Mm-I: Introduction

Front 1

The earliest book of Materia Medica in existence today?

Back 1

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing
(Divine's Farmer's Classic of Materia Medica)

Author = Shen Nong

Front 2

How many herbs listed in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing?

Back 2

365 herbs

Front 3

What basic principles of herbs were first introduced in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing?

Back 3

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing introduced 2 important principles of herbs
1) Si Qi = temperature
2) Wu Wei = taste

It also included:
- Toxicity
- Medicinal actions of the herbs

Front 4

Name the materia medica written in the Tang Dynasty & its significance

Back 4

Tang Ben Cao
(Tang Materia Medica)

- further expanded Shen Non Ben Cao Jing (from 365 to 844 herbs)
- included the illustrations of herbs

Front 5

Name the materia medica written in the Song Dynasty & its significance

Back 5

Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang

- introduced the concepts of Eighteen Incompatibilities & Nineteen Anatgonisms

Front 6

Who is the Father of Materia Medica?

Back 6

Li Shi Zhen

Front 7

What book Li Shi Zhen wrote?

Back 7

Ben Cao Gang Mu
(Grand Materia Medica)

Front 8

How long did it take Li Shi Zhen to write Ben Cao Gang Mu?

Back 8

27 years

Front 9

In which dynasty Ben Cao Gang Mu written?

Back 9

Ming Dynasty (16th century)

Front 10

Name 3 general categories of processing and preparing herbs

Back 10

Methods that utilize
1) water
2) fire
3) both water & fire (heat)

Front 11

What are 5 methods that utilize FIRE?
(Chinese & English)

Back 11

1) Chao (dry-frying)
2) Zhi (frying with liquid)
3) Duan (calcining or calcination)
4) Wei (roasting in ashes)
5) Bei or hong (dry-curing or baking slowly)

Front 12

What are the 5 common liquids used in Zhi (frying with liquid) method?

Back 12

1) Honey
2) Ginger
3) Wine
4) Vinegar
5) Salt water

Front 13

Changes in properties of herbs after frying with HONEY?

Back 13

Honey:
- tonifies & moistens

Front 14

Changes in properties of herbs after frying with GINGER?

Back 14

Ginger:
- acts as antidote
- warms & soothes the ST

Front 15

Changes in properties of herbs after frying with WINE?

Back 15

Wine:
- moves & invigorates blood
- warming & upward direction
- alleviates pain
- good for LU conditions

Front 16

Changes in properties of herbs after frying with VINEGAR?

Back 16

Vinegar:
- softens the hardness
- smooths LV
- alleviates pain

Front 17

Changes in properties of herbs after frying with SALT WATER?

Back 17

Salt water:
- tonifies KD (drain turbid from KD)
- downdraining direction

Front 18

What is the most common form in which herbs are prepared & taken in China?
(i.e. how?)

Back 18

Decoctions
(in ceramic or earthenware)

Front 19

Average duration of decoction for
1) average herbs?
2) Release the exterior herbs (aromatic herbs)?
3) Tonic or rich or cloying herbs?

Back 19

Average duration of decoction for
1) average herbs = 20-30 minutes
2) Release the exterior herbs (aromatic herbs) = 10-15 minutes
3) Tonic or rich or cloying herbs = 45-60 minutes

Front 20

What are the special considerations for decoction?

Back 20

Special considerations for decoctions
1) Decoct first (xian jian)
2) Add near the end of decoction (hou xia)
3) Decoct in a guaze (bao jian)
4) Decoct separately & simmer (dan jian)
5) Dissolve separately 1st before adding into a strained decoction (rong hua or yang hua)
6) Directly add a small amount (without any alteration) into a strained decoction (chong fu)

Front 21

Types of medicinals that need to be decocted first (xian jian)

Back 21

- Toxic herbs (usually decoted 30-45 mins to reduce potency)
- Minerals & shells (usually decocted 20-30 mins)

Front 22

Types of medicinals that need to be added near the end of decoction (hou xia)

Back 22

- Aromatic herbs (4-5 mins before the end)
- Other herbs when a stronger effect is desired

Front 23

Types of medicinals that need to be decocted in a gauze or cheesecloth (bao jian)

Back 23

- Fuzzy herbs with fine, hair-like cilia
- Small seeds (because they tend to stick at the bottom)
- Some minerals (e.g. talcum)

Front 24

Types of medicinals that need to be decocted separately & simmered (dan jian)

Back 24

- Rare &/or expensive herbs
(e.g. corticeps, antler's horn, Am ginseng, etc.)

