet + Bitter + Salty
Appendix 2 – Herbs Selected
Any notes on the selected herbs will be given here including Shen Nong Ben Cao entries and TCM assignments. SNBCJ information is taken from the Blue Poppy Press translation of the text.
Ren Shen (Dang Shen) – Sweet Calibration Herb (Sweet of Sweet)
The Ren Shen mentioned in the Tang Ye Jing maybe, as Dr. Fruehauf suspects, actually Dang Shen. Here is his explanation as to why this may be true:
One of the two stellar constellations that are associated with the 4th month of the year is called “Shen”–the Three Stars (Orion), the original character for Renshen (Human Trinity: ginseng). In ancient China, every region of the sky was considered to be linked to a region of China, in this case the state of Wei. Wei includes the district of Shangdang, where China’s best Dangshen grows. Dangshen, therefore, represents the earthly Shen grown in Shangdang, the region on which the Heavenly Shen projects its qi. From a purely clinical perspective, any northern type of ginseng would have overpowered formulas such as Xiao Chaihu Tang or Banxia Xiexin Tang, where Chaihu/Banxia is supposed to be the lead herb.
For this reason, I selected Dang Shen to be the Sweet of Sweet Herb. Although this herb was not used this time, I wanted to share this information again.
There is no Shen Nong Ben Cao entry for Dang Shen however, the entry for Ren Shen, a Superior class Herb, is given below:
Ren Shen is sweet and a little cold. It mainly supplements the five viscera. It quiets the essence spirit, settles the ethereal and corporeal souls, checks fright palpitations, eliminates evil qi brightens the eyes, opens the heart, and sharpens the wits. Protracted taking may make the bod light and prolong life. Its other name is Ren Xian (Human Incarnation). Yet another name is Gui Gai (Ghost Shield). It grows in mountains and valleys.
The TCM listing of Dang Shen is as follows:
- Category: Herbs that Tonify Qi
- Channels: LU, SP
- Properties: Sweet, Neutral
- Latin: Radix Codonopsitis Pilosulae
- Chinese: ??
Wu Wei Zi – Sour Calibration Herb (Sour of Sour)
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Wu Wei Zi is a Middle Class Herb. It goes on to state:
Wu Wei is sour and warm. It mainly boosts the qi, treating cough and counterflow qi ascent, taxation damage, and languor and emaciation. It supplements insufficiency, fortifies yin and boosts male’s essence. It grows in mountains and valleys.
The TCM listing of Wu Wei Zi is as follows:
- Category: Herbs that Astringe, Stabilize, Bind
- Channels:HT, KI, LU
- Properties: Sour, Warm
- Latin: Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis
- Chinese: ???
Gui Zhi – Pungent Calibration Herb (Pungent of Pungent)
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Gui Zhi is a Superior Class Wood. It goes on to state:
Jun Gui is acrid and warm. It mainly treats hundreds of diseases, nurtures the essence spirit, and renders the facial complexion harmonious. It may serve as an usher or envoy for various medicinals Protracted taking may make the body light, prevent senility, and render the face bright and efflorescent, thus forever looking charming like a child’s face. It grows in the mountains and valleys of Jiao Zhi.
The TCM listing of Gui Zhi is as follows:
- Warm, Spicy Herb that Releases the Exterior
- Channels: HT, LU, BL
- Properties: Spicy, Sweet, Warm
- Latin: Ramulus Cinnamomi Cassiae
- Chinese: ??
Xuanfu Hua – Fire Calibration Herb (Salty of Salty)
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Xuanfu Hua is a Middle class Herb. It goes on to state:
Xuan Fu Hua is salty and warm. It mainly treats bound qi, rib-side fullness, and fight palpitations, removes water, eliminates cold and heat in the five viscera, supplements the enter, and down bears the qi. Its other name is Jin Fei Cao (Boiling Gold Weed). Another name is Sheng Zhan (Profound Clearness). It grows in rivers and valleys.
The TCM listing of Xuanfu Hua is as follows:
- Warm Herb that Transforms Phlegm-Cold
- Channels: LIV, LU, ST, SP
- Properties: Bitter, Spicy, Slightly Warm
- Latin: Inulae Flos
- Chinese: ???
