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Introduction to Oriental Herbology

Instructor: Lana Farson, M.S., L.Ac.

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Learning herbs – what’s important?

Ë Chinese Pin Yin Ë Category Ë Temperature (nature) Ë +/- Latin Ë Functions Ë Taste Ë  Indications Ë Channels (meridians, functional site) Ë Contraindications Ë dose

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Some Abbreviations for PP slides Ë  Bodyaches = B/A Ë  Headache = H/A Ë  Hypertension = HTN Ë  Liver Yang Rising = LYR Ë  Nausea & vomiting = N/V Ë  Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea = n/v/d Ë  Palpitations = palps Ë  Pulse = P Ë  Shortness of breath = SOB Ë  Sorethroat = S/T Ë  Tongue = T Ë  Undigested food particles = UFP’s Ë  Urinary tract infection = UTI Ë  Wind-cold = w-c Ë  Wind-heat = w-h

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Properties & Functions of herbs

Ë Temperature

Ë Tastes Ë Channels Ë Functional Orientation / Direction Ë Color

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Temperature (or nature)

Ë Very cold Ë Cold Ë Slight cold

Ë Neutral – gentle; can be used in cold or hot cases

Ë Slight warm Ë Warm Ë hot

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Treats hot conditions

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Treats cold conditions

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Thin versus Thick Ë Thin

Ë  Light Ë  Act quickly Ë  Treat exterior conditions Ë  Yang in nature Ë  Can be warming or cooling Ë  acute

Ë Thick Ë  Heavy Ë  Act slowly Ë  Treat interior, deficiency & chronic conditions Ë  Yin in nature Ë  Can be warming or cooling Ë  chronic

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Six Main Tastes Ë Sour Ë Bitter Ë Sweet Ë Spicy Ë Salty Ë Bland

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Sour Taste Ë Associated with wood Ë Astringes abnormal discharge of body fluid

Ë  Sweating Ë  diarrhea Ë  seminal & urinary leakage or incontinence Ë  Prolonged menstruation Ë  Leucorrhea with clear discharge

Ë Consolidates qi Ë  cough

Ë Produces yin Ë  Thirst Ë  Dry or cramped tendons / muscles

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Bitter Taste Ë  Associated with fire Ë  Clears heat (for fire / heat patterns)

Ë  Acute stage of infectious disease Ë  arthritis due to heat Ë  Acne

Ë  Purges the bowels Ë  constipation

Ë  Lowers reflux qi (abnormal rising qi) Ë  vomiting Ë  Belching Ë  cough

Ë  Dries dampness or wetness Ë  Leucorrhea Ë  Edema Ë  Phlegm Ë  Distention Ë  Opens the appetite (summer damp nausea)

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Sweet Taste Ë Associated with earth Ë Tonifies

Ë  Qi Ë  Blood Ë  Yin Ë  yang

Ë Harmonizes Ë  The middle jiao Ë  other herbs

Ë Relieves pain Ë  Muscle spasms

Ë Moistens Ë  constipation

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Spicy Taste (pungent, acrid)

Ë Associated with metal Ë Relieves the surface (disperses)

Ë Promotes sweating Ë External patterns (catching a cold) Ë Initial phase of sores & abscesses

Ë Moves the qi Ë Moves blood } opens up stagnation, activates & enhances metabolism

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Salty Taste

Ë Associated with water Ë Softens masses & fibrous adhesions

Ë Masses Ë Cysts Ë Connective tissue proliferation Ë Sores

Ë Purges & opens the bowels Ë Fecal impaction

Ë Tonify the kidney and fortify the yang

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Bland taste Ë Promotes balance of fluid

Ë edema Ë Promotes urination

Ë Urinary tract infections (UTI) Ë Difficult urination

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Two Minor Qualities

Ë Aromatic Ë Astringent

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Aromatic Ë Associated with spicy taste Ë Activates and disperses Ë Transform damp & turbidity Ë Open the orifices Ë Promote sweating / Release the exterior Ë Activate qi & blood (open obstruction) Ë Relieve pain & regenerate tissue

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Astringent

Ë Associated with sour taste Ë Contain fluid leakage & discharge

Ë Leukorrhea Ë Spermatorrhea

Ë Astringe intestines & stop diarrhea Ë Astringe & stop bleeding Ë Stop sweating

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Entering Channels (functional site) Ë  Wood (Gallbladder)

Ë  toe à genitalia à costal region Ë  Hypocondriac pain; hernia; genital sores

Ë  Fire (heart) Ë  Heart à lung à axilla à elbow à wrist à palm à finger

Ë  Heart / chest pain; insomnia; palps; hot palms; SOB Ë  Earth (Stomach)

Ë  Nose à gums à stomach Ë  Oral infection, ulcers, blisters; toothache

Ë  Metal (Lung) Ë  Stomach à LI à LU à throat à axilla à arm à thumb

Ë  Cough; asthma; SOB; constipation; diarrhea; fever; chills Ë  Water (Kidney)

Ë  Sole à heel à leg à DU-1 à UB à diaphragm / LU à throat Ë  5 palm heat; frequent urine; impotence; low back pain; dry mouth

