The ancient and healing art of Chinese herbalism PDF
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The Ancient and Healing Art of Chinese Herbalism The Ancient and Healing Art of Chinese Herbalism WITHDRAWN *e property ^.f ,.*^ Ofth.s ^ material benems Library EB BR RM666 PublishedbyUlyssesPress,RO.Box .H33 S45 3440Berkeley,CA94703-3440 1998x ISBN1-56975-139-0 LibraryofCongressCatalogCard Number:98-84045 DistributedintheUnitedStatesby PublishersGroupWestandinCanadaby Raincoastbool<s FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin1998 byHamlyn,animprintofReedConsumer BooksLimited ©ReedConsumerBooksLimited1998 The Ancient and Healing Art of Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthis publicationmaybereproduced,storedin aretrievalsystemortransmittedinany form,orbyanymeans,electronic, mechanical,photocopyingorotherwise withoutthepriorpermissionof thepublisher PrintedandboundinChina WARNING:Chineseherbsshouldnever beusedw/ithoutfirstseekingtheadvice ofapractitionerlistedintheRegisterof ChineseHerbalMedicine(RO.Box400, Wembley,IVIiddlesex,HA99NZ,Tel:0181 9041357).Chineseherbalismsliouldnot beconsideredareplacementfor professionalmedicaltreatment;a physicianshouldbeconsultedinall mattersrelatingtohealthandparticularly inrespectofpregnancyandany symptomswhichmayrequirediagnosis ormedicalattention.Whiletheadviceand informationinthisbookarebelievedtobe accurate,neithertheauthornorthe publishercanacceptanylegal responsibilityforanyinjurysustained whilefollowinganyofthesuggestions madeherein. Chinese Herbalism Anna Selby Ulysses Press Contents Introduction Achieving a Balance The Philosophy of Chinese Medici Diagnosis andTreatment A Selection of Chinese Herbs Glossary and Index Acknowledgements Buddhism is one ofthe oldestand most important influences on Chinese thought. Tliisfrontispiecefrom the world's earliestprinted book - the Diamond Sutra, Dunhuang 868AD - shows the Buddha teaching his aged disciple, Subhuti. Achieving Balance 6 a Introduction Nature cures the disease,the doctorcollects thefee. Chineseproverb - AncientChina seemsas mysteriousand unfatliomable totlieWestern world asthe darl<side ofthe moon, removed byvastdifferences oftimeand space.Yetthe Ancient Chinesev\/ere responsiblefor such diverse inventions as silk, paper, gunpowderand the navigational compass, all ofwhich were rapidlyabsorbed intotheWestern wayof life. Intandem with these developments, China was also devising an extraordinarily complex and complete system of medicine, a processthat has continued forthousands ofyears and that is nowgainingthe increasing interest oftheWest. - ModernWestern medicine is rooted in science, with its efficacy proven by controlledtests.Traditional Chinese medicine is quite different. It is based on a vast bodyofempirical knowledge, gathered overthe centuries bythe simple method ofexperiment, experience and observation. - The underlying philosophies and principles ofChinese medicinevaryconsiderablyfrom our own. Holistic in character, all Chinese medicine aimsto curethefundamental cause ofan ailment, ratherthan merely relieving its symptoms. AChinese physician does nottreat, say a headache. He looksforthe cause ofthe problem and treatsthat. So, instead ofprescribing a painkiller, he mayoffera remedyforanything from liver congestion to emotional stress. - Thescience behindthe remedies-justasthe science behind the invention ofgunpowder-was certainly not understood atthetimetheywerefirstformulated. Butclinical experience has shown thattheywork. EvenWestern medicine routinelyextracts modern drugsfrom herbs used overcenturies bythe Chinese. Forexample, digitalis, extracted fromthefoxglove plant, is used inWestern medicine totreat heartconditions. However, there is growing evidencetosuggestthat it is oftenthewhole, unrefined plant-as utilized bytraditional Chinese medical practitioners- thatmaybe more effectivethan a particularsubstanceextracted from itand used in isolation. - Despitethevastbodyoftestimonytothe efficacyofChinese medicine, there is still a greatdeal ofresearch needed ifweare everto understand, in scientificterms, exactly howthistype of medicineworks. Oncethis has been achieved, we may beforcedto re-evaluate ourown understanding ofscience itself. The Ancient and Healing Art of Chinese Herbalism 7
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