(Sheng) Di Huang – Water Calibration Herb (Bitter of Bitter)
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Di Huang is a Superior class Herb. It goes on to state:
Gan Di Huang is sweet and cold. It mainly treats broken [bones], severed sinews from falls, and damaged center. It expels blood impediment, replenishes the bone marrow, and promotes the growth of muscles and flesh. When used in decoctions, it eliminates cold and heat, accumulations and gatherings, and impediment. Using the uncooked is better. Protracted taking ma make the body light and prevent senility. Its other name is Di Sui (Earth Marrow). It grows in rivers and swamps.
The TCM listing of Sheng Di Huang is as follows:
- Category: Herbs that Cool the Blood
- Channels: HT, KI, LIV
- Properties: Sweet, Bitter, Cold
- Latin: Radix Rehmanniae Glutinosae
- Chinese: ??
An exploration into Chinese herb flavor combinations – the final chapter
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Filed under Alternative Medicine, Holistic Healing, Natural Health Care by on Jul 5th, 2010. Comment. 
Last week we began by exploring the concept of timing in acupuncture. This week we’ll move on to herbs.
Timing in Herbology
Timing is equally important in herbology, as knowing where in the system the disease currently is will dictate what formula you prescribe and what modifications have to be made (I discuss this in an upcoming free PDF entitled “Beginners Guide to Acute Respiratory Disease”).
For this, the Six Conformation model used by Zhang Zhongjing (called the Six Channel Model in TCM) is without question the most powerful tool we have at our disposal, telling us where the disharmony is, what its nature is, and what principles are required to fix it. This applies in acute as well as chronic cases. For example – If the problem is diagnosed as a Cold invasion of the channels of Taiyang we know several things at once:
- We know that since the invasion has penetrated into the channel that the surface is open, which removes the need for the pure surface opening action of Ma Huang Tang.
- We know that Taiyang is a Yang conformation. Therefore, our efforts are going to be centered on expelling the Cold pathogen and that if resolved correctly there won’t be any long term consequences of the invasion having taken place (as opposed to an invasion of the Yin conformations which tends to leave the need for a significant cleanup operation after being resolved).
- We know that according to the Five Phase (or Five Element) model Taiyang is associated with Cold Water of the North. Taiyang invasions tend to be accompanied by all over muscular aches of varying degrees (depending on the situation). If we envision the Taiyang channels (UB/SI) as being rivers of cold water coming down from the mountains to nourish the plains (read about Mt. Kailash for the ultimate example of this) we can see that when those rivers get more cold, they freeze over and stop flowing. The Chinese characters for pain ?? (teng tong) indicate a state of cold and of obstruction of movement, much like the frozen river analogy. This tells us that we need to “melt the ice” by warming up the channels and re-establishing uninterrupted flow.
The formula that answers all of these requirements is Gui Zhi Tang. If given on time (meaning before the pathogen passes on to, say, the Shaoyang level) the patient will recover quickly. Aside from the diagnostic timing, however, the Shang Han Lun 
The text that introduces Gui Zhi Tang makes very clear that the formula must be prescribed under very specific conditions. One of them is the instruction to give the decoction to the patient warm, then have them bundle up to await sweating. However it also makes very clear that once the patient sweats the formula must be stopped immediately.
The danger here (one that I have seen happen many times and have even experienced personally) is that the patient over-sweats and suffers damage to their Yang Qi, thus creating a different or more complex condition that now has to be treated. In a Gui Zhi Tang type situation, over-sweating can lead to a combined Taiyang-Shaoyin condition of external invasion with underlying Yang deficiency (needing a formula such as Gui Zhi Jia Fu Zi Tang).
Strength and Focus
The other side of this is the question of strength and focus. A principle that Heiner Fruehauf often points out is that you must have not only the right formula with the right herbs, but also of sufficient quality and enough of them.
A practice of a lot of TCM-trained herbalists (including those from China and even those who have been in practice since the early days of the PRC) is one of adjusting downward individual herb dosages in formulas for the purposes of safety or according to someones weight. This is especially true for Shang Han Lun formulas, which seem overly aggressive in comparison with modern “gentle” formulas.
TCM herbalists will take a formula like the aforementioned Gui Zhi Tang and begin stripping it of its curative power by ratcheting downward the dosages of the warming herbs Gui Zhi and Sheng Jiang by as much as half, then playing around with the amounts of Da Zao, Bai Shao, and Zhi Gan Cao according to some paradigm known only to themselves. The result is the equivalent of cooking a complex dish in the kitchen while randomly choosing ingredient amounts and never tasting the results. This results in a grossly ineffective formula (I’ll save a critique of the practice of ingredient carpet-bombing for another time).