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Functional Orientation / Direction

Ë Ascending Ë  Raises sinking qi Ë  Activates upper body

Ë Descending Ë  Lowers reflux qi Ë  Activates lower body

Ë Floating Ë  Disperses toward the exterior Ë  Opens pores & promotes perspiration

Ë Sinking Ë  Purging downward Ë  Moves toward the interior Ë  Tranquilizing or sedating

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Functional Orientation & Taste

Ë Ascending Ë Floating

Ë Descending Ë Sinking

Tend to be spicy Can be warm or cold Warm herbs are stronger in this regard Tend to be lighter in weight

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Tend to be sour, bitter or salty Tend to be cool or cold Tend to be heavy

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Effects of Processing with Various Substances: Ë  Wine fried à ascending

blood moving

Ë  Ginger fried à dispersing aids digestion reduces toxicity

Ë  Salt fried à sinking brings herb to kidneys

Ë  Honey fried à tonifiying warming moistening

Ë  Vinegar fried à astringent dispersing

Ë  Bran friedà reduce odor, bad taste make it more gentle enhance the effects

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The Purpose of Processing

Ë Reduce toxicity / potency / adverse effects

Ë Change the temperature

Ë Enhance therapeutic effects

Ë To improve taste and odor

Ë Facilitate storage

Ë  Influence the orientation or channels

Ë Remove impurities / foreign matter

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Various Preparation Techniques

Ë Calcining (Duan) Ë Quenching (Cui) Ë Quick-Frying (Pao) Ë Dry-curing or baking (Hong or Bei) Ë Roasting in ashes (Wei) Ë Steaming (Zheng) Ë Boiling (Zhu) Ë Simmering (Ao)

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Color of the herb Ë  Yellow “Huang” à Earth

Ë  Tend to enter SP, ST Ë  Act on digestive system

Ë  White “Bai” à Metal Ë  Tend to enter LU Ë  Act on the lung

Ë  Black / Grey “Hei” or “Wu” à Water Ë  Tend to enter KI Ë  Tonify yin or essence

Ë  Green / Blue “Qing” à Wood Ë  Tend to enter LV, GB Ë  Treat liver qi stag. (LQS) or Liver Fire

Ë  Red “Hong” or “Chi” à Fire Ë  Tend to enter HT, PC Ë  Treat Heart, blood, spirit or the mind Ë  Touch on the blood level

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Appearance Ë  Seeds or Fruits

Ë  Influence middle or lower jiao Ë  Tend to enter kidney (tonify) or UB (regulate water) Ë  Descend & lubricate intestines (high lipid content) Ë  Collect fruit when mature, but not overripe Ë  Collect fruit when mature, on a clear day (no dew / rain)

Ë  Flowers

Ë  Ascend & affect upper body / head Ë  Affect the qi Ë  Collected when blooming, but not fully in bloom

Ë  Stems, Twigs, Branches, Vines

Ë  for extremities, channels, collaterals, tendons Ë  Collected when fully grown, but not withering

Ë  Sap Ë  Collected during dry period

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Appearance, con’t Ë  Roots

Ë  Influence interior of body (yin organs) Ë  Collected late fall or winter

Ë  Peels / Barks “Pi”

Ë  Affect body surface (skin or lungs) Ë  Promote urination & reduce dampness

Ë  Insects

Ë  Salty Ë  Stronger than plant components Ë  treat obstruction in channels (mobility problems)

Ë  Minerals / Shells

Ë  Descending action on mind or liver wind Ë  Tranquilizing Ë  Sedating

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Indoor Market in China

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Raw herbs for sale

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Herbal Preparation – internal use

Ë Decoction (Tang) Ë Powders (San) Ë Boiled Powders or drafts (Zhu San) Ë Granules Ë Tinctures or Glycerites Ë Pills / Tablets / Capsules (Wan) Ë Medicinal Wines (Jiu) Ë Syrups (Gao) Ë  Injection Ë Suppository or Pessary Ë Enema or Douche

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Herbal Preparation – external use Ë Topical plasters (Gao) Ë Creams Ë Lip balms Ë Moxibustion Ë Linements Ë Salves Ë Soaks Ë Compress Ë Poultice Ë  Inhailed aromatherapy (aromatic essential oils) Ë Breathing steam Ë Ear pellets (Wang Bu Liu Xing)

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Clay Poultice

Ë Mix clay with enough water to make a thick paste. Apply directly to the area to be treated, pressing into the skin so that it adheres. Leave on until the clay dries and begins to pulls away from the skin.

Photo credit: The Herbal Medicine Cabinet, Debra St. Clare

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Poultice wrapped in gauze

Ë Add distilled water to the plant matter and mash. Place on gauze and apply to affected area. Wrap with additional roll gauze to hold in place.

Photo credit: The Herbal Medicine Cabinet, Debra St. Clare

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Lung Poultice

Ë Used for deep lung congestion or bronchial inflammation. Apply hot poultice, wrapped in gauze, and cover with towels to retain the heat. Prepare a 2nd hot poultice. When 1st poultice is cool, replace with 2nd.