Front 25

Types of medicinals that need to be dissolved first before adding it to a decoction (rong hua or yang hua)

Back 25

- Highly viscous or stick herbs (usually glutenous herbs)
(Note: for some, a decoction can be used as a slovent too)

Front 26

Types of medicinals that need to be directly added to a decoction in a small amount (chong fu)

Back 26

- Expensive or aromatic herbs that cannot be heat-treated
- Medicinals needed in a very small amount/dose (e.g. cattle gallstone)

Front 27

Give 2 reasons why CHM is highly effective

Back 27

CHM is highly effective because of
1) precise differentiation of symptom pattern
2) precise differentiation of the nature & properties of individual herb

This combo allows the unique prescription of a formula

Front 28

Name 5 general characteristics/properties of an herb or a medicinal

Back 28

5 general characteristics/properties
1) Si qi (thermal property)
2) Wu wei (taste)
3) Shen jian fu chen (direction)
4) Gui jing (channel affliation)
5) Du xing (toxicity)

Front 29

What are 4 Si Qi (thermal property)?
[actually, there are 5]

Back 29

4 (5) Si qi:
Cold
Cool
Hot
Warm
Neutral

Front 30

What are 5 Wu Wei (taste)?
[actually, there are 7]

Back 30

5 (7) Wu wei:
Acrid or pungent (xin)
Sweet (gan)
Sour (suan)
Astringent (se)
Bitter (ku)
Salty (xian)
Bland (dan)

Front 31

What are 4 directions?

Back 31

4 directions:
Upward (shen)
Downward (jiang)
Outward (fu)
Inward (chen)

Front 32

How are direction and other properties connected?

Back 32

Herbs that go UPWARD & OUTWARD are usually
- Acrid
- Sweet
- Hot
- Warm

Herbs that go DOWNWARD & INWARD are
- Sour
- Bitter
- Salty
- Cold
- Cool

Front 33

Actions & indications of ACRID or PUNGENT medicinals?

Back 33

Acrid or pungent medicinal (e.g. onion)
ACTIONS:
- disperses outward
- induces diaphoresis
- dispels EPF
- moves qi & blood

INDICATIONS:
- EPI
- Qi & blood stagnation

Front 34

Actions & indications of SWEET medicinals?

Back 34

Sweet medicinals (e.g. angelica, goji berry)
ACTIONS:
- tonifies deficiency
- harmonizes MJ
- moderates the drastic effects of some herbs
- moderate pain

INDICATIONS:
- deficiency (1')
- pain (2')

Front 35

Actions & indications of SOUR medicinals?

Back 35

Sour medicinals (e.g. lemon)
ACTIONS:
- stabilizes & binds
- reduces or prevents loss of body fluids
- relieves muscle spasms

INDICATIONS:
- loss of body fluids (e.g. leukorrhea, spermatorrhea, sweating, incontinence, bedwetting, etc.)
- muscle spasms & cramps

Front 36

Actions & indications of ASTRINGENT medicinals?

Back 36

Astringent medicinals (e.g. persimon)
ACTIONS:
- stabilizes & binds
- reduces or prevents loss of body fluids

INDICATIONS:
- loss of body fluids (e.g. sweating, diarrhea, bleeding, leukorrhea, spermatorrhea, incontinence, enuresis, nocternal emission, etc.)

Front 37

Difference between SOUR vs. ASTRINGENT?

Back 37

Both sour & astringent medicinal have similar actions & indications
- stabilize & bind
- reduce or prevent loss of body fluids

The DIFFERENCE:
- SOUR relieves muscle spasms
- ASTRINGENT does NOT!!

Front 38

Actions & indications of BITTER medicinals?

Back 38

Bitter medicinals (e.g. bitter melon)
ACTIONS:
- purges downward draining to unblock
- descends rebellious LU qi
- Eliminates heat & dries dampness

INDICATIONS:
- constipation
- wheezing or cough
- internal heat
- dampness (cold damp or damp heat), UG infxn (UTI, herpes, etc.)

Front 39

Actions & indications of SALTY medicinals?

Back 39

Salty medicinal (e.g mineral salt)
ACTIONS:
- softens hardness
- purges excess
- facilitates entrance to KD

INDICATIONS:
- scrofula, enlarged thyroid or nodules
- constipation

Front 40

Actions & indications of BLAND medicinals?

