Chinese Herb Classics and other questions

[Guest guest]

I have a few questions:

Having just graduated from school I have not read any

of the classical literature on herbs. What Chinese

herb classics should I read and are there particular

translations that are better than others?

Has anyone attempted to learn medical Chinese through

one of the books that are currently on the market?

And lastly, my herbal teacher is now teaching her

class with a heavy emphasis on the pharmaceutical

aspects of Chinese herbs. Even though I am finished I

was thinking of sitting in on the class. When she

taught our class she did include pharmaceutical and

research information because she has been very

involved in research but she says this will be her

main emphasis. How important is it to learn this

information?

Thank you.

Lissa

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

, Lissa Pete <lpete_60659>

wrote:

> I have a few questions:

> Having just graduated from school I have not read any

> of the classical literature on herbs. What Chinese

> herb classics should I read and are there particular

> translations that are better than others?

 

If you have not used Wiseman/Ellis' Fundamental of

as

a textbook, I would start there before proceeding to ancient classics

as they will be gibberish to those trained only with standard

textbooks. Then my next steps would be zhu dan xi's Heart and

esssence

of dan xi's tx methods (blue poppy) and charles chaces translation

called

the Qin bo wei anthology (paradigm). These books are written in more

modern,

less

cryptic language than early classics like li dong yuan and nei jing

and are both very clinically practical as soon as you open them. My

recent personal favorite is a little primer called the Heart

transmission by liu yi ren (blue poppy). This is far and away the

best

primer on herbal prescribing I have ever seen!! But you need to have

finished mat med and formulas studies first for it to be useful.

 

> Has anyone attempted to learn medical Chinese through

> one of the books that are currently on the market?

 

As a novice I like flaws books, but find unschuld's unschuld's way

over

my head, better for those with some training in chinese already.

However, anyway you approach this endeavor, it is very tedious.

 

> And lastly, my herbal teacher is now teaching her

> class with a heavy emphasis on the pharmaceutical

> aspects of Chinese herbs. Even though I am finished I

> was thinking of sitting in on the class. When she

> taught our class she did include pharmaceutical and

> research information because she has been very

> involved in research but she says this will be her

> main emphasis. How important is it to learn this

> information?

 

it is important to the validation of our field and to research

design,

but it is not very relevant to clinical practice and I think

overemphasis at the masters level is very shortsighted. I teach

materia medica at PCOM and while pharmacology fascinates me, I only

mention it as an aside and NEVER require memorization of this data.

there is enough to absorb already. this is counterproductive. when

herbs are used with pharmacology as their main basis, side effects

are

rampant,just like with drugs. However, it would certainly be

interesting for a postgrad audit if the subject interests you for

reasons other than clinical apps.

 

BTW, where did you go to school?

 

[Guest guest]

on 10/5/00 3:12 PM, at wrote:

 

 

 

>> And lastly, my herbal teacher is now teaching her

>> class with a heavy emphasis on the pharmaceutical

>> aspects of Chinese herbs. Even though I am finished I

>> was thinking of sitting in on the class. When she

>> taught our class she did include pharmaceutical and

>> research information because she has been very

>> involved in research but she says this will be her

>> main emphasis. How important is it to learn this

>> information?

>

> it is important to the validation of our field and to research

> design,

> but it is not very relevant to clinical practice and I think

> overemphasis at the masters level is very shortsighted. I teach

> materia medica at PCOM and while pharmacology fascinates me, I only

> mention it as an aside and NEVER require memorization of this data.

> there is enough to absorb already. this is counterproductive. when

> herbs are used with pharmacology as their main basis, side effects

> are

> rampant,just like with drugs. However, it would certainly be

> interesting for a postgrad audit if the subject interests you for

> reasons other than clinical apps.

>

 

I would add to this,

That, in my opinion, it is irresponsible to require so much pharmaceutical

information when learning herbal medicine, as this information is the

dessert, not the main course. If practicing Chinese herbal medicine

according to the principles of pattern diagnosis, it will not replace the

essential understanding from the traditional texts. In terms of herb/drug

interactions, it can be useful, and some of the pharmacological data can be

very helpful in understanding specific actions of herbal medicinals. When I

teach herbs, I always try to supplement the information with cases,

additional material from other Chinese medical texts, and, when relevant,

pharmacological information. But just because the instructor has a

specialty in pharmacology doesn't mean it should be taught as 'the main

emphasis'.