Chinese Medicine

266 Pages·2016·18.32 MB·English

Chinese Medicine
A Comprehensive Guide
Roberto Forbes
Chinese Medicine: A
Comprehensive Guide

Chinese Medicine: A
Comprehensive Guide
Edited by
Roberto Forbes
Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide
Edited by Roberto Forbes
ISBN: 978-1-9789-2159-7
© 2017 Library Press
Published by Library Press,
5 Penn Plaza,
19th Floor,
New York, NY 10001, USA
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chinese medicine : a comprehensive guide / edited by Roberto Forbes.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-9789-2159-7
1.Medicine, Chinese. 2. Traditional medicine--China. 3. Alternative medicine--China. I. Forbes, Roberto.
R602 .C45 2017
610.951--dc23
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. All chapters are
published with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License or equivalent. A
wide variety of references are listed. Permissions and sources are indicated; for detailed attributions, please
refer to the permissions page. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information,
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Table of Contents
Preface VII
Chapter 1 Introduction to Chinese Medicine 1
Chapter 2 Chinese Herbology: An Integrated Study 31
a. Chinese Herbology 31
b. Herbalism 47
c. Chinese Patent Medicine 60
d. List of Traditional Chinese Medicines 62
e. Traditional Chinese Medicines Derived from the Human Body 74
Chapter 3 Plants used in Traditional Chinese Medicine 88
a. Camellia Sinensis 88
b. Datura Stramonium 92
c. Liquorice 96
d. Catharanthus Roseus 101
Chapter 4 Acupuncture: An Overview 105
a. Acupuncture 105
b. Acupuncture Point 134
c. Acupressure 136
d. Pressure Point 138
e. List of Acupuncture Points 140
f. Regulation of Acupuncture 164
g. Electroacupuncture 167
Chapter 5 Important Therapeutic Approaches and Techniques 171
a. Cupping Therapy 171
b. Chinese Food Therapy 176
c. Auriculotherapy 177
d. Qigong 179
e. Tui Na 190
f. Moxibustion 191
Chapter 6 Anatomical Perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine 195
a. The Body in Traditional Chinese Medicine 195
b. Qi 199
c. Meridian (Chinese Medicine) 208
d. Zang-Fu 212
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VI Contents
Chapter 7 Philosophical Background of Traditional Chinese Medicine 216
a. Yin and Yang 216
b. Wu Xing 222
c. Taijitu 230
d. Feng Shui 236
e. Eight Principles 250
f. Three Treasures (Traditional Chinese Medicine) 252
Permissions
Index
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Preface
Chinese medicine or traditional Chinese medicine is an alternate form of treatment.
It uses techniques like massage, herbal medicine, exercise, acupuncture, cup therapy,
Chinese food therapy, gua sha, and dietary therapy to treat various diseases like
asthma, migraine, neurogenic bladder dysfunction, diarrhea, infertility, etc. The
book studies, analyses and upholds the pillars of Chinese medicine and its utmost
significance in modern times. Some of the diverse topics covered in it address the
varied branches that fall under this category. The topics covered in this text offer
students new insights in this field. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language
and extensive use of examples make this textbook an invaluable source of knowledge.
To facilitate a deeper understanding of the contents of this book a short introduction
of every chapter is written below:
Chapter 1- Chinese medicine is almost 2500 years old; and traditional Chinese
medicine includes herbal medicine, acupuncture, massages (tui na) and exercises
(qigong). This traditional form of medicine is still widely preferred in China for it is
herbal and organic and not chemically manufactured.
Chapter 2- Chinese herbology or herbal therapy are an undocumented school of
alternate medicine that uses ancient and modern medicinal recipes, derived from
plant extracts, animal parts and other elements. Different regions of China have
different approaches to Chinese herbology. The chapter strategically encompasses and
incorporates the major components and key concepts of Chinese herbology, providing
a complete understanding.
Chapter 3- Herbs are an important component of Chinese medicine and certain herbs
such as Camellia sinensis and liquorice are used in an everyday sense in cooking,
for instance. These herbs contain medicinal properties that can benefit the human
body. The major categories of Chinese medicinal plants are dealt with great details
in the chapter.
Chapter 4- In order to completely understand Chinese traditional medicine, it is
