Endangered Herbs in Chinese Medicine?May 11th, 2013 3:00am - Posted By: Eric Brand
By Eric Brand Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Was the item used as Ren Shen in ancient times actually Dang Shen?June 17th, 2012 4:16am - Posted By: Eric Brand
By Eric Brand A year or so ago, I was translating a class for a Shang Han Lun doctor named Huang Huang, and we received an interesting question from one of the practitioners in the audience. This particular practitioner had learned at their Shang Han Lun class in school that the medicinal used as Ren Shen was actually Dang Shen in ancient times. This raises an interesting question and a debate that is worth investigating. The crux of the argument for Dang Shen as the ancient source of Ren Shen is based on a geographical statement of quality from Tao Hong-Jing’s 5th century annotated edition of the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica). Tao stated that the Ren Shen from the “shang dang” region in modern-day Shanxi province was of high-quality. At present, there is no ginseng growing in the shang dang region, but the ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +The Historical Evolution of Pulse DiagnosisApril 18th, 2012 9:44pm - Posted By: Eric Brand and Feng Ye
By Eric Brand Evaluation of the pulse has been one of the most important aspects of Chinese medical diagnosis throughout history. From ancient times until the modern day, the pulse has been regarded as Chinese medicine’s most comprehensive diagnostic indicator. Experienced practitioners claim that they can detect ovulation, pregnancy, and common colds in their regular patients; some even claim to be able to pinpoint a new patient’s chief complaint by the pulse alone. Although many Westerners find the intricate assessment of the pulse to be one of the most intriguing features of Chinese medicine, most of us are largely unaware of the historical influences that have shaped our modern understanding of pulse diagnosis.Pulse diagnosis as we know it today is very different than it was at its inception. In the modern age, practitioners rely exclusively upon the radial artery when evaluating the pulse. ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 1 Comment(s) | Rating: 5 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +How much is in a qian?April 9th, 2012 12:09pm - Posted By: Eric Brand
by Eric Brand, L.Ac. The question of weights and measurements in Chinese medicine is complicated, and I never cease to be amazed at how few people are even aware of the complex issues around the qian. Most practitioners generally equate one Chinese qian to three grams, and we express the dose range of many common medicinals as 3-9 grams. (This dose range is based on the traditional 1-3 qian). However, the weight of one qian has varied throughout history, and most people are stunned to hear that the 3-9 gram dose ranges that we take for granted are more closely rounded to 4-11 grams in places that still use qian measurements, such as pharmacies in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Western Chinatowns. Why all the confusion? As many practitioners know, Qin Shi-huang, the first Chinese Emperor, united Chinese culture by systematizing weights, measures, and written Chines ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Should the term "daodi" remain in Pinyin, just like yin and yang?March 24th, 2012 12:44pm
By Eric Brand As Chinese medicine has matured in the West, the practitioner community has come to recognize that many traditional concepts need to be understood on their own terms and some of these concepts cannot be easily translated into English. Although we have established technical terms in English that permit translation of complex Chinese medical terminology, a few terms simply cannot be effectively translated, such as qi, yin and yang. It is futile to try to find an English word that captures concepts such as yin or yang; it takes an entire English paragraph to summarize and explain their meaning. When we encounter terms with this rich conceptual depth, the natural tendency is to simply use the Pinyin term rather than attempt to translate the word into English. While we cannot use Pinyin for all of the thousands of technical terms in Chinese medicine (too many words share the same Pinyin spelling), we tend to prefe ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Bai ZhiMarch 23rd, 2012 8:04pm
By Eric Brand Bai Zhi is a truly fascinating medicinal. Its use has been documented since ancient times and it has remained irreplaceable up to the present day. Bai Zhi was first recorded in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (“The Divine Farmer's Classic of Materia Medica”), where it was listed an acrid and warm, middle-grade medicinal. The photo above is a photograph of whole (Chuan) Bai Zhi, which I photographed at Chengdu’s herbal wholesale market. We now think of Bai Zhi as being an exterior-resolving agent that is suitable for wind-cold patterns, especially cases that are characterized by sinus congestion and headache. In truth, Bai Zhi’s actions are quite diverse, and it is an important medicinal for both internal and external applications (it relieves itching and is often featured in topical formulas for itching). Its actions of relieving headache and sinus congestion go far beyond t ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 2 Comment(s) | Rating: 4 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Chi Shao vs. Bai ShaoMarch 23rd, 2012 8:03pm
