Formula Writing

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Rory, Z'ev, et Al(ha):

 

Al Stone's comments are pasted below mine:

 

I have long felt that there ought to be a reformation of how TCM herbology is taught. My ideal structure would be to first teach a couple of semesters of individual herbs by category in more-or-less the traditional manner, with a focus on the indications and contraindications of each category. This would include an overview of the field in the beginning of the first class, with a brief look at how raw formulas are decocted, dosage, terminology, different outcomes from preparing the same herb in diffferent ways (pao zhi), etc., as well as a brief look at how patents are prepared and administered in various ways. Also, during the first two semesters, when appropriate, students should be introduced to the idea of dui yao--how particular pairs of herbs work particularly well together to accomplish given clinical goals.

 

Then comes the intermediate course. This course first would focus on dui yao: herbal pairs and perhaps triplets, teaching a moderate number of the most important ones. Then students would be introduced to what I call core formulas. These are a few of the important formulas from which many other formulas are made: Si Jun Zi Tang, Ping Wei San, Si Wu Tang, Er Chen Tang, Liu Wei Di Huang Tang, Xiao Yao San, Xiao Chai Hu Tang, Wu Ling San, Gui Zhi Tang, and maybe a few others, or perhaps it would be better to only teach a very few, such as Si Jun Zi Tang, Si Wu Tang and Gui Zhi Tang and leave it at that. I include Ping Wei San, for example, because as I see it, there is a set of formulas based on Spleen Qi Xu as primary, with Dampness attending (Si Jun Zi Tang, Liu Jun Zi Tang, Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang, etc.) and a set of formulas based on Dampness primary, with Spleen Qi Xu attending (Ping Wei San, Xiang Sha Yang Wei Tang, Wei Ling Tang, etc.). As I see it, Xiang Sha Yang Wei Tang is to Ping Wei San as Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang is to Si Jun Zi Tang. The individual herbs taught in dui yao and pao zhi would of course be reviewed as to their categories and, minimally, their places within the categories. Finally, this course would have a module on pao zhi, focusing more deeply on how different ways of preparing herbs can totally change the focus and effect of formulas.

 

Then would come two or three semesters of formulas in depth, focusing on finishing preparing students for national certification, being an integration of the previous teaching in as much depth as possible. The formula courses should be heavy on critical diagnostic thinking as well as why particular herbs are in particular formulas, because I believe that one does not really learn how to form a component TCM diagnosis until one has studied TCM herbal medicine. What do you think of all this?

 

Speaking of the research issue in other posts, I'm all for it, but I would like to point out something that just became obvious to me after taking Johndennis Govert's recent feng shui course in Tucson. The feng shui environment in which research is conducted is going to influence the outcome of the research, and this includes not only the researchers' paradigms and biases but also the electro-magnetic, energetic, astrological and whatever-else-is-going-on environment. Who the hell ever takes these things into account when comparing research outcomes?

Joseph Garner, L.Ac.

 

>>>We have mentioned on this list a few times about the need for more focus

on Dui Yao, herb combos as an educational stage between the study of

individual herbs and formulas.

 

I believe that this is an important step as formulas are a bunch of Dui

Yao's that address a unique syndrome. Dui Yao's are like treatment

principles.  These are the building blocks of formulas.

 

I'm not exactly sure how to best teach this as I am a practitioner who

is only beginning to really use them on a regular basis, but formulas

are generally taught as "these herbs address this problem" and "these

herbs address this other problem this formula treats."  There groups of

herbs are Dui Yao's.  Recognizing AT LEAST this basic theory of formulas

would be really helpful to assist students in understanding how formulas

are created.

 

Admitidly, this may have been presented in my class, but without the

problem solving component to these classes, it probably went in one ear

and out the other.  The more I think about herb education, the more I

think about breaking classes up into lecture, and then problem solving.

 

Then there's the whole Shang Han Lun way of doing things, which imprints

yet another part of the brain in regards to writing a formula beginning

with a pathology and then adding and subtracting herbs to alter the

medical focus of the formula.

 

TCM thinking.... that's what we need to learn how to teach. : )

 

--

Al Stone L.Ac.

<AlStone

http://www.BeyondWellBeing.com<<<