contractive and female, represented by water. Yang is active, positive, hot, light, expansive and male, symbolised by fire. The constant interplay between these opposite and mutually dependent forces, produces all the change and movement in the universe. Different parts of the body are described as predominantly yin or yang. Yin is found in the internal, lower and front part of the body, in the body fluids and blood, and it governs innate instincts, while yang governs qi, vital energy and learned skills, and presides in the upper, external and back parts of the body. To maintain health, yin and yang need to be in balance.
Chinese herbs are often used combined in formulae; synergy increases their therapeutic benefits.
The Five Elements
As in Ayurveda, the theory of five elements is vital to the Chinese understanding of life in all its variety. Wood, fire, earth, metal and water are the elements that compose and relate to all aspects of life, including parts of the body, vital organs, emotions, seasons, colours and tastes. To illustrate, wood relates to spring, the colour green, the liver and gall bladder, anger and the sour taste. Fire corresponds to summer, the heart and small intestine, joy and bitter taste.
The constant interplay of the five elements along with that of yin and yang spark off all change and activity in nature. The fundamental relationships among the five elements are the key to understanding how our bodies and the environment interact and influence each other. To maintain good health, the elements need to be in harmony and if one element becomes over-dominant, imbalance and illness can result. Although the emphasis is on the internal causation of a disease, traditional Chinese medicine recognises that outside factors play a role. A 2nd century CE physician called Zhang Zhongjing wrote the Treatise of Cold-Damage Disorders, which described the diagnosis and treatment of diseases caused by external cold factors; in effect, this referred to infectious diseases.
The Organ Networks
The body is also divided into five functional systems called organ networks. These govern certain tissues, as well as mental and physical activities by regulating and preserving qi, moisture, blood, spirit (shen), and essence (jing). The kidney network is responsible for fluid balance in the body and also stores the essence or jing, which is responsible for fertility, growth, and regeneration. Its province is the teeth, bones, marrow, brain, inner ear, pupil of the eye, and the lower back, as well as the emotion of fear, the will, and the ability to think and see things clearly. The heart network circulates blood and is the home of the spirit (shen) and governs the mind. The spleen network governs digestion and assimilation of food and fluids, as well as digestion of information and ideas, while the liver network controls the storage of blood, flow of qi, and stability of mood and temperament. The lung network governs breathing, circulation and the distribution of moisture.
Diagnosis and Treatment
This involves taking a case history which includes the patient's present and past complaints, lifestyle, physical environment, family health history, work, home and emotional life. It also includes reading of the basic indicators of health and disease such as the complexion, lustre of the eyes and hair, colour and texture of the tongue and its coating. Pulse and tongue diagnosis are the principal diagnostic tools of the practitioner of Chinese medicine and enable the practitioner to detect imbalances and ill health before they show up on other modern diagnostic apparatus such as blood tests and x-rays.
Chinese treatment works to balance the four natures that relates to the degree of yin and yang within each individual.
HERBS COMMONLY USED IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
Angelica polymorph (see page 110)
Artemisia annua (see page 120)
Astragalus membranaceous (see page 123)
Codonopsis pilosula (see page 144)
Lonicera japonica (see page 197)
Paeonia lactiflora (see page 213)
Polygonum multiflorum (see page 220)
Prunella vulgaris (see page 221)
Rehmania glutinosa (see page 222)
Schizandra chinensis (see page 235)
Scutellaria baicalensis (see page 236)
Treatment is aimed at harmonizing yin and yang, wet and dry, cold and heat, inner and outer, body and mind by regulating the qi, moisture and blood in the organ networks. Treatment may combine herbs, diet, exercise, and massage. Chinese herbs have been classified according to the four natures, the five tastes and the meridians. The four natures relates to the degrees of yin and yang which are: cold (extreme yin), cool, warm and hot (extreme yang).
As in Tibetan and Unani medicine, herbs and foods are all composed of five tastes: pungent, sweet, sour, bitter and salty, each of which has different qualities and actions in the body.
1. Pungent herbs increase production of sweat and direct and increase qi and blood.
2. Sweet herbs are nourishing and toning, and some act as diuretics to drain dampness.
3. Sour herbs are astringent, bitter herbs clear heat and dampness.
4. Salty herbs are used to stimulate the bowels and reduce hard masses.
5. Herbs that nourish the qi have an energising effect, herbs to enrich the blood help sleep, vision and mood, while herbs to replenish moisture soften the skin and relieve thirst. The meridians relate to the organ networks that can be helped by herbs to do their work.
Herbs are usually combined in formulae to enhance their action either in the form of dried herbs for decoctions, ground and produced as pills and powders or used in liquid extracts. Some practitioners use patent formulae in the form of pills which are certainly more easy and convenient for the patient than boiling up herbs in decoctions, but do not allow for the individualised prescriptions that practitioners can formulate themselves in response to the specific needs of each patient.
Angelica polymorph, variation sinensis, also known as Chinese angelica/dong guai, is a herb commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Prunella vulgaris, or self-heal, is used to treat fever and liver imbalance and is also valued for accelerating wound-repair.
Herbs used in the Chinese tradition include codonopsis (Codonopsis pilusera), astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous), liquorice, ginger, Chinese angelica (Angelica sinensis), sweet Annie (Artemisia annua), coriander, honeysuckle, peony, fleece flower (Polygonum multiflorum), rehmania (Rehmania glutinosa),
