Classes of herbs

[Guest guest]

In TCM herbs are grouped into classes according to their main function.

 

The names of the classes will differ according to author, and some authors

will include herbs in more than one class according to an herb's properties.

 

Readers already are familiar with one general principle of TCM herbalism:

One uses herbs with cooling energy with people and conditions which are too

Hot, and herbs with warming energy with people and conditions which are too

Cold.

 

In a TCM materia medica (list of herbs and other substances), each entry's

thermal energy is listed - Cold, Cool, Neutral, Warm, or Hot. The thermal

energy of an herb or other substance is considered carefull each time the

herbalist prescribes an herb or other substance.

 

However, when Heat or Cold are particularly severe and a problem, there are

two special classes of herbs which may be used. These are Herbs for

Clearing Internal Heat and Herbs for Warming the Interior.

 

The Herbs for Clearing Internal Heat class is further subdivided into herbs

that Purge Fire, Cool Blood, Clear Damp Heat, Clear Heat Toxin, and Clear

Summer Heat depending on the nature of the Heat. These sub-classes won't

mean a lot to new readers. At this point I just want readers to be aware

that not all Heat is the same, and herbal strategies take this into account.

Herbs that Warm the Interior include herbs like fennel seed, dry ginger,

and cinnamon bark. (Note: Fresh ginger and cinnamon twigs have different

properties than dry ginger and cinnamon bark.)

 

The herbs for Clearing Internal Heat and those for Warming the Interior are

what I call " big guns " for relieving Internal Heat or Internal Cold. Some

of them usually are used only when the Internal Heat or Cold is severe

enough to be addressed as a separate Root of other problems. Some, like

ginger, has other properties that are highly desirable to treat certain

problems and get used often to treat other conditions.

 

In addition, in some cases, herbs for Clearing Internal Heat or herbs for

Warming the Interior may not be enough. For example, if a person suffers

from both Excess and Deficiency Interior Cold, herbs for Warming the

Interior are not going to be enough. One also needs to address the

Deficiency Cold (the Yang Deficiency) with Yang tonic herbs. Likewise, if

the Interior Heat also has a component of Deficiency Heat (Yin Deficiency),

Yin tonic herbs also will be needed.

 

Another class of herbs is the tonic herbs. The TCM definition of tonic is

different from the Western definition. A TCM tonic herb is one that

specifically supplies something to the body which is missing. This class is

subdivided into Yang, Yin, Qi, and Blood tonic herbs. The Yang tonic herbs -

like Semen Cuscutae, Herba Epimedii, and Radix Morindae - specifically

supply or promote Yang energy in the body. The Yin tonic herbs - like Tuber

Ophiopogonis, Tuber Asparagi, and Herba Dendronbii - specifically increase

Yin in the body. The Blood tonic herbs - like Radix Angelicae Sinensis

(Dong Gui - this one is widely available in supermarkets and department

stores) and cooked rehmannia (raw rehmannia has different properties) -

promotes proper Blood. The Qi tonics - like ginseng, Radix Astragali, Radix

Dioscoreae Oppositae (wild yam), and Radix Glycyrrhizae (licorice root) -

supply Qi to the body. Some of these herbs like astragalus are very good

for a particular type of Qi known as Protective (Wei) Qi (which is the

body's Defensive energy and which increases resistance to External

Pernicious Evils and pathogens.

 

I will be going into different classes of herbs in more detail in future

posts. For now I want to mention some of the various classes of herbs:

Herbs for Regulating Qi (used to treat Qi Stagnation or Rebellious Qi),

Herbs for Regulating Blood (one subclass used to treat Blood Stasis, another

subclass for excessive bleeding), Herbs for Relieving Food Stagnation, Herbs

for Pacifying the Sp;irit, Herbs for Expelling Parasites, Astringent Herbs,

Herbs for Expelling Wind Dampness (some authors call these rheumatism

herbs), Herbs for Transforming Phlegm and Relieving Cough (3 subclasses -

Hot Phlegm, Cold Phlegm, and Relieving Cough), Herbs for Draining Dampness,

Aromatic Herbs for Transforming Dampness (the Draining Dampness and Aromatic

Transforming Herbs work in different ways and are used according to the Root

of the Dampness), Purging Herbs (subdivided into Attacking and Lubricating),

Herbs for Relieving the Exterior (used to expel Exterior Pernicious Evils,

two subclasses, Relieve Wind Chill and Relieve Wind Heat), Herbs for Opening

the Orifices (this refers to sensory disturbances), and Herbs for

Extinguishing Internal Wind.

 

Victoria

 

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