Pharmaceutical names of herbs

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Pharmaceutical names usually are derived from botanical names.

 

The first part of the name will indicate which part of the plant is used. For

example, Rhizoma (abbreviated Rz) or Radix (Root, abbreviated Rx).

 

Next comes the genus name. For example Radix Bupleuri and Rhizoma Cyperi. The

abbreviations usually are used as in Rx Bupleuri and Rz Cyperi.

 

Sometimes a species name will come next. If a species name doesn't appear, it

usually means that different species are interchangable in their effects. For

example, when you see Rx Bupleuri it can be either Bupleurum chinense D.C. or

Bpleurum scorzoneraeforlim Wild.

 

In Angelica the species does make a different. Angelica dahurica Benth. et Hook,

Angelica anomala Lallem, and Angelica taiwaniana Boiss are interchangeable

species of Angelica, and the roots of either of these three can be used when you

see Radix Angelica. But, Radix Angelica Sinensis is a species of Angelica that

has very different properties from Radix Angelica. Hence, the species name is

included in the pharmaceutical name. (Radix Angelica is Dang Gui, also spelled

Dong Quai and even Tang Gui. Dong Quai is a popular Blood Tonic and often is

used in formulas for female reproductive system health.)

 

Finally, in some cases, an adjective will be added which tells how the herb is

prepared. Preparation methods can affect the properties of some herbs. A good

example is rehmanniae. Radix Rehmanniae Glutiosae is dried raw rehmannia root.

Radix Rehmanniae Glutiosae Conquitae is rehmannia root that was first cooked and

then dried. Conquitae means cooked. The properties of the two are very different

when prepared differently. They are not interchangeable.

 

Rhizoma Zingiberis is dried ginger rhizome. Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens is fresh

ginger rhizome. Recens means fresh and undried. They have slightly different

properties. For example, fresh ginger is considered safer for a pregnant woman

to use than dried ginger. (Though some authorities caution against using any

ginger with a pregnant woman.)

 

The default method of preparation will not have an adjective. It's the

nonstandard preparation which will have the adjective. The default method of

preparation is usually the dried raw herb.

 

We've seen in a previous post how the part of the plant sometimes can make a

very critical difference, so it's important to pay attention to those

adjectives. For example Herba Ephedra (Ma Huang) is the light green

evergreen-like needles of the plant - part of the plant that grows above ground.

Herba Ephedra is classified as an herb that makes you sweat, as an herb for

relieving the Exterior. Its main function is to Relieve Wind Chill. It

frequently gets perscribed for TaiYang-stage Evil (Exterior Wind Cold attacking

the Bladder and Small Intestine meridians).

 

On the other hand Rx Ephaedrae (Ma Huang Gen) is the root of the Chinese

Ephedra. The root is used to restrict and obstruct movements! It's classified as

an Astringent herb (stops leaks like sweating, diarrhea, excessive urination,

etc.). Talk about very different and in this case opposite properties even

though it's the same plant. Can you imagine a healer making a mistake and giving

Herba Ephedra which makes you sweat to someone who is suffering loss of blood or

Yin Deficiency? You'd make the person even more dehydrated and even sicker. In

some cases this could be a fatal error. On the other hand, giving Radix Ephedra

to someone who is in the TaiYang-stage of a cold could also be a critical

mistake as this part of the plant prevents sweating.

 

Some of the more common adjectives you'll see are Radix (Rx), Rhizoma (Rz),

Cortex (Cx) (the bark), Flow (Fl) (flower), Folium (Fm) (leaf), Fructus (Fr)

(fruit), Herba (Hb) (herb, the whole plant), Ramulus (Rml) (twig), Ramus (Rm)

(branch), and Semen (S) (seed).

 

An example of an herb where the twigs are used is Ramulus Cinnamomi (Rou Gui).

This is another of those herbs like Herba Ephedrae which are used to relieve the

Exterior and Relieve Wind Chill. It gets used when Wind Cold is attacking the

Exterior, and it warms the surface of the body. On the other hand Cortex

Cinnamomi (or Cortex Cinnomon - Gui Zhi) is the bark, and it warms the Interior

of the body.

 

Victoria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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