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Colleagues

Is there a tradition of using fresh plants as Chinese herbs? I have

read somewhere ( I am trying to find it) of a fresh herb applied

topically being very successful treating genital herpes. And I have

seen folk medicine practitioners in the streets of Chengdu coming to

town each day with an array of fresh plants which they then prescribe

after a short consultation.

Does anyone know of literature on this aspect of herb use? I'll

accept Chinese or english references. Does anyone think there would

be a market for fresh herbs in TCM/OM clinics?

Regards and thanks

Sue Cochrane

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There are many fresh herbs used in Chinese medicine. Such plants as

rehmannia were used fresh, fresh pear juice, fresh bamboo sap, and

phragmites/reed grass. Of course, some of these are difficult to

procure in the West, unless we have locally grown equivalents.

 

I think there is a market for fresh herbs, but remember that most

Chinese medicinal plants are felt to be more potent when dried or

processed.

 

 

On Monday, February 17, 2003, at 05:19 PM, suecochrane36

<annedoia wrote:

 

> Colleagues

> Is there a tradition of using fresh plants as Chinese herbs? I have

> read somewhere ( I am trying to find it) of a fresh herb applied

> topically being very successful treating genital herpes. And I have

> seen folk medicine practitioners in the streets of Chengdu coming to

> town each day with an array of fresh plants which they then prescribe

> after a short consultation.

> Does anyone know of literature on this aspect of herb use? I'll

> accept Chinese or english references. Does anyone think there would

> be a market for fresh herbs in TCM/OM clinics?

> Regards and thanks

> Sue Cochrane

>

>

> Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed

> healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate

> academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety

> of professional services, including board approved online continuing

> education.

>

>

>

>

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In the Di Hua Street herbal market district in Taipei there is a section of the street specializing in fresh versions of the traditionally dried herbs. Taiwan imports 300-400 containers per year of dried herbs, so they have no scarcity of that. But they also grow many of the same herbs for sale as fresh herbs. I've learned from Nam Singh in his cooking courses that fresh herbs from the family garden are commonly used historically in the daily cooking. Different herbs are used in different seasons. Nam indicates that there is a large Chinese literature of Taoist herbal cooking recipes. My wife's sister grows traditional herbs in her garden in southern Taiwan and "blends" the fresh herbs as her herbal formula. I was shocked to see people doing that, but this is somewhat of a local tradition in Taiwan. You can check with Nam Singh about references to the use of fresh herbs. He also might have leads regarding the treatment of genital herpes with fresh herbs. I have his permission to publicly post his South Star Cooking Academy number in San Francisco: 415-334-0616. Obviously he'd like you to enroll in his courses, but I'm sure he would also be gracious about sharing reference literature.

Emmanuel Segmen

 

 

-

 

Monday, February 17, 2003 5:24 PM

Re: Fresh herb market

There are many fresh herbs used in Chinese medicine. Such plants as rehmannia were used fresh, fresh pear juice, fresh bamboo sap, and phragmites/reed grass. Of course, some of these are difficult to procure in the West, unless we have locally grown equivalents.I think there is a market for fresh herbs, but remember that most Chinese medicinal plants are felt to be more potent when dried or processed.On Monday, February 17, 2003, at 05:19 PM, suecochrane36 <annedoia wrote:> Colleagues> Is there a tradition of using fresh plants as Chinese herbs? I have> read somewhere ( I am trying to find it) of a fresh herb applied> topically being very successful treating genital herpes. And I have> seen folk medicine practitioners in the streets of Chengdu coming to> town each day with an array of fresh plants which they then prescribe> after a short consultation.> Does anyone know of literature on this aspect of herb use? I'll> accept Chinese or english references. Does anyone think there would> be a market for fresh herbs in TCM/OM clinics?> Regards and thanks> Sue Cochrane>>> Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed > healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate > academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety > of professional services, including board approved online continuing > education.>> http://www..org>>

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest guest

Dear Z'ev

 

fresh pear juice

 

What is it generaly used for?

