Herbal Medicine is another pivotal branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Few doctrines have survived the millennia as fully and clearly as Chinese herbal medicine, which is approximately 5,000 years old. The Huang Di Nei Jing or Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic is an herbal treatise written around 2600bc. This ancient text classified herbs in 20 different classifications or actions – as in what herbs can do to the human body. This is a very sophisticated but simple list of actions that are used also as treatment guides and principals in directing the course of health in herbal formulas.
- Induce perspiration
- To reduce excessive heat inside the body
- To counteract rheumatism
- To reduce cold sensations inside the body
- To reduce dampness in the body
- For lubricating dry symptoms
- To induce vomiting
- To induce bowel movements
- To promote digestion
- To suppress cough and reduce sputum
- To regulate energy
- To regulate blood
- To regain consciousness
- To reduce anxiety
- To stop involuntary movements
- To correct deficiencies
- To constrict and obstruct movements
- To expel or destroy parasites
- For ulcers and tumors
- For external applications
Did you know that ALL modern day drugs are molecular copies of plants? There are many forms of herbal medicine. The Mexicans and South Americans like to bathe the sick in herbal baths while the colder countries in Northern Europe use herbal teas and broths and hot poultices. Resins, cave minerals, mushrooms, and animal parts are considered medicine in many cultures who have century old recipes for their use while Oral traditions such as in the Ozark Mountains in Central US carry the medicine and the magic of the plants to each new generation by story and recipe. These are just a few examples of how people in history have used plants to benefit humans. As plants enjoyed their last “heyday” at the turn of the century before big Pharmaceutical companies arose, a dozen or more very important Materia Medica volumes were published, as were completed volumes of Formulary and Botanical Guides, Ethnobotanical texts, and herbal dispensaries. A lot more herbal knowledge has been written BEFORE the drug era! Please visit one of my beloved herbal teacher’s websites to access many of these preserved publications today then look up your favorite herb, I am sure you will find a surprising amount of information out there! www.swsbm.com