By Eric Brand In school, we learn that Bai Shao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) and Chi Shao (Paeoniae Radix Rubra) were not differentiated in ancient times. For example, classical texts from the Han dynasty such as the Shang Han Lun (“On Cold Damage”) and the Jin Gui Yao Lue (“Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Coffer”) only referred to Shao Yao, which is a basic term for peony that doesn’t differentiate between red peony (Chi Shao) and white peony (bai shao). When did these two medicinals start becoming differentiated, and which forms are best in classical formulas such as Gui Zhi Tang and Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan? The first time that the terms red (chi) and white (bai) appeared in the context of Shao Yao was in Tao Hong-Jing’s annotated version of the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (“The Divine Husbandman's Herbal Foundation Canon”), which was compiled in the 6th cent ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 3 Comment(s) | Rating: 4 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Great Recipe for Homemade WoochMarch 23rd, 2012 8:01pm
By Eric Brand This is a recipe to make a homemade copy of a very famous Chinese product called Shou Wu Chih (Shou Wu Zhi). It is basically a medicinal liquor that is used to supplement the blood and is also thought to blacken and nourish the hair. There are several similar products on the market with slightly different recipes, but one of the key authentic brands is the Yang Cheng brand. For many years, Shou Wu Chih was sold openly in Chinatown pharmacies and it often remains available. However, most pharmacies do not have a liquor license so they can only sell food products. To better comply with the law, the label of many of the alcohol-containing commercial products was altered to include salt, allowing the product to be sold as cooking wine. Personally, I suspect that the only thing that changed was the label, but I haven't tried it for many years so I can't say for sure. As a student, we had a Tui Na teacher who loved Shou W ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Bai Zhu's Pao Zhi ChoicesMarch 23rd, 2012 7:59pm
By Eric Brand Bai Zhu is one of the most commonly used items in the Chinese materia medica. At Legendary, Bai Zhu ranks in at #10 in terms of total herb sales, and import data from Taiwan shows that Bai Zhu was ranked #9 in total volume with just over 488,000 kg imported to Taiwan in 1997. Clearly, Bai Zhu is one of the most important herbs in Chinese medicine, but many Western practitioners remain uncertain as to which processing method is best for any given patient. When I was going to school for Chinese medicine in California, I did an apprenticeship with an old Chinese-Vietnamese herbalist in a Chinatown-style herb shop. I remember that every time we opened a box of Bai Zhu, he would routinely put half of it in the toaster oven to make “Chao Bai Zhu.” Technically, a toaster oven isn’t the traditional tool for chao-processing, which refers to stir-frying in a dry wok; however, the toaste ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 2 Comment(s) | Rating: 5 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Growing Chinese Herbs Outside of ChinaMarch 23rd, 2012 7:57pm
By Eric Brand Given the planet’s ecological situation, the question of sustainable agricultural practices for Chinese herbs emerges again and again in discussions. At present, about 50% of the product on the Chinese herbal marketplace by weight is wild-crafted, and the rest is cultivated. About 150 herbs are exclusively available in their cultivated form, with an average combined production of about 300,000-350,000 metric tons per year. In the West, many people are starting to become interested in cultivating Chinese herbs. There are a variety of reasons why locally produced Chinese herbs have appeal- many of us would like to support local organic agriculture, reduce the carbon footprint of the herbal supply chain, and generally strengthen our connection to live, growing plants. Seeing an herb growing in nature feels different than seeing the product dried on a pharmacy shelf, and America’s comparatively ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +A few random clinical tips from my teachersMarch 23rd, 2012 7:56pm
