Folio Bound VIEWS - Chinese Medicine

depletes Heart- and Lung-Qi. The formula therefore needs some herbs

with a pungent taste to open the Heart's orifices, some with a sour taste

to nourish the Heart and calm the Mind and some sinking substances to

calm the Mind and make Heart-Qi descend to the Lower Burner.

Herbal treatment She was already receiving acupuncture from another practitioner who
referred to me for herbal treatment. The prescription used was not a
classical one but one I formulated for this particular case. This was:

Dang Shen Radix Codonopsis pilosulae 9 g

Fu Shen Sclerotium Poriae cocos pararadicis 6 g

Yuan Zhi Radix Polygalae tenuifoliae 9 g

Bai Zi Ren Semen Biotae orientalis 6 g

Suan Zao Ren Semen Ziziphi spinosae 3 g

Long Chi Dens Draconis 12 g

Bai He Bulbus Lilii 6 g

Shi Chang Pu Rhizoma Acori graminei 4 g

Huang Qin Radix Scutellariae baicalensis 3 g

Rou Gui Cortex Cinnamomi cassiae 1.5 g

Zhi Gan Cao Radix Glycyrrhizae uralensis praeparata 2 g

Hong Zao Fructus Ziziphi jujubae 3 dates

Explanation Dang Shen and Fu Shen tonify the Spleen. Fu Shen also calms the
Mind.

Yuan Zhi, Bai Zi Ren and Suan Zao Ren calm the Mind and nourish

the Heart. Yuan Zhi is pungent and opens the Heart's orifices while Bai

Zi Ren and Suan Zao Ren are sweet and sour respectively and therefore

nourish the Heart and calm the Mind.

Long Chi is a sinking substance to calm the Mind.

Bai He nourishes the Lungs especially when they are affected by

sadness.

Chang Pu opens the Mind's orifices and counteracts the effects of

shock.

Huang Qin clears Heart-Heat and calms the Mind. It is used in a very

small dose more to enter the Heart than to clear it.

Rou Gui was used to warm the Fire of the Gate of Vitality, attract the

Fire of the Heart downwards and re-establish the communication

between Kidneys and Heart.

Zhi Gan Cao and Hong Zao harmonize.