How to Identify Chinese Herbs
Things You'll Need
- A variety of Chinese herbs
- A description of symptoms
Instructions
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Classify your (or your patient's) symptoms to match with one of five treatment categories. Herbal classification systems are designed to treat specific symptoms and are organized into the following categories: heat and toxin clearing action, blood regulating action, phlegm-removing action, diuretic and dampness-eliminating action or external application.
Knowing the herbs used to treat a specific malady will narrow the possibilities when attempting to identify specific herbs within each category.
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2
Determine the healing characteristics of the herb. Several herbs will have more than one characteristic or use. For example, Calculus Bovis is a phlegm-eliminating agent as well as a heat-clearing one. Knowing these characteristics will help in identifying Calculus Bovis, but it is also important to know its appearance and taste.
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3
Identify the herb's flavor (acridness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness or saltiness.) Each flavor exerts a different effect and will therefore be used to treat a different symptom or illness.
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4
Cross reference the herb's appearance with that provided in a visual glossary or Chinese herb medical dictionary. Chinese herbs are generally dispensed as powders, teas, roots, or in their dried form rather than as capsules which makes them easier to identify than the substances traditionally used in Western medicine.
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5
Use the herb's flavor, healing characteristics and/or treatment classification and physical appearance to identify Chinese herbs. Though the initial amount of herbs used for treatment is vast, it is possible to narrow down the possibilities when using specific identifying characteristics.
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