Michael Tierra and his classifications

[Guest guest]

Yehuda,

 

I worked with Michael for 5 years. I helped him with books, his home study

course and was in the clinic for 2 1/2 years. Michael's work is based on

clinical experience (mostly). He learned Chinese medicine back in the early

seventies first from his friend Efrem Korngold (sorry if I misspelled that)

then for Chinese practitioners in San Francisco. This was after studying

both Native American herbology and Western herbology. If you look at

Planetary Herbology, his book, he doesn't go far beyond simple energetic

classifications, that is to say taste and temperature (or flavor and qi). He

does make some other assessments like Goldenseal is good for damp-heat, etc.

There are no " functions " (or very few) and mostly only indications. His work

was ground breaking but after that step there needs to be a next step.

 

thomas

 

> I'm curious, I understand that Michael Tierra also classifies western and

other non-chinese > " planetary " (using his term) herbs by Chinese herb

categorization. Does anyone know what >criteria he uses to determine his

temperatures and flavors, or is it also arbitrary like Holmes?

>

> Yehuda

 

 

Chinese Herbology and Acupuncture

acupuncture and herbal information

 

 

 

" Knowing nothing, you will be aware of everything. "

Lao Tzu

[Guest guest]

Hi Thomas,

 

Interesting...Are you still in touch with Michael? Do you know if he has

continued his research. As you intimated, my impression, from a

distance, was that he, more than anyone else, back in the 80s really

intended to open up the path of integration and applying TCM principles

to western herbs. What a shame, that with so much scholarly research

published as to the biochemical properties of herbs, that it should be so

difficult and controversial to energetically classify herbs other than

those in the TCM pharmacoepea, according to their flavors temperatures

and channels.

 

Maybe our children or grandchildren will be finally able to utiltize our

local abundance, and apply TCM formulation principles to treat

themselves, instead of having to import pesticide lased herbs from China.

 

Yehuda

On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 16:23:07 -0700 " "

writes:

> Yehuda,

>

> I worked with Michael for 5 years. I helped him with books, his home

> study

> course and was in the clinic for 2 1/2 years. Michael's work is

> based on

> clinical experience (mostly). He learned Chinese medicine back in

> the early

> seventies first from his friend Efrem Korngold (sorry if I

> misspelled that)

> then for Chinese practitioners in San Francisco. This was after

> studying

> both Native American herbology and Western herbology. If you look at

> Planetary Herbology, his book, he doesn't go far beyond simple

> energetic

> classifications, that is to say taste and temperature (or flavor and

> qi). He

> does make some other assessments like Goldenseal is good for

> damp-heat, etc.

> There are no " functions " (or very few) and mostly only indications.

> His work

> was ground breaking but after that step there needs to be a next

> step.

>

> thomas

>

> > I'm curious, I understand that Michael Tierra also classifies

> western and

> other non-chinese > " planetary " (using his term) herbs by Chinese

> herb

> categorization. Does anyone know what >criteria he uses to

> determine his

> temperatures and flavors, or is it also arbitrary like Holmes?

> >

> > Yehuda

>

>

> Chinese Herbology and Acupuncture

> acupuncture and herbal information

>

>

>

> " Knowing nothing, you will be aware of everything. "

> Lao Tzu

>

>

>