1. HERBAL PROPERTIES Four Qi”四氣”, Five Tastes”五味”,
Direction “升降浮沉”,Channel- entering “歸经”, Toxicity “有毒無 毒”, Action and C&C“配伍、禁忌”

2. From the point of view of development of Chinese herbal medicine in the pharmaceutical infancy, treatment of disease are generally used single herbs; and later, due to the increasing number of drug discovery, awareness of the disease has gradually deepened, so for serious illness or complex disorders medication also from simple to complex, with the emergence of multi-drug methods applied in the development of a single herb medicine fit into a variety of applications, and further the long process consisting of prescription drugs, the people through a lot of practice to master a wealth of experience compatibility, application compatibility learned that the drug can be in the future comprehensive care to more complex diseases, while access to safe and higher efficacy. Therefore, the compatibility of drugs for clinical prescription is of great significance

3. Herbal Properties
Herb properties are highly interdependent with herb actions
Properties include:
Temperature (thermal property) 四氣
Taste 五味
Direction 升降浮沉
Channel-entering 歸经
Toxicity 有毒無毒
Actions (functions) include therapeutic effects and side effects
General agreement about properties, but there are some differences between texts. Bensky will be our standard because of CAB.

4. Temperature (Thermal Property)
Referred to as Four Qi (si qi)”四氣”
Progressive range: cold, cool,
neutral, warm, hot
Temperature is determined by
observing the herb’s effect in the body
Cold/cool herbs treat diseases with heat signs and symptoms
Hot/warm herbs treat diseases with cold signs and symptoms
Neutral herbs can be used in either type of condition
Choosing the correct temperature herbs to treat the disease is critical in the clinical setting
Heat: fever, thirst, hot sensations, hot to touch, red coloration, etc.
Cold: chills, no thirst, cold extremities, abdominal cold sensations and pain, pale coloration, etc.
Temperature is a continuum or zone, not an absolute.

5. Cold Herbs
Huang Lian
Shi Gao
Cold, bitter
Very cold, sweet

6. Hot Herbs
Fu Zi
Gan Jiang
Acrid, toxic
Acrid

7. Neutral Herbs
Fu Ling
Tai Zi Shen
Sweet, bland
Sweet, sl bitter

8. Tests
Herb flavors (tests) finds, first through the mouth taste, that the employer‘s sense organs to identify them, and it reflects the real taste of the herb; but more importantly, Five tastes (wu wei) “五味 is through long-term observation of clinical practice, herb effects in the human body in different flavors, It produced different reactions and get different effects, which were summarized out.

9. Taste
Attributes of taste dates back to Nei Jing and Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing
Five tastes (wu wei) “五味”from classical literature: acrid, sweet, bitter, sour, salty
Other tastes are bland, astringent
According to Bensky, aromatic is a temperature not a taste. Aromatic herbs have the ability to penetrate and revive.
Classical: thick, thin, heavy, light

10. Taste Taste Function Acrid Disperse and move Sweet
Tonify, harmonize, moisten
Bitter
Drain and dry
Sour (Astringent)
Stabilize and bind, prevent leakage
Salty
Purge and soften
Bland
Leach dampness and promote urination

11. Acrid (Pungent) FUNCTION: EXAMPLE HERB(S): CAUTION:
Dispersing and moving
EXAMPLE HERB(S):
Release the exterior (Ma Huang, Bo He)
Invigorate circulation of qi and blood (Mu Xiang, Chuan Xiong)
Warm interior and dispel cold (Gan Jiang)
CAUTION:
Dispersing herbs are also drying. Use with caution in cases of qi, yin, or body fluid deficiency.
Taste Gan Jiang

12. Sweet FUNCTION: EXAMPLE HERB(S): CAUTION: Tonifying and harmonizing
Tonify qi (Ren Shen, Huang Qi)
Harmonize, moderate effects of other herbs, relieve pain (Gan Cao, Da Zao)
CAUTION:
Sweet herbs can be rich and cloying and hard to digest, leading to stagnation. Use with caution in patients who have Spleen deficiency with dampness.
Ren Shen also sl bitter
Taste: Gan Cao, Zhi Gan Cao

