Categorisation of Chinese herbs
Chinese herbs may be categorised according to:
- the four natures
- the five tastes
- the meridians.
The four natures
Similar to other TCM disciplines, CHM is based on the concepts of yin and
yang and of qienergy. The herbs are ascribed qualities ranging from cold
(extreme yin), cool, neutral to warm and hot (extreme yang), and are often
used in combination according to the deficiencies or excesses of these
qualities in the patient.
The five tastes
The five tastes are:
- Pungent: pungent herbs are often used to generate sweat and to direct
and vitalise qiand the blood - Sweet: sweet-tasting herbs are often used to tonify or harmonise bodily
systems - Sour: sour tasting herbs are most often used as astringents
- Bitter: bitter tasting herbs are used to dispel heat and purge the bowels
- Salty: salty tasting herbs are used to soften hard masses as well as
purge and open the bowels.
The meridians
The meridians refer to which organs the herb acts upon, e.g. menthol is
pungent, cool and linked to the lungs and the liver.
Formulation of Chinese herbal medicines
The unique characteristic of CHM is the degree to which it is formulated.
In other forms of herbal medicine, especially western herbal medicine, herbs
are often delivered singly or combined into very small formulae of herbs
with the same function. In contrast, Chinese herbalists rarely prescribe a
single herb to treat a condition. They create formulae instead. A formula
usually contains from 4 to 20 herbs. They may also be combined with
animal or mineral materials.
Examples of herbs from vegetable and animal origin are shown in Figure
6.7.
Traditional Chinese medicine | 153