Chinese Herb Names

Front 1

General Rule

Back 1

If has long standing English name, then it is retained

i.e. licorice

Front 2

General Rules Cont

Back 2

If herb lacks common English name then Genus name taken as common

If more than one species of genus, each species takes the genus name and transliterated into Chinese.

Front 3

Commercial Names

Back 3

Most freq used in Intern'l trade

Common means of communication between Chinese seller and Western buyer

Front 4

Commercial Names used in Publications

Back 4

Reference to plant part used

Genus name

Species name

Front 5

Commercial Names-Above Ground

Back 5

Herba = tops (leaf, stem, sometimes flower)

Flos = Flower

Cortex = Bark

Cawlis = Stem

Semen = Seed or kernal

Front 6

Commercial Names-Above ground Cont

Back 6

Ramulus = Branch or twig

Pericapium = Peel

Folium = Leaves

Fructus = Fruit

Lignum = Wood

Calyx = Part attaching fruit to stem

Front 7

Commercial Names-Below Ground

Back 7

Radix = Root

Rhizome = Rhizome

Bulbous = Bulb

Radicis Cortex = Root bark

Front 8

Wade/Gyles vs Pinyin

Back 8

No matter which system you use Chinese will not understand

Front 9

Common Names & Meanings

Back 9

Reflects:
Nature of herb
Plant it comes from
Place of origin

Front 10

Common Names Cont

Back 10

Designates color of herb, esp if wht or yellow
i.e. . Bai shao = white peony
chi Shao = Red,
Huang Lian = Coptis

Front 11

Plant Part

Back 11

Also included in naming

Front 12

Plant Parts Cont

Back 12

Ren = kernel, or seed w/out fruit

Tao Ren = peach kernal

Xing Ren = Apricot kernal

Zi = Seed (esp seed with fruit)
i.e Gou Ji Zi = Lycium fruit (wolfberry)

Front 13

Plant Parts Cont

Back 13

Ye = Leaf
i.e. Su Ye = Perilla leaf or i.e. Su Zi = “ “ Seed

Hua = Flower
i.e. Ju Hua = chrysanthemum
Shen = Tonic Roots
i.e. Ren Shen = Ginseng
or Dan Shen = Salvia

Front 14

Plant Parts Cont

Back 14

Pi = Skin, bark, peel
i.e. Chen Pi = Citrus peel

Cao = Whole top of plant or Grass
i.e Y Mu Cao = Leonorus (Tops)

Shi = Mineral
i.e. Shi Gao = Gypsum

Front 15

Diaphoretics-Common Cold/Flu

Back 15

Exogenous wind attack on superficial part of the body

Front 16

Diaphoretics-Common Cold/Flu Cont
S/s

Back 16

S/s: Nasal obstruction, runny nose, sneeze, cough, aches, aversion to wind and cold, fever, sore throat

Front 17

Diaphoretics-Common Cold/Flu Cont

Back 17

More common in spring + winter –change in weather

Wind is main cause combined with cold, heat, damp and dryness

Wind cold and wind heat most common combos

Front 18

Pathological processes in body and different constitutions

Back 18

i.e. phlegm heat/cold in Lung = this inhibits normal function of lung resulting in person being easily attacked by external pathogen

Front 19

Pathological processes in body and different constitutions Cont

Back 19

i.e. yang def people = easily attacked by wind cold

i.e. yin def people = more easily attacked by wind heat or dryness

i.e. people who retain damp = more easily attacked by ext damp

Front 20

Pathological processes in body and different constitutions Cont: TX

Back 20

TX = Expel Evil Qi on surface and regulate pores (diaphoresis)

Front 21

Differentiation (expelling pathogens)

Back 21

Tx W/C = promote sweat w/ pungent warm herbs

Tx S/H and Damp = Clear S/H, dispel damp and disperse surface

Tx Deficient Cond = Simultaneously Tonify and disperse surface

Front 22

Exterior Excess

Back 22

normal constitution attacked by W/C

Body’s Wei Qi reacts strongly, pores close, no sweating

Excess reacts to strong constitution

Front 23

Exterior Deficiency

Back 23

Weak constitution and def (xu)

Wei Qi reacts less strongly, pores could be open or slight open = slight sweating

Front 24

Western Diag

Back 24

Laryngitis, flu, upper resp infection, pneumonia, bronchitis, common cold, acute gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, paratitis, tracheitis, sinusitis, rhinitis, measles

Front 25

Diaphoretic Herbs

Back 25

Any herb with Fx of dispersing and dispelling pathogens from surface by sweating

Front 26

Diaph Herbs Cont (Primary Actions)

Back 26

 Diaph herbs usually pungent
Act on Lung channel

Induce sweating

Expel pathogens from surface

Front 27

Diaph herbs (Secondary Actions)

Back 27

Reduce swelling through perspiration and urination

Relieves measles-reducing measle eruption

Relieve asthma by dispersing Qi, ventilating lungs

Stop pain- muscle ache, arthritis by dispersing Qi stag.

Front 28

C/C

Back 28

Conditions with profuse sweating due to yang def.
-Damage yin + BF

Night Sweats due to Yin Def

Dehydration

Bleeding