Chinese Herbs:

Natures Healing Allies

Herbology is the oldest and arguably the most comprehensive branch of Chinese
medicine. When Westerners consider taking herbs, most will go to their local nutritional
supplement or natural foods store and ask for help from the staff. They might be given
echinacea for a cold, St. Johns wort for depression, ginger for an upset stomach, black
cohosh for a menstrual difficulty, or valerian for insomnia. This isnt a bad thing, as those
herbs are often a better choice than a drug alternative. Many Western herbalists and
naturopathic doctors (NDs) use this approach, even when creating herb formulas.
However, results can vary considerably, and the desired improvement might not occur,
possibly leading one to believe that herbs are ineffective. This is not due to a problem
with the herb

itself but with the rationale behind how it was selected and administered.
That approach follows the Western pharmaceutical/allopathic model, where one drug is
used to treat one symptom or disease. That is, its the disease that is being addressed,
not the individual who has the disease. Even though a natural substance is being
substituted for a drug, this is not really a holistic approach. As youve seen, there are
many possible root causes for any symptom. If the root imbalance, the pattern of
disharmony, isnt addressed, the person is not brought back into balance. Some
symptoms may improve, some may not, and others could get worse (see Appendix 2,
Note 14.1), while the pattern remains unchanged, setting the stage for future
occurrences of the same problem.
The following introduction provides insight into the main criteria and methods used in
Chinese herbology, from analyzing and categorizing individual herbs to constructing
herbal formulas. This is a completely holistic application of herbs as medicine.

Main Attributes of Chinese Herbs: Temperature and Taste

There are two primary characteristics that define Chinese herbal properties. They are
temperature, also referred to as Qi, and taste.
All herbs, and in fact all ingestible substances, can be analyzed according to
temperature. In common experience, everyone understands that pepper is hot and mint
is cool. Chinese pharmacology recognizes five temperatures along the hot-cold
spectrum: hot, warm, neutral, cool, and cold. Sometime qualifiers are noted to hone
degree, such as slightly cold or slightly hot. The most obvious use of this understanding
is that hot herbs are used to treat cold diseases, and cold herbs are used to treat hot
ones. (See Appendix 2, Note 14.2.)
The second characteristic all herbs and consumables have is taste. Herbal medicine
recognizes five primary tastes that correspond to the Five Element tastesspicy (acrid),
sweet, bitter, sour, and saltyalong with a neutral taste, bland. An herb may have more
than one taste.
The tastes may indicate the organ or organs that the herb most readily influences, and
each has additional therapeutic effects. Spicy has an affinity for the Lungs and Large
Intestine and makes Qi scatter and move. That Qi movement[]

to scatter or can direct fluids like blood and sweat to move. Sweet has an affinity for the
Spleen and Stomach, tonifies Qi, and harmonizes and sometimes tonifies Yin to
promote moistening. Sweet also slows and moderates the effects of harsh herbs. (See
Appendix 2, Note 14.3.) Bitter has an affinity for the Heart and Small Intestine and
produces drying and draining effects. Sour has an affinity for the Liver and Gall Bladder,
is astringent, and restrains or prevents leakage of fluids or Qi. Salty has an affinity for
the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder, softens hardness (such as cysts), and purges. Bland
does not have a definitive organ affinity, although based on its function, which is to
leech out Damp and promote urination, some sources say it has an affinity for the
Spleen, the organ most sensitive to Damp.
Directionality
Some herbs have specific directional qualities and are able to address targeted
locations in the body through differing means.
Some physically heavier substances are not herbs at all but bones, shells, and rock-like
minerals that are part of the Chinese pharmacopoeia. Their heaviness imparts a
weighty, descending quality that is used to subdue inappropriately rising Qi, Yang,
or[]