Chinese Medicine Herbology
- Nomenclature (ISBN 0-9740635-0-9 58995)
- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine (ISBN 978-1-14654-4981-8)
- 中药成分
Base on color
| Pinyin | Meaning | Pinyin Name | Literal Name | Pharmaceutical Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong | Red | Hong Hua | Red Flower | Flos Carthami |
| Chi | Bright Red | Chi Shao | Bright red peony | Radix Paeoniae Rubrae |
| Zhu | Dull Red | Zhu Sha | Dull red sand | Cinnabaris |
| Huang | Yellow | Da Huang | Big Yellow | Radix et Rhizoma Rhei |
| Jin | Gold | Jin Yin Hua | Golden silver flower | Flos Lonicerae |
| Bai | White | Bai Shao | White Peony | Radix Paeoniae Alba |
| Yin | Silver | Yin Guo Ye | Silver fruit leaf | Folium Ginkgo |
| Qing | Blue-green | Qing Pi | Blue-green peel | Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride |
| Lu | Green | Lu Dou | Green Beans | Semen Phaseoli Radiati |
| Hei | Black | hei Dou | Black beans | Semen Glycine Max |
| Zi | Purple | Zi Cao Gen | Purple herb root | Radix Lithospermi |
Base on Smell and Taste
| Pinyin | Meaning | Pinyin Name | Literal Name | Pharmaceutical Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiang | Fragrant | Mu Xiang | Fragrant wood | Radix Aucklandiae |
| Gan | Sweet | Gan Cao | Sweet herb | Radix Glycyrrhizae |
| Ku | Bitter | Ku Shen Gen | Bitter herb root | Radix Sophorae Flavescentis |
| Suan | Sour | Suan Zao Ren | Sour date seed | Semen Zizyphi Spinosae |
| Xin | Acrid | Xi Xin | Thin Acrid | Herba Asari |
| Dan | Bland | Dan Zhu Ye | Bland bamboo leaf | herba Lophatheri |
Based on Geographic Location
Based on Plant life cycle
Based on specific parts
| Chinese | English | Latin | Examples | Common Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cao | Herb | Herba | Che Qian Cao(Herba Plantaginis) | Plantain herb |
| Dan | Gallbladder | Fel | Zhu Dan(Fel Porcus) | Pig gallbladder |
| Dou | Seed | Semen | Lu Dou(Semen Phaseoli Radiati) | Mung bean |
| Gen | Root | Radix | Ban Lan Gen(Radix Isatidis) | Isatis root |
| Gen | Rhizome | Rhizoma | Bai Mao Gen(Rhizoma Imperatae) | Imperata root |
| Geng | Branch/stem | Caulis | Su Geng(Caulis Perillae) | Perilla branch |
| Gua | Fruit | Fructus | Mu Gua(Fructus Chaenomelies) | Papaya fruit |
| Hua | Flower | Flos | Hong Hua(Flos Carthami) | Safflower |
| Jiao | Horn | Cornu | Lu Jiao(Cornu Cervi) | Deer Horn |
| Jiao | Gelatin | Gelatinum | Gui Ban Jiao(Gelatinum Plastrum Testudinis) | Tortois shell gelatin |
| Ke | Shell | Concha | Shi Jue Ming(Concha Haliotidis) | Abalone shell |
| Mu | Wood | Lignum | Su Mu(Lignum Sappan) | Sappan wood |
| Pi | Bark | Cortex | He Huan Pi(Cortex Albiziae) | Albizia bark |
| Pi | Outer skin | Exocarpium | Dong gua pi(Exocarpium Benincasae) | Wintermelon peel |
| Pi | Peel/skin | Pericarpium | Chen Pi(Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae) | Orange peel |
| Ren | Fruit | Fructus | Huo Ma Ren(Fructus Cannabis) | Cannabis seed |
| Ren | Seed | Semen | Xing Ren(Semen Armeniacae Amarum) | Bitter almon seed |
| Shi | Stone | Calculus | Niu Huang(Calculus Bovis) | Cattle gallstone |
| Teng | Vine | Caulis | Ren Dong Teng(Caulis Lonicerae) | Honeysuckle vine |
| Ye | Leaf | Folium | Yin Guo Ye(Folium Ginkgo) | Ginkgo leaf |
| Zhi | Branch/twig | Ramulus | Gui Zhi(Ramulus Cinnamomi) | Cinnamon twig |
| Zi | Seed | Semen | Lian Zi(Semen nelumbinis) | Lotus seed |
Based on function
Based on humans or the human action involved
Based on country or orgin
Categories
Exterior-Releasing Herbs
Wind-Cold Releasing herbs
Wind-Heat Releasing Herbs
Heat-Clearing Herbs
Heat-Clearing and Fire-Purgin Herbs
Heat-Clearing and Dampness-Drying Herbs
Heat-Clearing and Blood-Cooling Herbs
