Gan cao : Antagonism vs Incompatibilities

[Guest guest]

Eric Brand wrote:

" None of the main Chinese materia medicas

indicate that gan cao and yuan zhi share one of the traditional 7

medicinal relationships, no matter what we want to call them in English. "

 

Eric, I'm wondering if the *Gan cao antagonizes Yuan zhi *reference from the

Bensky MM 2nd ed pg. 324

can be derived from the tenth century author Han Bao-Sheng's Materia Medica

of Sichuan (Shu ben cao),

where he listed sixty cases of mutual antagonism (xiang wu). pg. 11 Bensky

 

" Mutual antagonism (xiang wu), literally 'mutual aversion', means the

ability of two substances to minimize or neutralize each other's positive

effects "

" Mutual incompatibility (xiang fan), literally 'mutual opposition' occurs

when the combination of two substances gives rise to side effects of

toxicity caused by neither substance when used alone. " pg. 10 Bensky

 

These antagonisms and incompatibilities have changed through the centuries

and John Shen writes that some have been proven invalid through scientific

inquiry recently. However the gan cao and yuan zhi antagonism seems to make

sense.

 

K.

 

 

 

On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 11:26 AM, Eric Brand <smilinglotus wrote:

 

> --- In

<%40>,

> " "

>

> <johnkokko wrote:

> >

> > Gan cao *antagonizes *Yuan zhi, which means that it can *reduce or

> cancel or

> > fight* with the effects of yuan zhi.

> >

> > A friend of mine says that " antagonizes " means that it can cancel

> not only

> > the effect but also the side-effects.

> >

> > So, Gan cao cancels both the effects and side effects of Yuan zhi.

>

> I'm not so sure what you mean by " antagonizes, " I guess this is again

> a language/term use issue. Originally someone posted that the two

> were incompatible, which often is used to say that they have a

> " clashing relationship " (xiang fan). This is not the case, that's all

> I'm trying to say.

>

> Many herbs reduce each others' toxicity and many herbs have opposing

> but complementary actions. None of the main Chinese materia medicas

> indicate that gan cao and yuan zhi share one of the traditional 7

> medicinal relationships, no matter what we want to call them in

> English. They do have complementary and opposing natures, but I was

> just trying to clarify that they aren't traditionally said to be

> incompatible.

>

> Eric

>

>

>

 

 

 

--

aka Mu bong Lim

Father of Bhakti

 

The Four Reliances:

Do not rely upon the individual, but rely upon the teaching.

As far as teachings go, do not rely upon the words alone, but rely upon the

meaning that underlies them.

Regarding the meaning, do not rely upon the provisional meaning alone, but

rely upon the definitive meaning.

And regarding the definitive meaning, do not rely upon ordinary

consciousness, but rely upon wisdom awareness.