herb synergism

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We have discussed before whether herb functions as listed in standard

materia medica are inherent to each herb or only expressed in

combination. This issue of synergism is relevant not only to clinical

herb selection (particularly the necessity of using combinations versus

singles when modifying formulas), but also for issues such as the need

to cook all herbs together (as opposed to combining single granules)

and drug/herb interactions (true examples of which are basically an

adverse synergism).

 

According to Roger Wicke, most herb actions appear to be based upon

simple summation of functions, not synergism. Synergism being the

emergence of new properties not found in in any of the combined herbs

by themselves. For details on this premise, see his article at

http://www.rmhiherbal.org/review/2004-3.html

 

However there is an initial assumption in Roger's hypothesis that

listed functions in mat meds like Bensky are inherent to each herb,

(except perhaps in seemingly obvious cases where a combination of herbs

is implied, like the indication of gui zhi for harmonizing ying and

wei). But what if many of the listed functions are NOT inherent to

each herb, but rather a function derived from their use in combination.

In other words, the herb itself does not have the function unless

paired with other herbs that accentuate (or antagonize) said function.

That latter position has been taken up here vigorously in the past.

For example, I have long considered gui zhi's listed function of

harmonizing ying and wei to be one obvious example of a use dependent

upon combination (with bai shao, in this case). However, it is

described this way in three separate texts that do not reference each

other in their citations (jiao shu de, Bensky, Xu Li and Wang Wei).

Gui zhi does have a sweet flavor, so perhaps it does directly

contribute to nourishing ying as well as stimulating wei (even w/o

combination with bai shao).

 

To refresh my memory, what is the basis for making the claim that herbs

do not have most of their listed functions inherently, regardless of

combination? There is at least one glaring example like the listing of

yin yang huo for yin vacuity in Bensky, when that is clearly derived

from its use in er xian tang, as yin yang huo does not supplement yin

by itself (and is in fact contraindicated in yin vacuity). However,

this herb is not described this way in either Jiao shu de or Xu Li and

Wang Wei, thus making this an isolated error of editorial judgment

rather than some common theme in the literature.. Randomly scanning

Bensky, other such discrepancies seem hard for me to find (I can't find

any). For most herbs, the seemingly disparate functions are not that

hard to reconcile. Herbs do contain numerous and diverse biochemicals

after all. Can someone give me some example of herbs that supposedly

only express their functions in combination? Are these exceptions to

the rule or are they the rule? Are these functions listed in all or

most texts or just one or a few texts? Is there any other evidence of

this claim?

 

The materia medica literature has had an independent and much longer

existence than either formulary or internal medicine (see Unschuld: Hx

of Pharmaceutics). It was the dominant form of herb literature in the

first millenium. These older materia medicas listed multiple diverse

properties of herbs with no discussion at all of combinations or

formulas. Thus making it appear that the authors considered these

properties inherent to each herb, not wholly dependent on combination.

How does one explain this literature? Unschuld is very clear that the

writers of this genre were not part of some cohesive group of textbook

writers. Thus, the people who wrote the materia medicas were not

writing with any consideration towards those who wrote disease or

prescription manuals. Unschuld insists these were independent, not

overlapping, genre for at least 1000 years.

 

Back to the gui zhi example. An herb with many seemingly disparate

functions listed in Bensky. Yet all are easily explainable with

reference to the taste and temp of the herb (spicy, sweet, warm). And

they are all linked either concepts of dispersing or transforming. Gui

zhi is a safe herb to do an experiment with. When taken by itself in a

large dose (1 full teaspoon steeped for 15 minutes should do), it

clearly has effects on both the interior and exterior. It does not

depend on being combined with yi tang to harmonize the middle, nor with

ma huang to release the exterior, nor with jiang huang to relieve

muscular pain. It does all these things by itself. Combining

definitely focuses (or restrains or directs) gui zhi in one way or

another, but it has all these properties inherently, IMO. Below I have

attached some brief notes on the herbs taught in herbs 1 at PCOM. The

information is meant to be the basis for discussing herb actions in

relation to temperature, taste and channel. this was inspired by

Yang's comparisons and characteristics text, but adapted to Bensky's

listed attributes. While not denying that herbs are used in certain

classical combinations to enhance, accentuate, antagonize or counteract

each other, I was speculating if most or all of an herbs functions

could be simply explained as inherent properties of the herb based upon

taste and temp. Feel free to comment.

 

Ma Huang

 

Attributes: spicy, sl. bitter, warm, LU, BL,

Functions: dispel wind cold, circulate lung qi, promote urination;

Indications and Pathomechanisms: asthma, all sx result from lung D & D

impairment

 

Gui Zhi –

 

spicy, sweet, warm, LU, BL,HT,

relieves surface, promotes movement and transformation in chest,

bladdder, channels and uterus

used for ying and wei disharmony with bai shao; pain, its main action

is to disperse in all its functions

 

Bo He –

 

aromatic, spicy, cool, LV, LU,

relieves surface and courses liver, clears heat;

skin, head sx, ascends, disperses and floats

 

Chai Hu –

 

spicy, bitter, cool, LV, PC, TB, PC,

lifts spleen yang, relieves shaoyang, course liver:

emotions, all actions due to its ascending and dispersing nature

 

Shi Gao –

 

spicy, sweet, very cold, LU,ST,

clears heat,

fever, used when fluids are being scorched

 

Zhi Mu –

 

bitter, cold, LU, ST, KD,

clears vacuity heat, supplements yin, clears dampheat;

nightsweats, xiao ke, cools and descends in all its actions

 

Xi Jiao -

 

