Q : How do you take Chinese medicine?
A
:
Traditionally, Chinese medicines are placed in water and boiled. When
the residue is removed, the end product is called a decoction. Other
forms of Chinese medicines include boluses, powders, pastes, pills as
well as capsules, tablets, granules, syrups, fluids for injection,
etc.; these are used to suit the individual needs of each patient.
Q : What are the "four natures" and the
"five flavors?"
A
:
The four natures in Chinese medicine are "cold, cool, warm and
hot". The five flavors are "sour, bitter, sweet, spicy hot
and salty". TCM believes that since Chinese medicines have such
different properties they have different effects and can work on
specific organs or meridians. For example, hot and spicy medicines like
ginger and onion make one sweat; sweet-tasting herbs like red dates and
pilose asiabell root have tonifying effects. Clinically, people with a
dry throat and bitter taste in their mouth are regarded as having
excessive heat inside their bodies; they need to take medicines that
are relatively cold and cool. People who tend to suffer from internal
coldness need to ingest medicines that are relatively warm and
tonifying.
Q : What are the lifting, descending, floating and
sinking effects of TCM medicines?
A
:
These different "spatial" effects reflect the effects of
tendencies of Chinese medicines. A "lifting" effect enables
the medicinal properties to move from the lower region towards the
upper region; a "descending" effect enables the medicinal
properties to descend to the lower parts of the body; a
"floating" effect drives the medicinal properties to reach
the different parts of the body or to move from upper to the lower
region; while a "sinking" effect means consolidating and
restricting, enabling the facilitation of urination and defecation.
Since different diseases have various developmental tendencies (moving
upwards, downwards, spreading outwards and moving inwards), medicines
that can match the conditions of these diseases or improve on or
eliminate their symptoms are used. For example, for Influenza (common
cold), TCM believes that the position of the disease lies on the upper
part and on the exterior, and then it is appropriate to use medicines
that have the nature of rising and dispersing, such as ephedra and
cassia twig, medicines that have descending and sinking natures should
not be used.
Q : What is meant by medicine being prescribed by
meridian?
A
:
Applying medicine according to the meridians is to demonstrate the
position where the medicine will have the most effect on. Medicines are
grouped according to their natures. Meridians mean the different
internal organs that are linked by energy channels.
There
are some medicines that apply to only one meridian, but others can be
applied to several meridians. The matching of medicines with meridians
helps raise the efficacy of the medicine. However, since the meridians
and the internal organs are interrelated and influence one another
biologically, in applying medicines it is necessary to consider the
relationship between the meridians and the internal organs. Therefore,
most TCM practitioners usually apply medicines that match more than one
meridian.
Q : How do different herbal combinations work together
in TCM?
A
:
Herbal medicines can complement and assist each other in certain
combinations:
- Mutual reinforcement leads to a synergy
effect when two drugs of a similar nature are used simultaneously.
For example, when Rhizoma Anemarrhenae and gypsum are used
together, the effect of heat clearing is enhanced.
- Mutual assistance means the major
ingredient of a prescription is enhanced by other subsidiary
drugs, for example when Rhizoma Coptidis is used to treat
dysentery, Radix Aucklandiae can assist to smooth bowel movements
and arrest abdominal pain.
- Mutual suppression helps to reduce the
toxicity of a drug. For example, the toxicity of Fructus Crotonis
can be reduced by mung beans.
- Mutual restraint occurs when two drugs,
when combined together inhibit the toxicity of each other, for
example, ginseng and Faeces Trogopterorum.
- Mutual aversion means when two drugs
are used together, the healing effect of one drug is inhibited by
another, such as the invigoration effect of ginseng can be
inhibited by radish seeds.
- Mutual incompatibility means that certain
drugs in combination can lead to adverse effects; for example,
liquorice root will increase the toxicity of Flos Genkwa.
- Single application refers to a drug used
alone in order to exert its own specific action, e.g. using
ginseng to replenish primordial qi.
These
contraindications are not absolute and are for reference only. However,
in actual practice, TCM practitioners base their prescriptions on these
principles.
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