How To Analyse The Therapeutic Functions Of The Various Decoctions Part Nine

Hey, I'm back and today's topic is very simple.   I'm going to analyse the reason why Xing Ren is the division 4 officer's herb in Ma Huang Tang.  This is how to analyse the therapeutic functions of the various decoctions. (part 9）

Division 4  Officer's Herb-Xing Ren

What is the job of this officer?  Primarily, it would coordinate and slow down the strong effect of monarch and minister herbs.   So for Xing Ren above, we'll have the following:

Association to the Specific Meridian Channel

Xing Ren is associated with the;

• Lung  
• Large Intestine - Meridian Channel respectively  

Since the TCM Lung and Large Intestine are the best-correlated match exterior-interiorly, their correlation is the best explanation for Xing Ren in the decoction as the division 4 officer's herb.  Let's do a quick revision on the Lung and Large Intestine fundamentals.

As I've mentioned previously, all 6 Yang Organs comply strictly with the:

• tubular configuration and 
• TCM Fundamentals

Under normal conditions:  The unwanted residue being transferred over to the Large Intestine is no longer called digested food because all the CLEAR nutrient has been absorbed by the Small Intestine in feeding all parts of the body.  Moreover, the smooth sailing of the transfer characteristics at the large intestine is greatly dependent on :

1. the clear passage and smooth sailing from the stomach and 
2. closely associated with TCM spleen transportation***
3. TCM Lung's Qi descending movement and
4. sealed storage characteristics of the TCM Kidney

As the fundamental had stipulated the smooth sailing of the large intestine would descend the Lung's Qi which is necessary to achieve relief in the asthmatic condition.

Under pathological conditions, the lung and the large intestine also interact and influence each other.  For example, when the external pathogens invade the lungs, the result would be the failure to descend stagnation of lung's Qi and generated phlegm heat in the lungs causing large intestinal conduction disorders and constipation.

This would be the role of Xing Ren which travels to the Lung and Large Intestine to coordinate with the monarch's herb to eradicate the virus invasion.

Specific Taste

The type of Xing Ren that is suitable for TCM decoction would be those that grow in the northern part of mainland China so-called North Xing Ren and those in the south known as South Xing Ren.

The north Xing Ren is better known as Armeniacae Semen Amarum and the south Xing Ren is also known as Armeniacae Semen Dulce in Latin.

The north Xing Ren has a bitter specific taste.

First and foremost this bitterness also enters the heart and regulate the following:

• To ease and alleviate deeper worry like something bothering the mind
• Excrete heat from the heart and lower the lung's Qi.

This indicates that the north Xing Ren would also enter the Lung with this bitterness as well as to materialise the above scenario.

Therefore, this would be the effect of north Xing Ren's bitterness to excrete and lower the lung's Qi in reversing the effect of Ma Huang so that lung's Qi would not be exhausted so rapidly.  The overall effect is "Ma Huang expel the Qi with the setback from Xing Ren withdrawal of the Qi" to soothe the asthmatic condition from the TCM perspective.

The south Xing Ren has a sweet specific taste.

Besides having the sweet taste with the ability to enter the Spleen***, the south Xing Ren would use this sweetness to lubricate the Lung to ease and drop cough.

You would find that when the child has improved from the àsthmatic condition, however, there would be a sure sign of dry coughing experienced as there was an infection at the respiratory tract initially.  

As of here, you would realise which type of Xing Ren is more appropriate in the decoction preparation.  The answer is "decision-based on case to case basis."  Since the virus infection would cause a dry cough after asthmatic recovery, it is wise to use the quantity selected to be split into 50% north and 50% south Xing Ren. Another decision is 2/3 north and 1/3 south Xing Ren to relieve the asthmatic condition more effectively.  Both applications work very well.

This Specific Taste would complement each other with the association of the Meridian Channel in the determination of the best herb selection.

Specific Property

The specific property of Xing Ren is lukewarm.

Unlike the monarch and minister's herb, the lukewarm property of Xing Ren cannot induce perspiration as effective and as such it is selected as division 4 officer to fuel the perspiration lightly.

The lukewarm effect would add to the overall effect as a warm and perspiration inductive catalyst rather than choosing a cooling property herb which would hamper the warm effect.