By Eric Brand In my mind, the ability to form good relationships with teachers is one of the most essential elements of studying Chinese medicine. Relationships are incredibly important in Chinese society, and those who learn how to cultivate meaningful relationships with a wide variety of teachers invariably acquire an excellent TCM education. This art of building relationships cannot be learned in a textbook, but relationships with our teachers, colleagues, and patients tremendously affect our potential as practitioners. I feel fortunate to have had some great teachers in my studies and travels, and I want to share a few pieces of advice from various teachers that have been helpful to me. The Spine of the Pulse In Taiwan, I had the honor of studying with an excellent doctor named Feng Ye. Feng Ye is one of the most inspiring doctors that I have ever encountered in terms of his intelligence an ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Herbs that enter the extraordinary channelsMarch 23rd, 2012 7:53pm
By Eric Brand Source? ???? (Essential Combinations in Materia Medica), 1761 C.E. Bai shao (Paeoniae Radix Alba): Governs yang wei (yang linking vessel) [aversion to] cold and heat [effusion] and dai mai (girdling vessel) abdominal pain Lu hui (Aloe): Governs disease in the chong mai (thoroughfare vessel), counterflow qi and abdominal urgency Ba ji tian (Morindae Officinalis Radix): Enters the chong mai (thoroughfare vessel) Bing lang (Arecae Semen): Governs chong mai (thoroughfare vessel) counterflow qi and abdominal urgency Wu zhu yu (Evodiae Fructus).: Governs chong mai (thoroughfare vessel) counterflow qi and abdominal urgency Dang gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix): Governs chong mai (thoroughfare vessel) disease with counterflow qi and abdominal urgency; da ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Vietnamese CinnamonMarch 23rd, 2012 7:52pm
By Eric Brand Pictured below is high-quality Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex). Specifically known by trade names such as “Qing Hua Gui” or “An Nan Gui,” this type of Rou Gui comes from Vietnam so it is often called Vietnamese cinnamon. It is more expensive than the standard item that we use in Chinese medicine, but it is often sought out by practitioners seeking high-end, premium “dao di” herbal products. The standard product comes from Guangxi, China, and is usually sold in long rolls or broken pieces; premium Vietnamese Rou Gui comes in a single curved, flat piece, which is broken up and powdered for use. To ascertain the quality of Rou Gui, a combination of visual clues and aroma is key. It is hard to learn about herbal quality from evaluating photographs or reading text, so the best way to really gain a feel for herbal quality discernment is to physically see a lot of real specimens. ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Hou Po ProcessingMarch 23rd, 2012 7:51pm
By Eric Brand Hou Po (officinal magnolia bark) has been used since ancient times, and a wide variety of processing methods have emerged to maximize its clinical effects. Many different adjuvants have been historically used in the pao zhi of Hou Po, including ginger, dates, honey, vinegar, congee, and salt, and many methods such as boiling, baking, soaking, and stir-frying have been documented. At least 14 different processed forms of Hou Po exist, but ginger-processed Hou Po has the broadest use and remains the most common form in clinical practice.Ginger-processing for Hou Po first emerged in the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, in Lei Gong’s Pao Zhi Lun (Grandfather Lei’s Treatise on Medicinal Processing), and also appeared in Tang dynasty texts. Today, ginger-processing is often achieved by soaking Hou Po slices in ginger juice until the juice is absorbed, then stir-frying the Hou Po sli ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Supplementing Yang: You Gui Wan vs. Shen Qi WanMarch 23rd, 2012 7:49pm
By Eric Brand In the treatment of kidney yang vacuity, there are several common base formulas to choose from. While hundreds of formulas for supplementing yang exist, the three most common recipes are Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan (Kidney Qi Pill from the Golden Cabinet), You Gui Wan (Right-Restoring [Life Gate] Pill), and You Gui Yin (Right-Restoring [Life Gate] Beverage). Each of these three formulas has its strengths and weaknesses, and they are suitable for different nuances of presentation. Shen Qi Wan, also called Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan (Golden Coffer Kidney Qi Pill), is a formula that was originally recorded in the text Jin Gui Yao Lue (“Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Coffer”). The Jin Gui was written during the latter part of the Han dynasty, and it preceded the You Gui Wan/You Gui Yin formulas by just over 1400 years. You Gui Wan and You Gui Yin were first recorded in 1624 CE, in the Ming dynasty text Jing-Yue ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +What is the difference between "fortifying the spleen" and "supplementing the spleen?"March 23rd, 2012 7:47pm