13. Bitter FUNCTION: EXAMPLE HERB(S): CAUTION:
Drain heat and fire, dry dampness
EXAMPLE HERB(S):
Constipation (Da Huang)
Cough and wheezing (Xing Ren)
Sores and abscesses (Zhi Zi)
Dry dampness with heat (Huang Lian)
CAUTION:
Bitter herbs are drying in nature. Use with caution in cases of deficiency of yin and body fluids.
Fire is like heat with more severe sx, including bleeding, rashes, and shen disturbances
Dry dampness with cold: Cang Zhu
Taste: Huang Lian
Yellow herbs can be bitter

14. Sour (Astringent) FUNCTION: EXAMPLE HERB(S): CAUTION:
Stabilizing and binding, reducing loss
of body fluids
EXAMPLE HERB(S):
Stop perspiration (Wu Wei Zi)
Urinary incontinence, spermatorrhea (Shan Zhu Yu)
Diarrhea (Chi Shi Zhi)
Muscle spasms and cramps caused by damage to body fluids (Mu Gua)
CAUTION:
Sour herbs can prevent sweating and release of the exterior. Use with caution when there is an exterior pathogenic factor present.
Astringent is the same function as sour, but not all astringent herbs have a sour taste (example: Lian Zi is sweet/astringent, Chun Pi is bitter/astringent).
Sweating, diarrhea, incontinence, leukorrhea/spermatorrhea
Taste Wu Wei Zi

15. Salty FUNCTION: EXAMPLE HERB(S): Purging and softening hardness
Constipation (Mang Xiao)
Enlarged lymph glands/thyroid (Hai Zao, Kun Bu)
Facilitate entrance to the Kidney channel (Lu Rong, Zi He Che)
Animal products and shells can be salty
Lu Rong, Zi He Che – sweet, salty
Taste: Hai Zao
Mang Xiao – salty, bitter - natrii sulfas, sodium sulfate “mineral salt”, “glauber’s salt”

16. Bland FUNCTION: EXAMPLE HERB(S): CAUTION: Diuretic, promote urination
Edema and dysuria (Fu Ling, Zhu Ling)
CAUTION:
Bland herbs promote urination and leech and drain fluids. Use with caution in cases of yin and body fluid deficiencies.
Taste: Fu Ling

17. Yin/Yang and Five Elements of Taste
Acrid (scatters)
Sour (drains)
Sweet (scatters)
Bitter (drains)
Bland (seeps and drains)
Salty (drains)
Taste
Element
Bitter
Fire
Sweet
Earth
Acrid
Metal
Salty
Water
Sour
Wood
Explain?

18. Prohibitions of Taste Taste Prohibited in Diseases of
Related Yin Organ
Acrid Qi
Lung
Salty
Blood
Kidney
Bitter
Bones
Heart
Sweet
Flesh
Spleen
Sour
Sinews
Liver

19. Direction Four directions:
Ascending (upwards)
Descending (downwards)
Floating (outwards)
Sinking (inwards)
Herbs have a directional affinity which can counter the direction or movement of a disease
Herbs with a directional affinity can also be used to guide the therapeutic effect of other herbs to a particular area of the body

20. Direction and Taste Ascending/ Upwards
Types of Herbs
Example Herb
Ascending/
Upwards
Light substances such as flowers and rapidly growing plants or sweet aromatic herbs
Jin Yin Hua
Descending/Downwards
Heavy salty substances such as shells and minerals. Also bitter and bland herbs.
Dai Zhe Shi
Floating/
Outwards
Acrid, dispersing herbs such as herbs that release the exterior
Ma Huang
Sinking/
Inwards
Sour, astringent herbs that bind and prevent leakage
Shan Zhu Yu
Xuan fu hua is the flower that descends (but so does Kuan Dong Hua)

21. Direction Determined by Plant Part
The upper parts of a plant tend to be ascending and/or floating.
The lower parts of a plant tend to be descending and/or sinking.
Ma Huang, Ma Huang Gen

