traditional herb knowledge

[Guest guest]

, " Joseph Balensi " <jlb@t...>

wrote:

>

> For instance, I feel on much thicker ice defending our ability to

prescribe Ma Huang by pointing out that it's traditionally used short

term and has no TCM history of use for weight loss or low energy and is

in fact contraindicated for these conditions. My chemistry and physics

are 20+ years behind me.

>

> JOE

 

Joe,

 

I feel the same way as you, but I also think it is actually difficult to

document the historical safety of many herbs. I also think we should be

careful about blanket generalizations about what an herb was used for in

TCM. For example, I was surprised to see ma huang used to treat

enuresis. The express purpose of this was to prevent the child from

sleeping too deeply. This was a traditional family usage taught to me

by one of my teachers. In this case, the stimulating effect of ma huang

is what is desired. Ma huang may be used for a couple of weeks for this

purpose. The chinese couldn't have helped but notice the stimulation of

ma huang and put it to effect. I don't think weight loss was an issue

in ancient china for many folks, but I wouldn't be surprised if ma huang

was occasionally used for adult fatigue, albeit short term. There are

10,000 extant books on TCM and I have read far less than 1% of these.

 

Let me give you another example regarding assumptions about historical

use. Heiner Fruehauf has documented a simpling tradition within TCM,

wherein single herbs are used instead of formula, but still on a precise

pattern matching basis, not just to relieve symptoms, but to address the

root. While this is admittedly not mainstream today, I cannot say how

widespread this practice was at times. Fruehauf considers it very high

level prescribing. But with this in mind, I might also be mistaken to

make the blanket genralization that TCM has always used complex formulae

to treat chronic illness, something which I have said in the past.

 

[Guest guest]

 

I'd like to see Heiner's sources for a simpling tradition in TCM. The

only English source text I know is the translation of Yi xue yan liu

lun/Forgotten Traditions of Ancient by Xu Da-chun (Hsu

Ta-ch'un), published by Paradigm Press. Check out chapter 4, pg. 156, " On

Single (Substance) Prescriptions " .

 

 

>

>Let me give you another example regarding assumptions about historical

>use. Heiner Fruehauf has documented a simpling tradition within TCM,

>wherein single herbs are used instead of formula, but still on a precise

>pattern matching basis, not just to relieve symptoms, but to address the

>root. While this is admittedly not mainstream today, I cannot say how

>widespread this practice was at times. Fruehauf considers it very high

>level prescribing. But with this in mind, I might also be mistaken to

>make the blanket genralization that TCM has always used complex formulae

>to treat chronic illness, something which I have said in the past.

>

>Todd

>

>

>

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