Guest guest Posted February 23, 2000 Report Share Posted February 23, 2000 Hello All! Although I am glad to be informed about the current state of TCM politics in the U.S.A, I am also deeply grateful for the knowledge and talent of those involved who might receive my messages/questions and reply. I, for one, am committed to raising the caliber of American TCM practitioners in the best way I know how: by deepening my knowledge of the science/art and thereby treating people more effectively. So, my present research focuses on an area of Chinese Herbalism which many around me know very little about: the topical application of herbs. I am wondering if anyone reading this can offer me some leads on finding information on this subject. It seems to me that there is no real text, outside of books based on martial arts formulas, that deal with the subject in depth. I am interested in the energetic qualities of some of the transdermal carriers which are typically used i.e. vinegar, wine, rubbing alcohol, sesame oil, petroleum jellies (Vaseline), etc. Which herbs lend themselves most readily to external absorbtion? Perhaps some sources that list external formulas for: strains, sprains, burns, rashes, toxic abscesses, psoriasis, eczema, bone breaks, hair loss, eyeball lesions/irritations, joint pain, zang-fu complaints (i.e. using Wu Zhu Yu on Kid 1 for weight loss and increased metabolism), the use of herbs therapeutically on specific acupoints (i.e. Wu Wei Zi in the navel for asthma, Fu Zi w/ moxa), bathing in herbs, and any other of the myriad uses for herbs externally. What are the various ways to prepare a poultice/compress/salve? When are they contraindicated? Is there danger in using some of the toxic herbs i.e. Cinnabar, Lead oxide, etc. externally? What is the function of She Xiang externally? Finally, is there some type of underlying theory that is referred to when administering herbs topically, or is the process simply based on a symptom-application treatment. I hope I'm making this question clear. What I mean is, it appears that much of the external use of herbs is based on symptomatology i.e. " this formula, for this disorder " , rather than using a comprehensive system of knowledge based on the principles of TCM to first differentiate and then select herbs in a style of herbalism that may differ from commonly used internal prescriptions. (run-on, I know). Anyway, any advice or help I can get would be deeply appreciated. Peter -- " Start the day with Love, fill the day with Love, end the day with Love " -Sai Baba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2000 Report Share Posted February 23, 2000 Peter, please find attached a rough draft of a piece that has been in the works for a few years. Note that it addresses the specific western and Chinese use of the oils as agents. The use of herbs in the oil medium is of particular interest to me and I'll throw one into the mix for fun: The use of Gan Sui (Rx. Euphorbia kansui) in an oil medium may be placed in the Ren 3 region for the treatment of anuria. The advantage is that the gut tract is sidestepped as are the systemic complications of internal ingestion of this agent. this is clearly a low class method (not pejorative, just categorical). The use of superior class agents have a more benign relationship to the cultivation of the three treasures. Sincerely, Will Peter J Eschwey wrote: > Peter J Eschwey <Cloudgate > > Hello All! > > Although I am glad to be informed about the current state of TCM politics > in the U.S.A, I am also deeply grateful for the knowledge and talent of > those involved who might receive my messages/questions and reply. I, for > one, am committed to raising the caliber of American TCM practitioners in > the best way I know how: by deepening my knowledge of the science/art and > thereby treating people more effectively. > > So, my present research focuses on an area of Chinese Herbalism which > many around me know very little about: the topical application of herbs. > I am wondering if anyone reading this can offer me some leads on finding > information on this subject. It seems to me that there is no real text, > outside of books based on martial arts formulas, that deal with the > subject in depth. I am interested in the energetic qualities of some of > the transdermal carriers which are typically used i.e. vinegar, wine, > rubbing alcohol, sesame oil, petroleum jellies (Vaseline), etc. Which > herbs lend themselves most readily to external absorbtion? Perhaps some > sources that list external formulas for: strains, sprains, burns, rashes, > toxic abscesses, psoriasis, eczema, bone breaks, hair loss, eyeball > lesions/irritations, joint pain, zang-fu complaints (i.e. using Wu Zhu Yu > on Kid 1 for weight loss and increased metabolism), the use of herbs > therapeutically on specific acupoints (i.e. Wu Wei Zi in the navel for > asthma, Fu Zi w/ moxa), bathing in herbs, and any other of the myriad > uses for herbs externally. > > What are the various ways to prepare a poultice/compress/salve? When are > they contraindicated? Is there danger in using some of the toxic herbs > i.e. Cinnabar, Lead oxide, etc. externally? What is the function of She > Xiang externally? > > Finally, is there some type of underlying theory that is referred to when > administering herbs topically, or is the process simply based on a > symptom-application treatment. I hope I'm making this question clear. > What I mean is, it appears that much of the external use of herbs is > based on symptomatology i.e. " this formula, for this disorder " , rather > than using a comprehensive system of knowledge based on the principles of > TCM to first differentiate and then select herbs in a style of herbalism > that may differ from commonly used internal prescriptions. (run-on, I > know). > > Anyway, any advice or help I can get would be deeply appreciated. > > Peter > -- > " Start the day with Love, fill the day with Love, end the day with Love " > -Sai Baba > > ------ > Start your own free email group on eGroups. > http://click./1/1882/4/_/_/_/951329977/ > ------ > > Chronic Diseases Heal - Chinese Herbs Can Help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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