Traditional Medicine in Asia

and interior, cold and heat, deficiency and
excessiveness. Differentiation of pathological
conditions in accordance with the
eight principal syndromes is the foundation
for all the other methods of syndrome
differentiation. It signifies the location and
nature of disease, the confrontation
between the pathogenic factor and body
resistance, as well as establishes the
principle of treatment.
Differentiation syndromes according to
the pathological changes of zang fu organs
are based on the symptoms and signs
obtained by four diagnostic methods when
qi and the blood of the internal organs are
out of balance. This method of syndrome
differentiation is applied to identify the
particular disharmony of a specific internal
organ.
Intervention in TCM
Chinese medication
Chinese medication is the primary
component of TCM and is used commonly
in China. Chinese medication involves the
use of herbal medicine, animal parts and
minerals. The term “herb” used in Chinese
medicine often goes beyond the traditional
concept of “plant”, since the 6000– 8000
substances used include, in addition to
numerous plants, substance from animals
and minerals.
According to Chinese history, Chinese
medicine arose from mythical medicine to
become a system of herbal medicine. Shen
Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Husbandman‘s
Classic of Materia Medica; or Shen Nong‘s
Herbal) is the first work (25–220 AD)
which prescribed the therapeutic effect of
herbs and other materials. It contains 365
entries. These are botanical (252 entries),
zoological (67 entries), and mineral (46
entries) substances. Beginning with Shen
Nong Ben Cao Jing, the literature of
An overview of traditional Chinese medicine
Chinese materia medica developed
continuously by the addition of new herbs,
together with a re-evaluation and addition
of new uses for existing herbs. Among
these, two pieces of work need to be noted:
Xin Xiu Ben Cao (Newly Revised Materia
Medica, 659 AD) was considered to be the
first official pharmacopoeia in China,
compiled and issued by the Government.
Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of
Materia Medica, 1596) is considered as a
world-renowned classic, written by Li Shizhen
(1518–1593 AD).
The concept of Chinese medicine
differs from that of the synthesized drugs
in the ways their properties are determined.
Chinese medicines are determined mainly
by the outcomes of their clinically observed
interaction within the human body.
The terminology used in describing the
pharmacology of Chinese medicine
includes: property; taste or flavour; action
of ascending, descending, floating and
sinking; attributive of meridians, and toxicity.
Properties or four properties of herbs:
Based on their therapeutic effects, there are
four ways of describing property: cold, hot,
warm, cool. For example, herbs effective
for the treatment of heat syndromes are
endowed with cold or cool properties,
while those effective for cold syndromes are
herbs with warm or hot properties.
Taste: Sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and
salty taste of herbs. They are the expression
of the feature of the herb’s actions; thus
the taste does not necessarily mean the real
taste of the herb.
Action of ascending, descending,
floating and sinking: Direction of a herb’s
action. The ascending and floating herbs
have an upward and outward effect, while
descending and sinking herbs have a
downward and inward effect. The action
of a herb can be changed by processing
or by combined use with other herbs.
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