by Eric Brand One of the greatest challenges for new Chinese medicine students lies in understanding the subtle nuances in action of the various medicinals. This challenge is all the more difficult because different books preserve the technical distinctions of medicinal actions with varying degrees of rigor. Even rigorous English sources sometimes use different terminology from author to author, which often leaves the students speculating amongst themselves about the differences and similarities between terms such as strengthening the spleen, supplementing the spleen, fortifying the spleen, and tonifying the spleen. The actions and indications of medicinals are expressed in specialized Chinese medical terminology. Since many medicinals have similar actions, understanding the nuances of their nature and effects is important in clinical application. This material can be difficult to study in school because some Western teachers do no ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Chinese Medical Devices in TaiwanMarch 23rd, 2012 7:45pm
By Eric Brand Today’s little article will look at some of the trends in Chinese medical devices in Taiwan. A variety of interesting things fit into this category, such as customized granule packaging machines and decoction-steam delivery devices, which direct steam from a decoction to an affected site on the body. Acupuncture Needles In terms of acupuncture needles, Taiwanese doctors tend to use the traditional Chinese needles that most of us are familiar with. The needles are generally average to slightly thick by American standards; 32 and 30 gauge needles are the most common and gauges 34 and thinner are very rarely seen. Clean needle technique (i.e., no handling of the shaft) and swabbing of points with alcohol is the norm. Acupuncture needles in Taiwan are nearly exclusively disposable, single-use needles. I have only ever seen autoclaved reusable needles used by one doctor ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 2 Comment(s) | Rating: 5 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Clinical Implications of Accurate TranslationMarch 23rd, 2012 7:41pm
by Eric Brand When we first study Chinese medicine, we need to establish a number of baseline theories early on. Many of the foundational theories covered in Chinese Medicine 101 come from the Huang Di Nei Jing, such as channel theory, five phase associations, visceral manifestation, and the functions of the various organs. These basic concepts are important throughout our study of Chinese medicine, so it is imperative that we build our foundation by starting with accurate translations and concepts. At present, there are a number of fundamental theories that are often misunderstood in the Western TCM community, and in many instances the misunderstanding is rooted in an error of translation. The existence of these errors is understandable, since the pioneering early-generation of American TCM practitioners typically had few English books available, and the few good teachers that were around often had a limited ability to co ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Some Interesting Stats on Herb ProductionMarch 23rd, 2012 7:38pm
By Eric Brand As practitioners of Chinese medicine, we often wonder about the origin of the herbal products that we use. How many of the products that we use are cultivated and how many are wildcrafted? As Chinese medicine grows worldwide, will wild plant populations be sufficient to meet the global demand? Will new growing regions emerge, will wildcrafting expand into new ecosystems? Some of these questions are beyond the scope of a simple blog, but let’s look at some statistics on Chinese herb production to get a feel for the situation. Over 1200 herbal products are estimated to be available on the Chinese domestic market. Some items are exclusively available as wild products while others are only available in their cultivated form. Many wild medicinals cannot be effectively cultivated but a fair number of herbs can be found in both cultivated and wild forms. Some of the herbs that we use are already threatened in the wild, ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +Chinese Medicine and DairyMarch 23rd, 2012 7:35pm
By Eric Brand In the West, we often hear people talk about dairy in the context of TCM, where it is invariably implicated as a number one culprit when it comes to dampness and phlegm. However, while I admit that I am no expert on this subject, I’ve never seen dairy singled out or specifically mentioned in Chinese texts in any way that mirrors the common Western assumption about it. Consequently, I can’t help but wonder if this common assumption is something that is getting superimposed on Chinese medicine by the Western mind. Is this idea about dairy and dampness an authentic TCM concept, or is it just something that got loosely assimilated into TCM by osmosis from popular ideas in the surrounding Western culture? I’m not an expert on dietary therapy in Chinese medicine. However, I love food and at one time I thought about doing a book on dietary therapy, so I read and amassed dozens of Chi ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 1 Comment(s) | Rating: 5 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +EBM and TCMMarch 23rd, 2012 7:34pm