Native Dosage
An absolute fact in Chinese herbology is that each herb we use behaves differently in both different dosages and different ratios within each formula. Each herb also has what I think of as a “native dosage”, meaning the amount that you are most likely to see it prescribed at effectively. For example, Gui Zhi at 9g, Chai Hu at 24g, Ban Xia at 12g, etc. Going away from these amounts (without very good reason) usually translates into outright failure in my experience. If you need Gui Zhi Tang, you also need Gui Zhi at 9g. If you need Xiao Chai Hu Tang, you need Chai Hu at 24g. Going away from this is a good way to not be successful vs. the condition you are treating.
When you change the dosage of herbs you change the functional emphasis of that herb within its formula. The best example of this principle in my opinion is with Fu Zi. Fu Zi in most TCM clinics-if used at all-is used at a very low dosage, usually in the range of 3-6g. The fear is that because Fu Zi is so “toxic” that more than a small amount will give the patient headaches, nosebleeds, hot flashes, etc.
Paradoxically, Fu Zi in this small amount causes its energy to rush outward to the exterior and to the head, causing the very situation that they were trying to avoid in the first place. However, once the dosage crosses a certain line (around 18g in my experience) its entire behavior changes. Now instead of warming the Yang and sending it rushing outward and upward, it grabs the Yang qi of the body and causes it to descend into storage (the lower Dantian in Qigong parlance) where it is now able to recharge. Rather than feeling hyperactive, patients on the receiving end of recharge formulas like Qian Yang Dan (in which I usually use 30g of Fu Zi) have the overwhelming urge to go to sleep, which is exactly the aim of the formula.
Ratio
Finally, one must account for the ratios of herbs in formulas. In the Shang Han Lun there is an army of formulas that are essentially Gui Zhi Tang with one ingredient changed in some way. This small shift significantly changes the impact of the formula.
For example, if in the case of Gui Zhi Tang you increase Gui Zhi to 15g you now have the formula Gui Zhi Jia Gui Tang. Now, instead of treating a case of the common cold, the formula treats the anxiety disorder known as Running Piglet Syndrome. The increased Gui Zhi stokes the Fire of the Heart. The Heart, in turn, is now able to descend and overcome the amassed cold in the Lower Jiao. This amassed cold was what the patient’s Yang qi was counterflowing away from - causing the Running Piglet sensation. Problem solved.
Another example starting with Gui Zhi Tang. If we remove Bai Shao altogether we get the formula Gui Zhi Qu Shao Yao Tang, which treats conditions of fullness in the chest and skipping pulse. These symptoms point toward Upper Jiao blockage as well as deficiency of the Heart itself. Removal of sour flavored Bai Shao also removes the formulas restraints on the Wood energy of the body (due to Bai Shao’s affinity with Metal and Metal’s husband-wife relationship with Wood). Wood is now more able to feed the Fire energy (due to Mother-Son relationship) and release the body’s Earth energy (again, husband-wife relationship) which makes up half the Middle Jiao!
Formula Strength
There is also the question of amount of herbs taken. Zhang Zhong Jing was very clear on the necessary amounts to be taken for all of the formulas in his book, as well as specific preparation instructions. A close inspection of the Shang Han Lun’s preparatory methods reveals formulas that are orders of magnitude more concentrated than their modern descendants, using significantly less water both at the start of decocting as well as the final dose.
In both individual herb dosages as well as the total amount to be taken, these formulas were very much built upon the idea of the right intervention at the right time and in concentrated strength. It’s no good to just try and push a boulder any old way in hopes that it will move. You have to push at the right spot (the fulcrum) and use sufficient force in order to accomplish the task.
The point here is that as herbalists we absolutely must know what our herbs do inside and out, right down to the effects of differing amounts. This will prevent the useless (and potentially dangerous in the hands of the over-enthusiastic) practice of trying to assign random amounts and percentages to our formula components.
Next week we’ll begin tackling the issue of momentum.
Strategy in Chinese Medicine: Timing and Momentum, pt. 2
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Filed under Alternative Medicine, Holistic Healing, Natural Health Care by on Jun 16th, 2010. Comment.
Another aspect to the more advanced Chinese herb learning method that I teach is diving into the huge amount of information concerning where herbs grow up. Using the metaphor of the growth and development of a human being, it is undeniable that where we grow up influences the people we end up becoming. The same is true of Chinese herbs!
