Chinese herbs have been classified, used and studies in
a written manner for at least 1,800 years. Chinese herbal medicine
was codified in the first century CE. 100 years later, diseases and formulas
to treat them was tackled in a systematic fashion in the ‘Shan Han Lun’
with 85% of the original herbal formulas still used today. When the
Modern Chinese government took over the health care system in 1959, the
started a program of laboratory studies of the effectiveness of the herbs
and their properties. These studies were conducted in a manner similar
to western studies on medicines using bacterial and cellular cultures,
rats, rabbets and people. The results were the reduction of the traditional
herbal pharmacy from 10,000 classified herbs to about 450 that could be
demonstrated in a laboratory to have some effect in a clinically measurable
way. In many ways, herbal medicine has a greater range of effectiveness
that does acupuncture. Its use ranges from infections to osteoporosis
with a great deal of ability to help with metabolic problems that western
medicine has little effectiveness in treating.
Preparation of HerbsIn Oriental Medicine, treatment principles are used to select herbs to create an overall formula to treat the person's whole condition and all of the symptoms involved. There are three methods of administering herbal formulas. The first is raw herbs cooked to create a tea. The second method is the use of herbal powders. These powders are prepared by the cooking of the herbs under GMP (Good Manufacturing Procedures) and then dried like powdered milk. The third form of herbal formulas is the Chinese "Patent" Medicine as small round pills.Patent medicines are effective economical treatments for many common conditions. Indeed there are several herbal patents that should be in everyone's car, medicine chest and kitchen. These First Aid formulas are commonly given to people to prevent conditions such as colds from becoming major illnesses. Some of the Patent medicines that come from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan contain heavy metals, western pharmaceuticals and other contaminants. The California Department of Health Services tested and listed 260 patents in their 1997 - 1998 Compendium of Asian Patent Medicines. Dangers of HerbsThe use of Chinese herbs requires proper knowledge of what and how they should be used. Lack of this proper knowledge can be dangerous. In 1991 - 1992, several young women in Belgium were admitted to the hospital for renal (kidney) failure. The women were taking part in a program for weight control. The medical doctors in charge of the program had created a formula of herbs and western medications. The herbs were Radix Stephania tetrandra (Fang Ji ) and Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis (Huo Po.) The immediate response from the medical community was that the herbs caused the failure even though the literature on the herbs involved listed no side effects related to kidney failure.An analysis by Richard Blackwell and others into what happened in this case has brought out the following. First, one of the herbs in question is simply listed as Fang Ji (Radix Stephania tetrandra). In Chinese medicine, this herb is actually called Han Fang Ji. There is another herb that is called Guang Fang Ji (Radix Aristolochia Fangchi.) This herb has a component called Aristolochic Acid. This compound does cause renal failure. However, heat destroys the compound. The herbs used in the doctors' formula were raw ground up herbs. This situation has brought up several points. First, one must be able to properly identify herbs and variations of the herbs. Second, the herbs have to be used in the proper manner. Some herbs can be used raw, other herbs can not. Third, herbs must be used for the proper conditions. Neither herbs was know for use in weight loss or lipid metabolism. With the publication of the Herbal PDR, this situation is likely to increase. In the Herbal PDR, I examined the section of herbs for the treatment of Bronchitis. Some of the herbs listed did indeed have an effect on the phlegm and bronchial spasms that are part of the disorder. However, the majority of the herbs did not. What I did notice was that the herbs listed were indeed used in traditional Chinese Medical formulas. However the herbs are used in secondary, supportive manner. For example, cinnamon is listed. In Chinese Medicine, bronchitis is divided into two major divisions, hot and cold. In the hot form, the symptoms are typically, difficult expectoration of phlegm, phlegm has a yellow color, the person feels hot even if they are not running a fever. In the cold form, the phlegm is clear colored and foamy, copious. The person may feel chills or desire warm fluids or environmental conditions. Cinnamon is hot. It produces a feeling of heat in the body and will cause perspiration. In the cold form of bronchitis, its use is to warm the body to reduce the phlegm's watery condition. If you give cinnamon to a person with hot bronchitis, you will exacerbate their conditions. Resulting in greater fever, more sweating and loss of fluids. It is not possible to classify the herbs and conditions that they treat into western terms without loosing some of the proper knowledge of their use. This is part of the debate about Oriental Medicine verses Western Medicine. Adverse Effects
Involving Certain Chinese Herbal Medicines & the Response of the Profession
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