 

Marco

 

-

 

Monday, February 17, 2003 7:24 PM

Re: Fresh herb market

There are many fresh herbs used in Chinese medicine. Such plants as rehmannia were used fresh, fresh pear juice, fresh bamboo sap, and phragmites/reed grass. Of course, some of these are difficult to procure in the West, unless we have locally grown equivalents.

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Guest guest

Reduce wind-warmth epidemic evils that attack the lung and dessicate

the fluids. Also good for lung yin xu coughs. It is cool, sweet and

moistens dryness.

 

 

On Monday, March 3, 2003, at 06:25 PM, Marco wrote:

 

> Dear Z'ev

>  

> fresh pear juice

>  

> What is it generaly used for?

>  

> Marco

>

> -

>

>

> Monday, February 17, 2003 7:24 PM

> Re: Fresh herb market

>

> There are many fresh herbs used in Chinese medicine.  Such plants as

> rehmannia were used fresh, fresh pear juice, fresh bamboo sap, and

> phragmites/reed grass.  Of course, some of these are difficult to

> procure in the West, unless we have locally grown equivalents.

>

>

<image.tiff>

>

>

> Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed

> healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate

> academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety

> of professional services, including board approved online continuing

> education.

>

>

>

>

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Guest guest

Dear Z'ev

 

Thank you...

 

is it then used as a fairly short term medicament (in general) any pears in specific. we have some here in Guatemala but they are different from the once in Sweden and UK, at least I think so (since I have a bad habit of not eating pears:-)

 

Can one assume they are fairly interchangeable?

 

Marco

 

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Guest guest

A pear is a pear, I guess. . . :). But I don't know about Guatamalan

pears.

 

Z'ev

 

On Monday, March 3, 2003, at 06:45 PM, Marco wrote:

 

> Dear Z'ev

>  

> Thank you...

>  

> is it then used as a fairly short term medicament (in general) any

> pears in specific. we have some here in Guatemala but they are

> different from the once in Sweden and UK, at least I think so (since I

> have a bad habit of not eating pears:-)

>  

> Can one assume they are fairly interchangeable?

>  

> Marco 

>  

>

>

<image.tiff>

>

>

> Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed

> healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate

> academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety

> of professional services, including board approved online continuing

> education.

>

>

>

>

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Guest guest

Interesting with dryness and cough and yin xu there are quite a number of people here whom complain of "allergy" but it seams more due to irritation from dust so if tongue is not to contradictory will recommend pear juice (as part of a treatment)

 

Marco

 

-

 

Monday, March 03, 2003 8:51 PM

Re: Fresh herb market

A pear is a pear, I guess. . . :). But I don't know about Guatamalan pears.Z'ev On Monday, March 3, 2003, at 06:45 PM, Marco wrote:

Dear Z'ev Thank you... is it then used as a fairly short term medicament (in general) any pears in specific. we have some here in Guatemala but they are different from the once in Sweden and UK, at least I think so (since I have a bad habit of not eating pears:-) Can one assume they are fairly interchangeable? Marco <image.tiff>

Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education.

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Guest guest

, " " <

zrosenbe@s...> wrote:

> A pear is a pear, I guess. . . :).

 

I wonder if that is true. Is a hawthorne berry a hawthorne berry? Asian pears

may belong to the same genus as american pears, but they are a different

species. angelica dahurica and angelica sinensis are quite different despite

being members of the same genus. We want to be really precise about our

herb ID. Perhaps we should be careful about food. consider pork (sorry,

z'ev). this favorite chinese food was historically a small lean animal, not the

factory farmed swine of modern times. this naturally raised lean animal was

probably high in good omega fatty acids, not dangerous arachidonic acids

like the modern descendant. the modern pig is well, a fat pig. I know Z'ev

would never advise anyone to eat pork, but for the sake of analogy, would

one prescribe pork chops for yin xu because the chinese pig had these

properties. what about soil depletion and herbicides, pesticides, etc. with

these variables, I think it becomes very difficult to utilize some of the more

specific TCM food therapies. any thoughts?

 

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Guest guest

I had the smile marker next to that statement about pears, because I

know that there are different species of pear. However, what I've

learned is that 'western' pears can be substituted for the Asian pear

for lung recipes without any problem. Perhaps this is not correct?

