Herbology is traditionally one of the more important modalities utilized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Each herbal medicine prescription is a cocktail of many herbs tailored to the individual patient. One batch of herbs is typically decocted twice over the course of one hour. The practitioner usually designs a remedy using one or two main ingredients that target the illness. Then the practitioner adds many other ingredients to adjust the formula to the patient's Yin Yang conditions.
In Chinese medicine, diseases are often treated with herbs. Applications of Chinese herbs in clinical practice are based upon the nature and capabilities of herbs and the latter in turn is based upon the four energies, five flavors, four movements and meridian routes of herbs.
THE 4 ENERGIES OF HERBS: Cold, Hot, Warm, and Cool
These classifications are derived from the effects of herbs as originally observed from actual applications by the ancient Chinese. If an herb has proven effective in the treatment of a hot syndrome, that herb is considered to have a cold energy; when an herb has proven effective in the treatment of a cold syndrome, it is considered to have a hot energy.
The four energies of herbs can be broadly divided into yin and yang, with cold and cool energies belonging to yang. Since the difference between cold and cool and between hot and warm is only a matter of degree, Chinese physicians are in the habit of using such expressions as “ extremely warm” or “slightly warm” and “ extremely cold” or “slightly cold.”
THE 5 FLAVORS OF HERBS: Pungent, Sweet, Sour, Bitter, and Salty
The five flavors are distinguished from each other by the sense of taste. They came to the conclusion through a very long process of clinical experience that pungent herbs can disperse and promote the flow of energy, sour herbs can constrict and obstruct, sweet herbs can slow down, tone up and harmonize, bitter herbs can dry up and cause diarrhea and salty herbs can soften up and promote downward movements. They do not always relate to the actual perceived flavors but are used to indicate the actions of specific herbs. Herbs may have a complex of more than one flavor.
Another classification is tasteless flavor, which can help dampness seep and promote urination. It is generally classified under the sweet flavor, which is why a celebrated Chinese herbalist has said, “Tasteless flavor is associated with sweet flavor.”
A formula may have, say, four common actions: to clear the lungs, transform sputum, cool the blood and counteract toxic effects.
Taste | Function | Treatable Diseases | Herbs or Foods with this Taste |
Pungent | - promotes diaphoresis - disperses external pathogenic influences - promotes circulation - invigorates/restore energy | | - cinnamon - cayenne - cardamom - ginger - mint - pepper - onion |
Sour | - induces astringency - arrest sweating and various discharges | - used for perspiration caused by weakness, chronic cough, chronic diarrhea, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination, chronic leucorrhea, metrorrhagia | - citrus peel - crabapple - gooseberry - lemon - lime - schizandra berries - vinegar |
Bitter | - disperses/eliminates heat | - clears inflammation caused by infections - discharge dampness - relieves cough/vomiting | - Coptis - gentian - coffee - phellodendron - pumpkin seeds - rhubarb - watercress - angostura butters |
Sweet | - tonifies - nourishes - harmonizes the effects of different herbs in formulas - normalizes functions of the Stomach and Spleen - relieves spasm and pain - detoxifies | - generally used to treat symptoms of Deficiency including dry cough, constipation caused by dryness of the intestines, malnutrition, and low energy | - astragalus root - bamboo shoots - codonopsis - ginseng - jujube dates - potatoes - corn - rice - beef - chicken - eggs - licorice |
Salty | - lubricate/soften hard masses - detoxifies/concentrates - breaks up lumps | - relieve constipation by purgation | - salt - seaweed |
THE 4 MOVEMENTS OF HERBS: Push Upward, Push Downward, Float, and Sink
To push upward means that a given herb is capable of elevating falling symptoms, used for diseases associated with a collapse of Qi, prolapse of various internal organs, coldness, depression, low energy and fatigue. These may include warm tonic herbs such as astragalus root but may also include bupleurum and cimicifuga which while having a cool energy are used to raise the Qi.
To push downward means the herb is capable of suppressing upsurging symptoms, as with hiccups and cough, including symptoms of cough, vomiting and asthma. Two examples of herbs in this category include Pinellia and perilla.
To float means that the herb is capable of dispersing outward, as with inducing perspiration. Outward herbs have diaphoretic properties and are used for the initial stages of colds, flus, fevers and eruptive skin diseases. Examples of herbs with this property are numerous and include ephedra (ma huang), cinnamon twigs, mint and schizonepeta.
To sink means that the herb is capable of promoting diarrhea and directing energy downward. In general, flowers or leaves are light while roots, seeds or fruits are heavy. So that light herbs a commonly used for treating acute, feverish diseases while heavy herbs are used for deeper, more chronic conditions. In general, flower and leaves that are light in quality tend to ascend or float. Seeds, fruits and minerals tend to descend or sink.
The herbs that can push upward and those that can float have the common functions of moving upward and outward, with such actions as inducing perspiration and vomiting as well as elevating yang energy. On the other hand, the herbs that can push downward and those that can sink have the common functions of moving downward and inward, with such actions as relieving vomiting, checking perspiration and inducing diarrhea.
MERIDIAN ROUTES OF HERBS
In more recent Chinese medical history, herbs have been classified as entering or affecting one or more of the 12 Internal Organs. Since the internal organs in Chinese medicine refer not only to the specific organ but to the acupuncture channel or meridian that belongs to that organ, specific herbs are known to have a more or less specific effect on the corresponding organ meridian.
The meridian routes refer to the meridians a given herb is capable of entering and traveling through, which accounts for two herbs with identical energy and flavor still displaying two different actions. In clinical application, herbs are selected that travel through the meridians in the diseased regions. For instance, a hot herb is used to treat a cold disease and a cold herb is used to treat a hot disease, which are standard procedures in Chinese herbal therapy. But two hot herbs may have different actions, with one herb being good for the cold lungs syndrome while the other being good for the cold liver syndrome. By the same token, one cold herb may be good for the hot spleen syndrome whereas another cold herb may be good for the hot lungs syndrome.
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