necessary to understand acupuncture. The insertion of needles in the skin or muscles
of a person is known as acupuncture, in traditional Chinese medicine it aims at
affecting the flow of Qi. According to the tradition it eases pain and treats various
diseases.
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VIII Preface
Chapter 5- Cupping therapy, Chinese food therapy, Tui na and qigong are important
therapeutic approaches and techniques discussed in this chapter. Tui na is a form
of acupressure where instead of using oils, thumb presses or rubbing is involved
whereas qigong is a form of exercise and meditation that combines breathing with
focused awareness and helps in the balance of qi. This chapter closely examines all
the therapeutic approaches to provide an extensive understanding of the subject.
Chapter 6- This chapter explains to the reader the significance of the body in
traditional Chinese medicine. Qi, meridian, zang-fu and other principles are the
functional entities used by the Chinese tradition. Such methods of treatment evolved
much before the Enlightenment and scientific medical practice and are still practiced
in many parts of the world.
Chapter 7- Chinese traditional medicine has a strong philosophical background. Some
of the philosophical beliefs are yin and yang, wu xing, deng shui, the eight principles
and the three treasures. Disease is perceived as an imbalance in the functions of yin
and yang, qui, meridians or an imbalance in the interaction between the human body
and the environment. The aspects elucidated in this chapter are of vital importance,
and provide a better understanding of traditional Chinese medicine.
I owe the completion of this book to the never-ending support of my family, who
supported me throughout the project.
Editor
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1
Introduction to Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine is almost 2500 years old; and traditional Chinese medicine includes
herbal medicine, acupuncture, massages (tui na) and exercises (qigong). This tradi-
tional form of medicine is still widely preferred in China for it is herbal and organic and
not chemically manufactured.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM; simplified Chinese: 中医; traditional Chinese: 中
醫; pinyin: Zhōngyī) is a style of traditional Asian medicine informed by modern med-
icine but built on a foundation of more than 2,500 years of Chinese medical practice
that includes various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (tui na), exercise
(qigong), and dietary therapy. It is primarily used as a complementary alternative med-
icine approach. TCM is widely used in China and is becoming increasingly prevalent in
Europe and North America.
One of the basic tenets of TCM “holds that the body’s vital energy (chi or qi) circulates
through channels, called meridians, that have branches connected to bodily organs and
functions.” Concepts of the body and of disease used in TCM reflect its ancient origins
and its emphasis on dynamic processes over material structure, similar to European
humoral theory. Scientific investigation has found no histological or physiological evi-
dence for traditional Chinese concepts such as qi, meridians, and acupuncture points.
[a] The TCM theory and practice are not based upon scientific knowledge, and its own
practitioners disagree widely on what diagnosis and treatments should be used for any
given patient. The effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine remains poorly researched
and documented. There are concerns over a number of potentially toxic plants, animal
parts, and mineral Chinese medicinals. There are also concerns over illegal trade and
transport of endangered species including rhinos and tigers, and the welfare of spe-
cially farmed animals including bears. A review of cost-effectiveness research for TCM
found that studies had low levels of evidence, but so far have not shown benefit out-
comes. Pharmaceutical research has explored the potential for creating new drugs from
traditional remedies, with few successful results. A Nature editorial described TCM
as “fraught with pseudoscience”, and said that the most obvious reason why it hasn’t
delivered many cures is that the majority of its treatments have no logical mechanism
of action. Proponents propose that research has so far missed key features of the art of
TCM, such as unknown interactions between various ingredients and complex interac-
tive biological systems.
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