Best of all,

Xiong

 ***Reference:

( Emperor's Interior Sutra is available on sales better known as the esoteric scripture of the yellow emperor in Amazon, it's just a different way of naming the book cover)

How To Analyse The Therapeutic Functions Of The Various Decoctions Part Eight

Hey, I'm back to continue on today's topic which is on the selection and reason why Gui Zhi is the minister's herb.  This is how to analyse the therapeutic functions of the various decoctions. (part 8)

Minister's Herb-Gui Zhi

As usual, we've to bear in mind the threshold created in the previous blog for the herb selection like what we had discussed on the Monarch's herb; Ma Huang.  So for Gui Zhi above, we'll have the following:

Association to the Specific Meridian Channel

Gui Zhi is better known as Ramulus Cinnamomi in Latin.  It is associated with the Lung, Heart and Bladder Meridian Channel.  Very clearly, it is exactly similar to Ma Huang with one more channel, the Heart.

Specific Taste

The specific taste of GUI  ZHI is spicy and sweet.  It also enters the lung but it can not induce perspiration so effectively as Ma Huang however it would aid Ma Huang to increase the perspiration power. 

Next, the effect of the pungent and spicy taste is to: 

• soothe the Qi
• disperse in the purpose of weakening the virus invasion
• invigorate blood 
• remove blood stasis 

All the above effects are similar to Ma Huang except that they are less powerful, as such they become complements to the Monarch herb, Ma Huang.  There is one other point that is necessary to bring out;  it warms and raises the Yang to Ying Wei level where the bodily ache are found at this muscle level.  Therefore Gui Zhi is especially important in relieving body ache and I'll discuss other formulas on relieving bodily ache to show how effective is Gui Zhi being able to relieve pain without which, the decoction would be just another secondary soft drink.

Sweet enters the Spleen

As opposed to Ma Huang which inclines toward a little bitterness, Gui Zhi has the sweet taste that enters the Spleen to inspire and uplift the Spleen's Yang so that ache (caused by the stagnation) can be relieved.  Stagnation always causes pain from the TCM perspective.  Now the answers are becoming clearer and straightforward.

The difference between the taste of Ma Huang and Gui Zhi is:

Ma Huang is spicy and a little bitter;

• Little bitterness tied with spicy means excretion via perspiration

Gui Zhi is spicy and sweet;

• Sweet tied with spicy causes warming effect that would heat the Qi stagnation at the Tai Yang meridian channel to resolve ache.

Specific Properties

Gui Zhi's specific property is warm.

This warming effect is capable of:

•  inducing perspiration  
•  dispelling cold
•  warming lung directly
•  relieving asthma
•  to reduce swelling.

similar to Ma Huang but a lesser degree.

Once again, I've to refer back to our topic today as to why Gui Zhi is categorised as minister's herb in Ma Huang Tang because of its prime role to resolve the bodily ache and fueling the power of the monarch's herb to induce perspiration to excrete the cold wind virus via the perspiring channels.  The fact is the bodily ache is caused by the Qi stagnation in the Tai Yang meridian channel.  This Qi stagnation could not drive the blood to circulate smoothly at the Ying Wei level resulting in pain at this muscles layers in the TCM perspective.

Oh, yes (have I left out anything in the aforesaid paragraph)?  Yes, it is the Gui Zhi's association with Heart Meridian Channel.  There is a condition known as Palpitation.  They are feelings or sensations that the heart is pounding or racing. They can be felt in the chest, throat, or neck. You may: Have an unpleasant awareness of the heartbeat. Feel like the heart skipped or stopped beating.  Most of the time, heart palpitations are harmless and go away on their own. In some cases, however, there may be a medical reason behind them, called Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). Even though they are common, heart palpitations can make you feel anxious and scared.

More often than not, this would not be found in the Ma Huang Tang Scenario unless there is a patient's medical history of heart disease.

Nevertheless, this decoction contains Gui Zhi which can travel to the Heart with the messenger's herb, Zhi Gan Cao to warm it and regulate the heartbeat to the normal condition.  

I'll discuss this Palpitation and the related manifestation of coronary heart disease, asthma and emphysema in another blog and leave more time for you to digest and get ready for interesting division 4 officer (Xing Ren) and the fabulous messenger (Zhi Gan Cao).

Best of all

Xiong

 ***Reference:

( Emperor's Interior Sutra is available on sales better known as the esoteric scripture of the yellow emperor in Amazon, it's just a different way of naming the book cover)