I was going to write out this article, but I just couldn’t manage to sit in front of the computer, typing. So, I made a podcast instead. Enjoy it! Inside, I talk about why I love the herb method I teach, why location matters when it comes to Chinese herbs, and I do a very small bit of application with one of your friends and mine, Chenpi – aurantium – citrus peel.
If you are having trouble playing the podcast in your browser window – you have two options. First, you can just click the link below to download the podcast and listen to it from your computer. It’s virus free, I promise. Second, you can go to iTunes and subscribe to the podcast there – the newest episode should be listed. Sometimes the iTunes feed doesn’t work so well, but it’s been behaving lately.
Let me know if you have any trouble - and please come back and comment to let me know how you liked it.
Learning Chinese herbs : does where they grow really matter?
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Filed under Alternative Medicine, Holistic Healing, Natural Health Care by on Jun 14th, 2010. Comment.
Quite some time ago, before the changes that are currently sweeping Deepest Health, I promised that I would discuss an “herb learning method” and eventually develop it into a course of some kind. Well, those wheels are turning again. You can already get a basic report about the first stages of the method by signing up for our newsletter.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll unpack some more advanced pieces of the method – including some application. We’re getting closer to the point where I can release a fuller version of the method.
First, I want to refresh your memory with some basic background material. I think about herbs in a similar way as I think about people. They have names, faces, general personalities. They have families, friends, favorite activities. They like certain climates and not others. They have jobs and hobbies. If you really want to get to know a person – you are going to have to access a broad slice of their life. The same is true of herbs.
What happens when we understand a person more deeply?
Well, for one, you reap great personal benefits from these kinds of relationships. It’s a personal benefit – close human friendships can be the difference between having a long, happy life and a shorter, more stressful one. I honestly think the same is true of my relationships with herbs. Certainly it’s a different kind of relationship, but it does have that kind of benefit. It is, of course, also beneficial for your patients. When you understand the herbs deeply – you prescribe with more accuracy and shooting for a deeper level of pathology. You’re a better practitioner, in short.
In the Family
Those of you who have a significant other know that you learn quite a bit about that person by hanging out with their family. The same is true of herbs, though certainly for different reasons. I’m not talking ONLY about plant families from a Western botanical perspective, though I’m including that as well. To learn the family life of an herb deeply you need to look into:
- Western botanical herb family
- TCM herb category
- Shennong Bencao Jing herbal class
- Related to #3, a family based on the broad “plant/animal/mineral” distinction and the specific part within it
Let’s look at these in turn, using an example – the seldom mentioned herb Xuan Fu Hua / Inula / ???.
Western botanical information
Inula (either japonica or brittanica) is a member of the Asteraceae family – a family it shares with sunflowers, goldenrod, dandelions among many others. It is a largely herbaceous family, without trees or significant numbers of climbing and vining plants. Now, I should note right now that I’m not a botanist, and while I do have a science background, this kind of information always sort of baffled me. That’s why I’m so happy to be an herbalist – it gives me an excuse to learn this information as deeply as I please.
Now there is a ton of information we can find out about the species itself, and that’s definitely part of the method. But here, we are largely concerned with the group that the plant is associated with – its family. One interesting thing about this group of plants is that what looks like a single flower (the yellow mass in the middle) is actually a packed together bunch of little flowers – a composite flower head.
There is a ton of information we could get into with this family – but one of the most simple and common observations is how these flowers look much like a representation of the sun. Sunflowers, dandelions and many of the members of this family all have a sunny disposition and thrive in sunny locales.
What does this tell us about Xuanfuhua?
Well – the association with the sun can certainly get us thinking. There must be some kind 0f Yang affiliation, perhaps a Fire association. Now, in some cases, the information we get from family is going to seem to contradict what we commonly know about the herb, or simply seem irrelevant. I’m going to suggest that this is almost never the case.
In Xuanfuhua’s case, we don’t need to dig too far to help us find some confirmation for this information. In the Tang Ye Jing, Xuanfuhua is considered to be the “fire herb of the fire class.” In other words, it is the ultimate exemplar of fire within the 25 herbs mentioned in this text. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this text, we’ll discuss it in more detail in the future.
So, in my opinion, we need to think about Xuanfuhua a little differently in light of this information. While it is commonly thought of as an herb that deals with phlegm and counterflow, perhaps we understand this function in a slightly different way knowing of it’s strong sun, Yang and Fire associations. Perhaps we even start to expand our understanding of the herb – can you think of some unique uses, or some more advanced understanding, that might transform the way you use this herb in clinical practice?
