liver treatment

[Guest guest]

Jackie,

 

Great question- I'll tell you what I was taught,

and what I've read.

 

Liv qi yu can lead to Liv xue xu.

Liv fire can burn the Liv yin.

Liv yin xu can lead to Liv empty heat.

 

There are herbs that are used to move the Liv

qi without depleting the blood- mei gui hua, fo shou,

and another one I forget.

 

Chai Hu was considered (by Ye Tian shi was it?)

to " plunder the yin. " That means that using it

long-term to move the qi can deplete the yin.

 

Qin Bowei wrote some great essays on the Liver

and its treatment- you can get the book translated

by Charles Chace...

 

Qin Bowei said sour and sweet medicinals can either

drain or supplement the Liver- but you drain or supplement

based on the patterns. He emphasizes the flavors more

than we do.

 

He talks about emoliating (moistening) the Liver in cases

where misuse of Liv qi moving herbs has damaging the Liver

(xue or yin, I would assume).

 

Keep in mind that the herbs that drain/clear liver heat

(e.g. long dan cao, zhi zi, xia ku cao, etc.) are

bitter and could injure the Spleen qi. Too much of that,

and a deficient Spleen would invite attack by the Liver

according to the 5 phases- so you'd end up with a Liver

excess after trying to drain a Liver excess!

 

You cannot throw away pattern differentiation and

applying the right medicinals according to their functions

without causing more disease.

 

B

 

 

 

Brian Benjamin Carter

Editor, The Pulse of Oriental Medicine

Columnist, Acupuncture Today

 

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Message: 2

Sun, 23 Feb 2003 14:46:28 EST

jackiejataylor

Liver treatments

 

Of the possible liver syndromes - stagnation, yin deficiency, wind/fire, yang

rising etc would any of them react badly to herbs meant for another liver

syndrome? For instance, would herbs for liver qi stagnation worsen any or all

other liver conditions?

 

Jackie