Chinese Materia Medica

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For those new to TCM:

 

The Chinese Materia Medica is a book listing healing substances used

in TCM. Think of it as the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) of TCM.

It lists the uses and contraindications of various substances, most

of them plant but some animal, fungal, and mineral substances.

 

The Materia Medica is organized according to the primary use of the

herb. (We use the word " herb " , but it's understood that " herb " in

this case also means some non-plant substances.)

 

I use the revised edition of the Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia

Medica compiled and translated by Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble.

Chapter 1 is " Herbs that Release the Exterior " . This chapter is

subdivided into Warm, Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior, and

Cool, Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior. Remember the brief

discussion on Exterior and Interior? The Exterior consists of the

head, neck, arms, legs, skin, muscles, bones, and meridians, and the

Interior consists of the Organs and trunk of the body. The herbs

listed in this first chapter are the ones that are used when there is

Cold or Heat in the Exterior. For example, Cold has invaded the

Bladder and Small Intestine meridians and is causing a severe

headache. That calls for an herb from the Warm, Acrid Herbs that

Release the Exterior. (In general, if a condition is too Warm/ Hot,

cool it. If a condition is too Cool/ Cold, warm the person or part

of the body or meridian.)

 

One of the herbs listed in the section on Warm, Acrid Herbs that

Release the Exterior is fresh ginger. Note that this is *fresh*

ginger as dried ginger has slightly different properties and uses.

 

The pharmaceutical name of fresh ginger is Rhizoma Zingiberis

Officinalis Recens. the " rhizoma " part means " rhizome " , the part of

the plant that grows underground. (The part of the plant which is

used is important, and thus, always is included in pharmaceutical

names. Sometimes different parts of a plant will have different

properties.)

 

The " recens " part tells the herbalist that this is " fresh " ginger as

opposed to dried ginger. Yes, how the herb is prepared also will

make a difference in its properties. The " Zingiberis Offincinalis "

is the variety of ginger.

 

The Chinese name for fresh ginger is Sheng Jiang. This too is listed

in the Materia Medica.

 

Here is where a Chinese Materia Medica parts company from most

Western herbalism books. Each of the entries also

list " Properties " . In the case of fresh ginger, these are acrid

(pungent or spicey) and Warmn. The flavor of fresh ginger is pungent

(as opposed to salty, bitter, sour, sweet, or bland). Different

flavors will tend to have different properties so it's important to

know the flavor of the herb or food. Some herbs or foods will have

more than one flavor.

 

The second entry, " warm " , refers to the energy of the herb. This

means that the herb when used will have the effect on the body (or

meridian/ Organ) of warming it. Fresh ginger has Warm energy; dried

ginger has Hot energy. Dried ginger is more warming than fresh

ginger. The energy (effect on the body temperature) of herbs will be

Hot, Warm, Neutral, Cool, or Cold.

 

The Chinese Materia Medica also lists " Channels entered " . In the

case of fresh ginger it's the Lung, Spleen, and Stomach. Sometimes

an herbalist will want to target a specific meridian or Organ. The

Materia Medica tells the herbalist which meridian(s) and Organ(s) a

particular herb has an affinity for. Needless to say, this can result

in some fine-tuning of treatment. But what if a particular herb that

has some much-needed properties does not have an affinity for a

particular meridian or Organ. Then you mix it with what is called

a " guide " herbs. The guide herb will direct the properties and

effects to a specific meridian or Organ. For example, some Kidney

tonic formulas call for them to be taken with a pinch of salt because

the salt will reinforce the effects on the Kidneys.

 

Then there is a section on " Actions & Indications: " In the case of

fresh ginger, the first entry is " Releases the exterior and disperses

cold: for exterior cold patterns. "

 

The second entry is " Warms the middle burner " (Spleen and

Stomach) " and alleviates vomiting: for cold in the Stomach,

especially when there is vomiting. "

 

The fourth entry is " Reduces the toxicity of other herbs: for

detoxifying or treating overdoses from other herbs such as Radix "

(root of) " Lateralis Aconiti Carmichaeli Praeparata (fu zi) or

Rhizoma Pinelliae Ternatae (ban xia). " Sometimes, in addition to

being used to treat overdoses of some specific other herbs, the

pontentially toxic other herb is prepared with fresh ginger in order

to reduce its toxicity.

 

Bensky and Gamble also list major combination. This is herbs that

ginger often is combined with. The first entry is " With Fructus "

(fruit of) Zizyphi Jujubae (da zao) for externally-contracted wind-

cold. Also for alleviating epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting by

strengthening the Spleen qi. This combination protects the Stomach

qi and reduces irritation of the gastrointestinql tract by other

herbs. "

 

Then there is a section on Cautions and Contraindications. This

covers when one wants to either use the herb cautiously or not use it

at all (by itself). " Contraindicated in cases of Lung heat, or

Stomach heat with vomiting. "

 

The dosage is listed, then the major pharmacological and clinical

research. Chewing fresh ginger will elevate blood pressure.

 

These are part of the entries for fresh ginger in the chapter Herbs

that Release the Exterior. (Taken from Chinese Herbal Medicine

Materia Medica, Revised Ed., Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble, pp. 36-38.)

 

Dried ginger (gan jiang, aka Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis) is

covered in chapter 11, Herbs that Warm the Interior and Expel Cold.

Dried ginger's thermal energy is Hot instead of Warm like fresh

ginger's, and dried ginger is used to Warm the Interior whereas fresh

ginger is used to Warm the Exterior. Dreid ginger enters the Heart,

Lung, Spleen, and Stomach channels. (p. 300.) (Note: Dreid ginger

also " rescues devastated yang and expels interior cold; for

devastated yang with such signs as a very weak pulse and cold limbs.)

 

Foods also have properties, and Henry Lu has listed the properties

for many foods in his books.

 

Victoria