by Eric Brand Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a major topic of discussion in the modern medical world. While Chinese medicine offers a rich and well-preserved historical record of medical interventions, its historical "evidence base” is fraught with confounding variables that hamper its acceptance into the mainstream medical paradigm. Chief among these variables are issues of inter-rater reliability (i.e., different doctors diagnose the same patient differently), the use of polypharmacy (multiple medicinal substances are combined together and are often varied for each patient at a given point in time), and the differences between modern research protocols and historical records of treatment (no controls, only treatment groups in ancient times). Many practitioners have witnessed tremendous results from Chinese medicine, and the prevailing viewpoint in the field suggests the best results are obtained by applying appropria ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +When Did Chinese Medicine First Discover Sexual Transmission as a Vector of Disease?March 23rd, 2012 7:30pm
by Eric Brand It is hard to accurately assess how long ago sexual transmission was recognized as a vector of disease in Chinese medicine. Many diseases that are now known to be caused by particular organisms or other vectors of disease were traditionally believed to be caused by the invasion of evil qì contracted from environmental factors. For example, malaria was not known to be caused by mosquitoes; it was classically attributed to contraction of summerheat during the hot season, contact with mountain forest miasma, or contraction of cold-damp. Similarly, many sexually transmitted diseases were long thought to be due to contraction of external environmental evils, possibly related to constitutional weakness or unclean hygiene habits. In ancient times, many sexually transmitted diseases would be difficult to conclusively link to sexual transmission. For example, gonorrhea and similar diseases that manifest with urina ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +The Influence of Herbal Medicine on the Food in TaiwanMarch 23rd, 2012 7:27pm
by Eric Brand The impact of Chinese medicine is easily seen in the food and drink of Taiwan. By nature, the prevailing local viewpoint regarding healthy diet emphasizes variety and suitability of food to the current climate. As far as the impact of Chinese medicine into the food in Taiwan, it is sometimes difficult to draw the line between foods and medicine. For example, a soy-milk style beverage is made out of yi yi ren, and shan yao is often seen as a vegetable on the dinner table. Can we say these are examples of the influence of herbal medicine? How about watermelon juice with aloe in the summertime, or a dish made of stir-fried si gua and ginger? Or a pesto-like sauce made from the aerial portions of the plant that yields chun pi? Throughout Chinese society, the importance of diversity in one’s diet is a central theme. In contrast to America, “healthy eating” involves much less elimination of foods than we o ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +When to Use Honey-Processed Huang QiMarch 23rd, 2012 7:23pm
By Eric Brand Huang Qi is one of the most commonly used herbs in Chinese medicine. In fact, American herb companies often report that Huang Qi sales outpace all other single herbs, and data from 1997 in Taiwan suggests that Huang Qi was the #1 herb by total import volume (just ahead of Gou Qi Zi and Dang Gui). Given its popularity, it is important to know when to use the honey-processed form and when to use the raw form.If we look at our granule herb sales by rank, it appears that the crude form of Huang Qi outsells the honey-processed form by a five-fold difference. This discrepancy suggests that many practitioners simply use a single “Huang Qi” product and do not clinically differentiate the crude and honey-processed forms from one another. When is each form preferred? Does it really matter? Huang Qi was initially processed by simply discarding the “neck” of the ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +On the Processing of Fu ZiMarch 23rd, 2012 7:13pm - Posted By: Eric Brand
By Eric Brand Fu Zi, which is derived from the processed lateral root of cultivated Aconitum carmichaeli Debx., has been a famous substance for warming yang throughout the history of Chinese medicine. Considered to be pure yang in nature, Fu Zi is a hot, acrid medicinal with diverse applications. Although Fu Zi is a toxic medicinal by nature, its traditional pao zhi processing reduces its toxicity substantially, allowing it to be used internally. Ancient Processing Methods Pao zhi techniques have been used for Fu Zi since ancient times, and over 70 different processing methods have been recorded in the historical literature. Today, four main processing methods have recorded standards in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and products derived from several additional processing methods can be found in local production regions and international trade.&nbs ... Read More...Posted in: NoneView / Add Comment | 3 Comment(s) | Rating: 5 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google + |
 |