22. Channel Entering
Every herb is said to “enter” one or more of 14 acupuncture channels
Channel-entering properties are determined by the herb’s actions and indications
Learning an herb’s channels will help us remember its actions (and vice versa)
There are variations in channel-entering from source to source, so Bensky will be the standard reference for this class
Name 12 channels
Most disagreement between sources for this property
Concept developed gradually, 12th century (Song Dynasty) became explicit
Xing Ren, Ban Xia, Bu Gu Zhi, Xu Duan

23. Types of Channel-Entering Effects
Example
Direct effect: herb acts directly by entering a channel.
Herb that stops coughing enters the Lung channel
Indirect effect: herb acts indirectly through interpretation of its function.
Herb that treats bone fractures enters the Kidney channel
Specific effect: channel is assigned based on herb’s ability to treat certain organs and areas of the body.
Herb that treats jaundice enters the Gallbladder channel.
Xing ren – descend qi
Xu duan – tonify liver and kidney, tendon & bone
Yin Chen hao – treats jaundice damp-heat (drain dampness herb)

24. Guiding Herbs Channel Guiding Herb(s) Heart Huang Lian, Xi Xin
Small Intestine
Gao Ben, Huang Bai
Kidney
Du Huo, Zhi Mu, Rou Gui, Xi Xin
Bladder
Qiang Huo
Lung
Jie Geng, Sheng Ma, Cong Bai, Bai Zhi
Large Intestine
Sheng Ma, Bai Zhi, Shi Gao
Spleen
Cang Zhu, Sheng Ma, Ge Gen, Bai Shao
Stomach
Bai Zhi, Sheng Ma, Shi Gao, Ge Gen
Gall Bladder
Chai Hu, Qing Pi
Liver
Wu Zhu Yu, Qing Pi, Chuan Xiong, Chai Hu
Triple Buner
Lian Qiao, Chai Hu
Gao ben – BL and Du
Lian qiao – HT, Lung, GB

25. Toxicity
Toxicity is the potential to cause side effects and adverse reactions
Herbs that may have undesired effects when used within normal dosage ranges are designated as toxic
Out of over 7,000 species of medicinal plants in China, only about 10 are considered toxic
Impact of toxicity is often dose-related
Proper processing and combining with other herbs (Gan Cao, Sheng Jiang) reduces toxicity
7000 only 10 data comes from Chen text
Most truly toxic substances are not available in the US
Ma Huang (ephedra) extract banned by FDA in food supplements. Is the whole (raw) herb considered toxic?
Gan cao – dosage dependent.

26. Classical Herbal Classification
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing
Herb
Classification
Superior
Potent therapeutic action
Few or no side effects
Safe for long-term use
Medium
Good therapeutic action, but also possible side effects
Requires professional supervision for use
Inferior
More potential side effects/toxicities than therapeutic benefit
Require special processing and administration
Use only when benefits outweigh risks and always under professional supervision
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Eastern Han c. 200 CE)

27. What Chinese Herb is Responsible for Most Adverse Reactions Requiring Medical Care?
Meet the aconite family….
FU ZI
Cao wu most toxic
CAO WU
CHUAN WU

28. Actions (Functions) of Herbs
Actions correspond with an herb’s thermal property, tastes and channels. Example: Huang Lian
Effect on specific organs has become the predominant method for understanding actions of herbs
Today, herbs are classified into categories according to their actions. There are 18 major categories the Bensky Materia Medica.
Some herbs have actions belonging to more than one category. Example: Xi Xin
Huang lian for Heart and Stomach Fire. Can you explain why? Huang Lian cold, bitter, heart/ST
Xi Xin: release exterior; also treat internal cold in lungs and bones/joints (enters LU and KD as well as Heart)

29. Herbal Categories According to Action
Release the Exterior
Clear Heat
Downward-Draining
Drain Dampness
Dispel Wind-Dampness
Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing
Aromatic to Transform Dampness
Relieve Food Stagnation
Regulate the Qi
Regulate the Blood
Warm the Interior and Expel Cold
Tonifying Herbs
Stabilize and Bind
Calm the Spirit
Open the Orifices
Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors
Expel Parasites
Topical Application