We don’t have space in this short article to go through the example with each of the four family categories above, but I will provide a brief description of each…
TCM herb category
This is a family of another kind – an affinity group bound by basic effect. Now, there’s information to be gained by diving deeply into the TCM category, but here we’re looking at the similarities in herbs within that family. It can also be instructive if we find differences. That tells us something about the herb, but also something about the ultimate utility of this method of categorization.
Shennong Bencao Jing herbal class
Now, obviously, this is only going to work for herbs that are actually contained in this text. However, I think it’s pretty interesting to look at which herbs are put together within the SNBCJ. This goes both for the categorization of upper, middle and lower class herbs as well as the various plant, mineral and animal classifications. As an early record, perhaps more influenced by the Shamanic traditions in use at the time, the SNBCJ categorizes herbs in a different way than, say, TCM categories.
Layperson family classification
Is the herb animal, plant or mineral? Within that categorization, what part of the plant (or whatever) is the herb in question? In the case of Xuanfuhua, we are discussing the flower of an herbaceous plant. What can we say about flowers, in general? These are the kind of questions we ask as we examine this “family.”
Join me next week as we unpack another piece of this relational herb learning method. Thanks for reading.
The relational method of learning Chinese herbs : herb families
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Filed under Alternative Medicine, Holistic Healing, Natural Health Care by on Jun 8th, 2010. Comment.
Here’s the second section of Mitesh’s paper, a continuation of last weeks’ post on the topic. This is more set-up and mostly covers information about the herbs he used, including the Blue Poppy translations of each herb as described in the Shennong Bencao Jing
PS: I will announce the results of the Deepest Health Reader Survey shortly, and have just contacted the winner of the Living Meridian Acupuncture Charts. If I get permission from that person, I will divulge their name. Thanks everyone for your time and input!
Herb Selection and Essential Information
Note on references : The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing version used was the Blue Poppy translation. TCM information is provided along with links to the
appropriate page on the excellent Rootdown.us herbal database.
Editors note: Unfortunately, we could not include photos of each herb – we did not have photos of our own and we would run afoul of copyright guidelines if we used photos others had taken.
Renshen (Dangshen) – Sweet Calibration Herb (Sweet of Sweet)
There is some conversation about what plant was actually being referred to in Classical texts as “Shen,” usually translated as Ren Shen. In contemporary times, usually the red, Korean cultivated ginseng is used (Hong Shen). Dr. Heiner Fruehauf believes that the original “Shen” herb may have actually been Dang Shen, codonopsis. Here is his explanation as to why this may be true:
“One of the two stellar constellations that are associated with the 4th month of the year is called “Shen”–the Three Stars (Orion), the original character for Renshen (Human Trinity: ginseng). In ancient China, every region of the sky was considered to be linked to a region of China, in this case the state of Wei. Wei includes the district of Shangdang, where China’s best Dangshen grows. Dangshen, therefore, represents the earthly Shen grown in Shangdang, the region on which the Heavenly Shen projects its qi. From a purely clinical perspective, any northern type of ginseng would have overpowered formulas such as Xiao Chaihu Tang or Banxia Xiexin Tang, where Chaihu/Banxia is supposed to be the lead herb.”
For this reason, I selected Dangshen to be the Sweet of Sweet Herb. It was used extensively throughout the experiment, more than any other herb.
There is no Shen Nong Ben Cao entry for Dangshen, as such. however, the entry for Ren Shen, a Superior class Herb, is given below:
Ren Shen is sweet and a little cold. It mainly supplements the five viscera. It quiets the essence spirit, settles the ethereal and corporeal souls, checks fright palpitations, eliminates evil qi brightens the eyes, opens the heart, and sharpens the wits. Protracted taking may make the bod light and prolong life. Its other name is Ren Xian (Human Incarnation). Yet another name is Gui Gai (Ghost Shield). It grows in mountains and valleys.
–
- Basic TCM information about Dangshen
- Sweet, neutral
- Affiliated with the Lung and Spleen channels
- Herb that tonifies the Qi
–
Wuweizi – Sour Calibration Herb (Sour of Sour)
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Wuweizi is a Middle Class Herb. It goes on to state:
Wu Wei is sour and warm. It mainly boosts the qi, treating cough and counterflow qi ascent, taxation damage, and languor and emaciation. It supplements insufficiency, fortifies yin and boosts male’s essence. It grows in mountains and valleys.