Photo credit: The Herbal Medicine Cabinet, Debra St. Clare

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Poultice Placement Chart

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Measuring & Dosage for Decoction

Ë Measuring herbs Ë 1 qian = 3 grams (actually 3.125 grams) (average dose of herb = 3-9gr)

Ë Dosage: usually to drink 2x/day Ë Severe Case

Ë 1 bag per day Ë Medium Case

Ë 1 bag per 2 days Ë Mild Case

Ë 1-2 bags per week

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Decoction – cooking information

Ë Simple decoction Ë Cooking herbs in cheesecloth

Ë Decoction with pre-cook Ë Decoction with post-add

Ë Stir in (E Jiao = donkey glue) Ë Add last 5-10 min (Bo He = mint)

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Selection of cooking vessel Ë  1st choice

Ë  Earthenware Ë  Glass Ë  Enamel Ë  Porcelain Ë  Electrical porcelain pots

Ë  2nd choice Ë  Stainless steel

Ë Prohibited Ë  Iron Ë  Copper Ë  aluminum

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Simple Decoction Ë Wash off herbs in bowl & strain 2-3 times Ë Soak 30 min. in enough water to cover herbs Ë Press herbs down with wooden spoon (no metal) Ë Bring herbs to a boil (strong fire) Ë Keep lid on during cooking Ë Cook 15-40 minutes (medium fire) Ë Strain through cheesecloth into glass jar Ë Return all herbs to pot Ë Cook 15-30 minutes Ë Strain Ë Divide into 4 doses (2 doses per day) Ë Drink warm – reheat in earthenware or glass Ë Refrigerate unused portion

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Cooking Times for simple decoction

Ë Exterior releasing formulas Ë Cook 15-20 minutes

Ë Tonifying formula

Ë 30-40 minutes Ë Some require 1-3 hours

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Pre-Cook

Ë  Used for heavy minerals / shells Ë  Cook heavy minerals / shells 15-20 minutes ahead of time,

while the rest of the herbs are soaking in water Ë  Strain the liquid into soaking herbs Ë  Pulverize or slice remaining “pre-cook” herbs Ë  Add “pre-cook” herbs to soaking herbs Ë  Begin cooking herbs according to regular instructions Ë  Examples:

Ë  Mu Li / concha Ostrae Ë  Long Gu / Os Draconis Ë  Shi Jue Ming / Concha Haliotidis Ë  Gui Ban / Plastrum Testudinis Ë  Bie Jia / Carapax Amydae Ë  Shi Gao / Gypsum

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Post-add Ë  For aromatic herbs: to preserve the volatile aroma and

active ingredients in the decoction Ë  Add “post-add” herbs during the last 5-15 minutes of the

decoction Ë  Some herbs will be added loosely and other herbs will be

wrapped when added Ë  Wrapped

Ë  contain minute hairs Ë  Powders Ë  Messy

Ë  Variation of “post-add” Ë  For easy to dissolve, sticky or gluey herbs Ë  Stir in herbs at the end of cooking

Ë  E Jiao / Equus asinus Ë  Mang Xiao / Mineral salt: sodium sulfate

Ë  Steep in hot water Ë  Hu Po / Amber

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Method of Ingesting Decoction

Ë Take warm or hot for cold patterns Ë Take hot to promote perspiration

Ë Take cold for hot patterns Ë Take cold to avoid vomiting

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Time of ingestion Ë Usual method

Ë take 1 hour before or after meal Ë Tonifying formulas

Ë take 1 hour before meal Ë Formulas to aid sleep

Ë Take before bed Ë Purgative formulas

Ë take on empty stomach Ë Formulas with irritating nature

Ë take 30 minutes after meal

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Contraindications / Incompatibilities Ë  Inappropriate to casually purchase Chinese patent

medications Ë Each herb category and each herb have

contraindications Ë  Example: Cold Herbs

Ë  contraindicated with cold conditions Ë  Incorrect herbal combos à adverse/toxic reactions

Ë  “The rhyme of 18 pairs of contraindications”

Ë Contra in pregnancy Ë  Can injure fetus à miscarriage

Ë  Herbs that move blood Ë  Herbs that move downward or purgatives (rhubarb) Ë  Herbs that open the orifices Ë  Very warming herbs (dried ginger and cinnamon)

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Important Ancient Texts on Herbs Ë  Huang Di Nei Jing

Ë  500 BC (Zhou Dynasty) Ë  53 herbs

Ë  Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing Ë  Written 206 BC–25 AD (Western Han Dynasty) Ë  365 herbs (first herb text)

Ë  Shang Han Lun Ë  160-270AD Ë  113 formulas – major text for teaching herbal formulas

Ë  Tang Ben Cao Ë  657-659 AD (Tang Dynasty) Ë  1st gov’t approved text on herbal therapy Ë  850 medicinal substances

Ë  Ben Cao Gang Mu Ë  1578 AD (Ming Dynasty) Ë  1892 herb; 11,000 formulas Ë  By Li Shi-Zhen Ë  52 volumes; translated into 30 languages