Heat-Clearing and Toxin-Eliminating Herbs
Deficiency-Heat Clearing herbs
Downward Draining Herbes
Purgatives
Moist Laxatives
Harsh Expellants(Catharitics)
Wind-Damp Dispelling Herbs
Wind-Damp Dispelling and Pain-Relieving Herbs
Wind-Damp Dispelling and Channel & Collateral Opening Herbs
Wind-Damp Dispelling and Tendon and Bone Strengthening Herbs
Aromatic Damp-Dissolving Herbs
Water-Regulating and Damp-Resolving Herbs
Interior-Warming herbs
Qi-Regulating herbs
Digestive Herbs
Antiparasitic Herbs
Stop-Bleeding Herbs
- Comfrey, (Symphytum officinale) (紫草) Comfrey’s names testify to its traditional use in mending borken bones. “Comfrey” is a corruption of con firma, meaning the bone is “made firm”, Symphytum is derived from the Greek for “to unite”, and knitbone speaks for itself. Comfrey is alose a wound herb. K’Eogh in his Irish Herbal(1735) wrote that it “heals all inward wounds and ruptures”, Today, it is still highly regarded for its healing properties. it encourage blood clotting and help speed the healding fo wounds.
Blood-Invigorating and Stasis-Removing Herbs
Phlegm-Resolving and Coughing and Wheezing-Relieving Herbs
Phelgm-Resolving herbs
Coughting and Wheezing Relieving Herbs
Shen-Calming Herbs
| Shen disturbances are usally classified as being either deficient or excess in nature. |
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Excess-type are characterized by irritability, anxiety, restlessness, irritablity, insomnia, headache, chest congestion, red eyes, a bitter taste in the mouth, yellow tongue coating, and a slippery, rapid pulse. Liver qi stagnation, Liver fire rising, food stagnation, and phlegm accumulation and excess conditions in this diese pattern.
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Deficient-type are characterized by dizziness, light-headedness, palpitations, restlessness, fearfulness, forgetfulness, night sweats, a pale tongue, and thready pulse. The heart, spleen, liver, kidney, yin and blood may be deficient.
Sedative Herbs that Calm the Shen(Spirit)
| Most of these are minerals and shells whose heavy nature is said to sedate and calm the shen. thus they are more suitable for excess-type shen disturbances. |
- Cinnabar(朱砂)
- Magnetitum(磁石)
- Os Draconis(龙骨)
- Dens Draconis(龙齿)
- Succinum(琥珀)
Nourishing herbs that calms the shen
| Most of these are plant parts with nourishing and tonifying properties, and are most effective for deficient-type shen disturbances. |
- Semen zizyphi Spinosae (酸枣仁)
- Semen Platycladi (柏子仁)
- Radix Polygalae (远志)
- Cortex Albiziae (合欢皮)
- Caulis Polygoni Multiflori (夜交藤)
- Ganoderma (灵芝)
- Radix et Rhizoma Valerianae (缬草)
- Fructus Tritici (小麦)
Liver-Calming and Wind-Extinguishing Herbs
Orifice-Opening Herbs
Tonic Herbs
Detoxifying Herbs
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Burdock, (牛蒡子) Burdocker is one of the formost detoxifying herbs in both Western and Chinese herbal medicine. It is used to treat conditions caused by an “overload” of toxins, such as throat and other infections, boils and rashes, and chronic skin problems. The root and the seeds help to cleanse the body of waste products, and the root is throught to be particulary good at helping to eliminate heavy metals.
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Calendula, Pot Marigold, English Marigold (金盏花) Calendula is one of the most well know and versatile herbs in Wester herbal medicine. The bright orange petals are an excellenet remedy for inflamed and angry skin, their antiseptic and healing properties helping to prevent the spread of infection and speed up the rate of repaire. Calendula is also a cleansing and detoxifying herb, and the infusion and tincture are used to treat chronic infections.