- Basic TCM information about Wuweizi
- Sweet, Sour, Warm
- Affiliated with the Lung, Heart and Kidney channels
- Herb that stabilizes and binds
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Guizhi – Pungent Calibration Herb (Pungent of Pungent)
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Guizhi is a Superior Class Wood. It goes on to state:
Jun Gui is acrid and warm. It mainly treats hundreds of diseases, nurtures the essence spirit, and renders the facial complexion harmonious. It may serve as an usher or envoy for various medicinals Protracted taking may make the body light, prevent senility, and render the face bright and efflorescent, thus forever looking charming like a child’s face. It grows in the mountains and valleys of Jiao Zhi.
- Basic TCM information about Guizhi
- Pungent, Sweet, Warm
- Affiliated with the Lung, Bladder and Heart organ systems
- Warming herb that releases the exterior
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Xuanfuhua – Bitter Calibration Herb (Bitter of Bitter)
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Xuanfuhua is a Middle class Herb. It goes on to state:
Xuan Fu Hua is salty and warm. It mainly treats bound qi, rib-side fullness, and fight palpitations, removes water, eliminates cold and heat in the five viscera, supplements the enter, and down bears the qi. Its other name is Jin Fei Cao (Boiling Gold Weed). Another name is Sheng Zhan (Profound Clearness). It grows in rivers and valleys.
- Basic TCM information about Xuanfuhua
- Pungent, Bitter, Salty, Slightly Warm
- Affiliated with the Lung, Spleen, Liver, Stomach organ systems
- Warming herb that transforms phlegm and stops coughing
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(Sheng) Di Huang – Salty Calibration Herb (Salty of Salty)
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Di Huang is a Superior class Herb. It goes on to state:
Gan Di Huang is sweet and cold. It mainly treats broken [bones], severed sinews from falls, and damaged center. It expels blood impediment, replenishes the bone marrow, and promotes the growth of muscles and flesh. When used in decoctions, it eliminates cold and heat, accumulations and gatherings, and impediment. Using the uncooked is better. Protracted taking ma make the body light and prevent senility. Its other name is Di Sui (Earth Marrow). It grows in rivers and swamps.
- Basic TCM information about Shengdihuang
- Sweet, Bitter, Cold
- Affiliated with the Heart, Liver and Kidney organ systems
- Herb that clears heat and cools the blood
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Maimendong – Sour of Sweet
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Maimendong is a Middle class Herb. It goes on to state:
Mai Men Dong is sweet and balanced. It mainly treats bound qi in the heart and abdomen, damaged center, overeating damage, [damaged] stomach, vessel network [or pulse] expiry, languor and emaciation, and shortness of breath. Protracted taking may make the bod light, prevent senility, and make one free from hunger. It grows in rivers and valleys.
- Basic TCM information about Maimendong
- Slightly bitter, sweet, slightly cold
- Affiliated with the Lung, Heart and Stomach organ systems
- Herb that tonifies the Yin
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Shaoyao (Chi Shao) – Sweet of Sour
Shaoyao has two expressions in Chinese Herbal Medicine: Bai Shao and Chi Shao. According the Dr. Fruehauf:
In the Shanghan lun, Baishao is just called Shaoyao, which at the time was the uncultivated and less processed species we now call Chishao. Baishao started coming into use only 600 years later, since the Tang dynasty. I therefore often use Chishao in Guizhi Tang and other Shanghan lun formulas, since that is what Zhang Zhongjing used.
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Shaoyao is a Middle class Herb. It goes on to state:
Shaoyao is bitter. It mainly treats evil qi and abdominal pain, eliminates blood impediment, breaks hard gatherings and cold and heat mounting conglomeration, relieves pain, disinhibits urination, and boosts the qi. It grows in rivers and valleys.
- Basic TCM information about Chishao
- Bitter, sour, slightly cold
- Affiliated with the Spleen and Liver organ systems
- Herb that invigorates the blood
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Gan Cao – Pungent of Sweet
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Gan Cao is a Superior class Herb. It goes on to state:
Gan Cao is sweet and balanced. It mainly treats the five viscera and six bowels, cold and heat, and evil qi. It fortifies the sinews and bones, promotes the growth of the muscles and flesh, doubles [one's physical] strength, [heals] incised woulds and swellings, and resolves toxins. Protracted taking may make the body light and prolong life. It grows in rivers and valleys.