I've had Asian pears, but they tend not to be ripe in the stores, and I

wonder about similarities and differences.

As far as pork goes, the kosher laws forbid them only for Jews, not

anyone else. I have no problem with the medicinal recommendations of

pork in the Chinese literature, although, as Todd points out, modern

mass produced pork is hardly a health food, especially eaten in large

quantities. For those reasons, I wouldn't recommend it to patients.

 

 

On Tuesday, March 4, 2003, at 09:30 AM,

< wrote:

 

> , " " <

> zrosenbe@s...> wrote:

>> A pear is a pear, I guess. . . :).

>

> I wonder if that is true. Is a hawthorne berry a hawthorne berry?

> Asian pears

> may belong to the same genus as american pears, but they are a

> different

> species. angelica dahurica and angelica sinensis are quite different

> despite

> being members of the same genus. We want to be really precise about

> our

> herb ID. Perhaps we should be careful about food. consider pork

> (sorry,

> z'ev). this favorite chinese food was historically a small lean

> animal, not the

> factory farmed swine of modern times. this naturally raised lean

> animal was

> probably high in good omega fatty acids, not dangerous arachidonic

> acids

> like the modern descendant. the modern pig is well, a fat pig. I

> know Z'ev

> would never advise anyone to eat pork, but for the sake of analogy,

> would

> one prescribe pork chops for yin xu because the chinese pig had these

> properties. what about soil depletion and herbicides, pesticides,

> etc. with

> these variables, I think it becomes very difficult to utilize some of

> the more

> specific TCM food therapies. any thoughts?

>

 

>

>

> Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed

> healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate

> academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety

> of professional services, including board approved online continuing

> education.

>

>

>

>

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Guest guest

Isn't pork leaner than beef?

 

Julie

> As far as pork goes, the kosher laws forbid them only for Jews, not

> anyone else. I have no problem with the medicinal recommendations of

> pork in the Chinese literature, although, as Todd points out, modern

> mass produced pork is hardly a health food, especially eaten in large

> quantities. For those reasons, I wouldn't recommend it to patients.

>

>

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Guest guest

, "

<@i...> " <@i...> wrote:

but for the sake of analogy, would one prescribe pork chops for yin

xu because the chinese pig had these properties. what about soil

depletion and herbicides, pesticides, etc. with these variables, I

think it becomes very difficult to utilize some of the more

specific TCM food therapies. any thoughts?

 

:

 

I wouldn't doubt that you're right; but has anyone done research

along these lines?

 

 

Jim Ramholz

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Guest guest

I had the smile marker next to that statement about pears, because I know that there are different species of pear. However, what I've learned is that 'western' pears can be substituted for the Asian pear for lung recipes without any problem. Perhaps this is not correct? I've had Asian pears, but they tend not to be ripe in the stores, and I wonder about similarities and differences.

 

 

Z'ev,

Nam Singh has a simple recipe for the indications you mentioned in a previous post using steamed and sweetened "winter pears". Nam identifies the winter pears as the brown skinned bosc pear that we buy here in the market. He indicates it should be peeled for a mild effect and then leave the skin on for a much stronger effect.

Dr. Liang whom I work with here in the warehouse says that the yellow skinned Asian pears available in the Chinatown markets right now are also quite effective for the indications you mentioned. I'll bet Marco's local pears are even cooler or colder in qualities since they are growing in a tropical climate.

Emmanuel Segmen

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Guest guest

>>any pears in specific?

 

>A pear is a pear, I guess. . . :). But I don't know about Guatamalan pears.

 

I'm not sure about that. Asian pears, I believe, are more Yin nourishing

than the soft pears we have in the west. That's what I've been told,

anyway. They (Asian pears) are also quite cold and can damage the

stomach if one eats too many raw, so are often cooked (often with bing

tang, and can add chuan bei mu for sticky phlegm cough).

 

Greg

 

 

 

Greg A. Livingston, L.Ac.

121-1/2 11th Ave

San Francisco, CA 94118

(415) 752-3557

shanren

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