Sheng Di Huang –

 

sweet, bitter, cold, HT,LV, KD,

clears heat, cools blood, stops bleeding, supplements yin,

xiao ke, cools, calms, nourishes in all its actions

 

Huang Qin, -

 

bitter, cold, LI, ST, GB, LU,

clear heat in liver and lung and LI, calm yang, calm fetus, skin,

bronchitis, drains and cools

 

Huang Lian, -

 

bitter, cold, ST, HT, LV, LI

clear heat in heart and stomach and LI, skin,

insomnia, toothache, drains and cools

 

Huang Bai, -

 

bitter, cold, KD, BL,

clear heat in LJ,

skin, UTI, drains and cools

 

Jin Yin Hua –

 

sweet, cold, LU, LI, ST,

clears toxin, releases wind-heat, drains dampheat,

skin, throat, clears and drains

 

Lian Qiao –

 

bitter, sl. spicy, cool, GB, LV, HT,

toxin, windheat, nodules

skin, throat, lymph swelling, clears and drains

 

Bian dou

 

Sweet, Neutral, SP, ST

Clear summerheat, fortify spleen

vomit, diarrhea; gently strengthens

 

Xi gua

 

Sweet, cold, BL,

Clears summerheat, thirst

 

Fu Ling

 

Bland, sweet, neutral, LU, HT, SP

Drains damp, fortify spleen, calm spirit

Diarrhea, dysuria,insomnia, descending and strengthening

 

Hou Po

 

bitter, spicy, aromatic, warm, LU, SP, ST, LI

transforms phlegm & damp, descends qi,

asthma, constipation, transforms and descends

 

Du Huo

 

warm, spicy, bitter, KD, BL,

dispel wind damp cold bi,

low back pain, toothache, bodyaches dispels and disperses

 

Chen Pi

 

bitter, spicy, aromatic, warm, LU, SP, ST,

transform phlegm, damp, regulate qi,

bloating, sputum, moves, transforms and descends

 

Shan Zha –

 

sour, sweet, sl. warm, SP, ST, LV

disperse meat and grease food stagnation, move blood

diarrhea, bloating, moves and transforms

 

Da Huang

 

bitter, cold, LI, LV, HT, ST,

purgation, move blood, clear toxin,

constipation, clears and moves

 

Huo Ma Ren

 

sweet, neutral, LI, SP,

moisten bowels, supplement yin

constipation, moistens and nourishes

 

Gan Sui

 

bitter, sweet, cold, toxic, LI, LU, KD, SP,

cathartic for fluid accumulation, dampheat swellings, phlegm, esp.

epilepsy, attacks

 

Qian Hu

 

sl. cold, spicy, bitter, LU,

dispel windheat, transform phlegm,

OK for windcold, not used internally, cough, clears and disperses

 

Ban Xia

 

spicy, warm, toxic, LU, SP, ST,

transform phlegm, damp, descends qi,,

sputum, vomiting, transforms and descends

 

Xing Ren

 

bitter, sl. warm, sl. toxic, LU, LI,

moistens lungs and LI, stop cough

cough and asthma, moistens and descends

 

San Qi

 

sweet, sl. bitter, warm, LV, ST, LI,

moves blood and stops bleeding

pain and bleeding

 

Chi Shao

 

bitter, sour, sl. cold, LV, SP,

moves blood, cools blood, clears liver fire,

bleeding, pain, rashes, moves, descends and cools

 

Chuan Xiong

 

spicy, warm, LV, GB, PC,

moves blood, dispels wind damp bi ,

disperses; headache

 

Fu Zi

 

spicy, hot, SP, KD, HT,

warm yang, dispel cold, restore yang collapse,

pain, warms and stimulates in all its actions

 

Ren Shen

 

sweet, warm, LU, SP, KD,

supplements HT, LU, KD, SP (heaven, human, earth), generates fluids,

calms spirit,

fatigue, supplementing in all its actions

 

Dang Shen

 

sweet, neutral, LU, SP

supplements LU, SP, generates fluids,

fatigue, supplementing in all its actions

 

Bai Zhu

 

bitter, sweet, warm, SP, ST,

supplements, dries damp, stops sweating, calms fetus

diarrhea, supplementing and drying and restraining

 

Gan Cao

 

neutral, sweet, 12 channels,

zhi supplements HT, SP, moistens LU, sheng clears toxins; both

harmonize and relieve spasm (with bai shao),

 

Shu Di Huang –

 

sweet, warm, LV, HT, KD,

builds blood, yin and essence

menses, blood loss (does not stop bleeding), low back pain, nourishes

in all actions

 

Dang Gui

 

sweet, spicy, bitter, warm, LV, HT, SP

moves and supplements blood (harmonizes), moistens LI and LU

pain, menses, harmonizes and mositens in all actions

 

Mai Men Dong

 

sweet, sl. bitter, sl. cold, LU, ST, HT,

cools and nourishes LU/ST yin, calms spirit,

cough, thirst, dry stool, xiao ke, moistens and nourishes in all

actions

 

Lu Rong

 

Shan Zhu Yu

 

sour, warm, LV, KD,

nourishes essence and yin and astringes sweat and GU,

nightsweats, consolidation in all actions

 

Suan Zao Ren

 

sour, sweet, neutral, LV, GB, SP, HT,

calm spirit, stops sweat,

insomnia, consolidates and nourishes

 

Long Gu

 

sweet, astringent, cool, LV, KD, HT, (LI)

settles spirit, calms yang and consolidates leakages

anxiety

 

Gou Teng

 

sweet, cool, LV, HT,

extinguishes internal wind, calms yang rising, clears heat,

tremors, calming and descending in all its actions

 

 

 

Chinese Herbs

 

 

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