- Basic TCM information about Gancao
- Sweet, neutral
- Affiliated with all of the organ systems
- Herb that tonfies the Qi
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Baizhu – Sweet of Salty
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Zhu is a Superior class Herb. It goes on to state:
Zhu is bitter and warm is bitter and warm. It mainly treats damp impediment, dead muscles, tetany, and jaundice. It stops sweating, eliminates heat, and disperses food. It can be used as a conductor in decoctions. Protracted taaking may make the body light, prolong life, and make one free from hunger. Its other name is Shan Ji (Mountain Thistle). It grows in the mountains and valleys of Zheng Shan.
- Basic TCM information about Baizhu
- Sweet, bitter and warm
- Affiliated with the Spleen and Stomach organ systems
- Herb that tonifies the Qi
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Dazao – Bitter of Sweet
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Da Zao is a Superior class Fruit. It goes on to state:
Dao Zao is sweet and balanced. It mainly treats heart and abdominal evil qi, quiets the center and nourishes the spleen, assists the 12 channels, levels the stomach qi, frees the nine orifices, supplements shortage of qi, shortage of fluids, and insufficiency of the body, [eliminates] great fright and heaviness of the limbs, and harmonizes hundreds of medicinals. Protracted taking may make the body light and lengthen life. Together with Herba Ephedrae, its leaf [Folium zizyphi Jujubae] is able to promote sweating. It grows in plains and swamps.
- Basic TCM information about Dazao (hong)
- Sweet, warm
- Affiliated with the Spleen and Stomach organ systems
- Herb that tonifies the Qi
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Zexie – Sweet of Bitter
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Ze Xie is a Superior class Herb. It goes on to state:
Ze Xie is sweet and cold. It mainly treats wind, cold, damp impediment and difficult lactation. It disperses water, nourishes the five viscera, boosts the qi and [physical] force, and makes one fat and strong. Protracted taking may sharpen the ears and eyes, make one free from hunger, prolong life, make the body light, render the face brilliant, and enable one to walk over water. Its other name is Shui Xie (Water Drain). Yet another name is Mang Yu (Awned Yam). It is also called Hu Xie (Swan Drain). It grows in pools and swamps.
- Basic TCM information about Zexie
- Sweet, bland and cold
- Affiliated with the Bladder and Kidney organ systems
- Herb that drains dampness
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Fuling – Salty of Sweet
According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao, Fu Ling is a Superior class Wood. It goes on to state:
Fu Ling is sweet and balanced. It mainly treats chest and rib-side counterflow qi, binding and pain below the heart due to worry, indigestion, fright, and fear, cold and heat, vexation fullness, cough and counterflow, and parched mouth and dry tongue. It disinhibits urination. Protracted taking may quiet the ethereal soul, mourish the spirit, make one free from hunger, and prolong life. Its other name is Fu Tu (Crouching Rabbit). It grows in mountains and valleys.
- Basic TCM information about Fuling
- Sweet, bland, neutral
- Affiliated with the Lung, Heart, Spleen and Kidney organ systems
- Herb that drains dampness
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Sheng Jiang – Sweet of Pungent
According to the Blue Poppy translation of the Shen Nong Ben Cao, both Sheng Jiang and Gan Jiang are listed under Gan Jiang. This is a Middle class Herb and its entry is provided below:
Gan Jiang is acrid and warm. It mainly treats chest fullness, cough and counter flow qi ascent. It warms the center, stops bleeding, promotes perspiration, expels wind damp impediment, and treats intestinal afflux and dysentery. The uncooked is especially good. Protracted taking may remove foul smell and enable one to communicate with the spirit light. It grows in rivers and valleys.
- Basic TCM information about Shengjiang
- Pungent and slightly warm
- Affiliated with the Lung, Spleen and Stomach organ systems
- Warm herb that releases the exterior
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In the next installment, we will learn about Mitesh’s experiences as he tastes the herbs and their combinations. He will also discuss thoughts about future experimentation. Thanks for reading!
An exploration of Chinese herb flavors : A student project (Part 2 of 3)
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- An exploration of Chinese herb flavors : A student project (Part 3 of 3)
- An exploration of Chinese herb flavors : A student project (Part 1 of 3)
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Filed under Alternative Medicine, Holistic Healing, Natural Health Care by on Apr 19th, 2010. Comment.
