Chinese Herbal Medicine (Wiki)

Chineseherbshavebeenusedforcenturies.Amongtheearliestliteraturearelistsofprescriptionsforspecificailments,exemplifiedbythemanuscriptRecipesfor52Ailments,foundintheMawangduitombswhichweresealedin168BC.ThefirsttraditionallyrecognizedherbalistisShénnóng(神农,lit.DivineFarmer),amythicalgod-likefigure,whoissaidtohavelivedaround2800BC.[2]Heallegedlytastedhundredsofherbsandimpartedhisknowledgeofmedicinalandpoisonousplantstofarmers.HisShénnóngBěnCǎoJīng(神农本草经,Shennong'sMateriaMedica)isconsideredastheoldestbookonChineseherbalmedicine.Itclassifies365speciesofroots,grass,woods,furs,animalsandstonesintothreecategoriesofherbalmedicine:1.Thesuperiorcategory,whichincludesherbseffectiveformultiplediseasesandaremostlyresponsibleformaintainingandrestoringthebodybalance.Theyhavealmostnounfavorableside-effects.2.Acategorycomprisingtonicsandboosters,whoseconsumptionmustnotbeprolonged.3.Acategoryofsubstanceswhichmustusuallybetakeninsmalldoses,andforthetreatmentofspecificdiseasesonly.TheoriginaltextofShennong'sMateriaMedicahasbeenlost;however,thereareextanttranslations.[3]ThetruedateoforiginisbelievedtofallintothelateWesternHandynasty[2](i.e.,thefirstcenturyBC).TheTreatiseonColdDamageDisordersandMiscellaneousIllnesseswascollatedbyZhangZhongjing,alsosometimeattheendoftheHandynasty,between196and220CE.Focusingondrugprescriptions,[4]itwasthefirstmedicalworktocombineYinyangandtheFivePhaseswithdrugtherapy.[5]ThisformularywasalsotheearliestChinesemedicaltexttogroupsymptomsintoclinicallyusefulpatterns(zheng證)thatcouldserveastargetsfortherapy.Havinggonethroughnumerouschangesovertime,itnowcirculatesastwodistinctbooks:theTreatiseonColdDamageDisordersandtheEssentialPrescriptionsoftheGoldenCasket,whichwereeditedseparatelyintheeleventhcentury,undertheSongdynasty.[6]Succeedinggenerationsaugmentedtheseworks,asintheYaoxingLun(simplifiedChinese:药性论;traditionalChinese:藥性論;literallyTreatiseontheNatureofMedicinalHerbs),a7thcenturyTangDynastyChinesetreatiseonherbalmedicine.ArguablythemostimportantoftheselaterworksistheCompendiumofMateriaMedica(BencaoGangmu)compiledduringtheMingdynastybyLiShizhen,whichisstillusedtodayforconsultationandreference.[edit]RawmaterialsThereareroughly13,000medicinalsusedinChinaandover100,000medicinalrecipesrecordedintheancientliterature.[7]Plantelementsandextractsarebyfarthemostcommonelementsused.[8]IntheclassicHandbookofTraditionalDrugsfrom1941,517drugswerelisted-outofthese,only45wereanimalparts,and30wereminerals.[8]Formanyplantsusedasmedicinals,detailedinstructionshavebeenhandeddownnotonlyregardingthelocationsandareaswheretheygrowbest,butalsoregardingthebesttimingofplantingandharvestingthem.[9]Someanimalpartsusedasmedicinalscanbeconsideredratherstrangesuchascows'gallstones.[10]Ingeneral,Chinesetraditionalmedicineemphasizesthepenisofanimalsastherapeutic.[11]Snakeoil,whichisusedtraditionallyforjointpainasaliniment[12]wasextensivelymarketedintheWestinthelate1800sandearly1900sandwildlyclaimedtobeeffectiveintreatingmanymaladies;however,thereisnoclinicalevidencethatitiseffective.[12][13]TraditionalChineseMedicinealsoincludessomehumanparts:theclassicMateriamedica(BencaoGangmu)describestheuseof35humanbodypartsandexcretainmedicines,includingbones,fingernail,hairs,dandruff,earwax,impuritiesontheteeth,feces,urine,sweat,andorgans,butmostarenolongerinuse.[14][15][16][edit]PreparationCharacteristiclittleblackpillsofChinesepatentmedicineEachherbalmedicineprescriptionisacocktailofmanysubstances,usuallytailoredtotheindividualpatient.[citationneeded][edit]DecoctionTypically,onebatchofmedicinalsispreparedasadecoctionofabout9to18substances.[17]Someoftheseareconsideredasmainherbs,someasancillaryherbs;withintheancillaryherbs,uptothreecategoriescanbedistinguished.[18]Someingredientsareaddedinordertocancelouttoxicityorside-effectsofthemainingredients;ontopofthat,somemedicinalsrequiretheuseofothersubstancesascatalysts.[edit]ChinesePatentMedicineMainarticle:ChinesepatentmedicineChinesepatentmedicine(traditionalChinese:中成藥,SimplifiedChinese:中成药,pinyin:zhōngchéngyào)isakindoftraditionalChinesemedicine.Theyarestandardizedherbalformulas.Fromancienttimes,pillswereformedbycombiningseveralherbsandotheringredients,whichweredriedandgroundintoapowder.Theywerethenmixedwithabinderandformedintopillsbyhand.Thebinderwastraditionallyhoney.Modernteapills,however,areextractedinstainlesssteelextractorstocreateeitherawaterdecoctionorwater-alcoholdecoction,dependingontheherbsused.Theyareextractedatalowtemperature(below100degreesCelsius)topreserveessentialingredients.Theextractedliquidisthenfurthercondensed,andsomerawherbpowderfromoneoftheherbalingredientsismixedintoformanherbaldough.Thisdoughisthenmachinecutintotinypieces,asmallamountofexcipientsareaddedforasmoothandconsistentexterior,andtheyarespunintopills.Teapillsarecharacteristicallylittleroundblackpills.[citationneeded]Chinesepatentmedicinesareeasyandconvenient.Theyarenoteasytocustomizeonapatient-by-patientbasis,however.Theyareoftenusedwhenapatient'sconditionisnotsevereandthemedicinecanbetakenasalong-termtreatment.[c