Back 40

Bland medicinal
ACTIONS:
- leaches out dampness & promotes urination (i.e. diuretic)

INDICATIONS:
- edema
- difficult urination

Front 41

Name 7 features of herb-herb interactions

Back 41

7 features of herb-herb interactions:

1) Dan Xing (Single effect)
2) Xiang Xu (Mutual accentuation)
3) Xiang Shi (Mutual enhancement)
4) Xiang Wei (Mutual counteraction)
5) Xiang Sha (Mutual suppression)
6) Xiang Wu (Mutual antagonism)
7) Xiang Fan (Mutual incompatibility)

Front 42

18 Incompatibilities
- Gan Cao is incompatible with what 4 herbs?

Back 42

Gan Cao is incompatible with
1) Gan Sui
2) Da Ji
3) Hai Zao
4) Yuan Hua

Front 43

18 Incompatibilities
- Wu Tou is incompatible with what 5 herbs?

Back 43

Wu Tou is incompatible with
1) Bei Mu
2) Gua Lou
3) Ban Xia
4) Bai Lian
5) Bai Ji

Front 44

18 Incompatibilities
- Li Lu is incompatible with what 6 herbs?

Back 44

Li lu is incompatible with
1) Ren Shen
2) Sha Shen
3) Dan Shen
4) Ku Shen
5) Xi Xin
6) Bai Shao

Front 45

19 Antagonisms:
- Liu Huang antagonizes what herb?

Back 45

Liu Huang antagonizes Po Xiao

Front 46

19 Antagonisms:
- Shui Yin antagonizes what herb?

Back 46

Shui Yin antagonizes Pi Shuang

Front 47

19 Antagonisms:
- Lang Du antagonizes what herb?

Back 47

Lang Du antagonizes Mi Tou Seng

Front 48

19 Antagonisms:
- Ba Dou antagonizes what herb?

Back 48

Ba Dou antagonizes Qian Niu Zi

Front 49

19 Antagonisms:
- Ya Xiao antagonizes what herb?

Back 49

Ya Xiao antagonizes San Leng

Front 50

19 Antagonisms:
- Ding Xiang antagonizes what herb?

Back 50

Ding Xiang antagonizes Yi Jin

Front 51

19 Antagonisms:
- Wu Tou antagonizes what herb?

Back 51

Wu Tou antagonizes Xi Jiao

Front 52

19 Antagonisms:
- Ren Shen antagonizes what herb?

Back 52

Ren Shen antagonizes Wu Ling Zhi

Front 53

19 Antagonisms:
- Rou Gui antagonizes what herb?

Back 53

Rou Gui antagonizes Chi Shi Zhi

Front 54

As a general rule, what kinds of herbs are AVOIDED during PREGNANCY

Back 54

Herbs avoided during pregnancy in general are those with potent effects to
1) regulate qi
2) move blood
3) drain downward

These herbs are classified as
"contraindicated" or "use with caution"

Front 55

What kind of food are difficult to digest, therefore should be avoided when taking herbal medicines?

Back 55

Food avoided with herbal medicines:
1) Cold
2) Raw
3) Greasy
4) Spoiled or rotten

Front 56

What food should be avoided when taking
Chan Shan?

Back 56

No onion
with Chang Shan

Front 57

What food should be avoided when taking
Sheng
Shu Di Huang
Shou Wu?

Back 57

No garlic or onion
with
Sheng
Shu Di Huang
Shou Wu

Front 58

What food should be avoided when taking
Bo He?

Back 58

No crab
with Bo He

Front 59

What food should be avoided when taking
Fu Ling?

Back 59

No vinegar
with Fu Ling

Front 60

What food should be avoided when taking
Honey

Back 60

No green onion
with
honey

Front 61

Measurement:
1 Liang = ? g

Back 61

1 Liang = 30 g

Front 62

Measurement:
1 Qian = ? g

Back 62

1 Qian = 3 g

Front 63

Measurement:
1 Fen = ? g

Back 63

1 Fen = 0.3 g

Front 64

What is the most common dosage range of single herbs in a formula?

Back 64

The most common dosage is
5-10 g of single herb
in a formula

Front 65

子 zĭ means?

Back 65

子 zĭ = seed or small things

Front 66

花 huā means?

Back 66

花 huā = flower

Front 67

草 căo means?

Back 67

草 căo = grass

Front 68

枝 zhī means?

Back 68

枝 zhī = twig, branch

Front 69

叶 yè means?

Back 69

叶 yè = leaf

Front 70

皮 pí means?

Back 70

皮 pí = skin

Front 71

根 gēn means?

Back 71

根 gēn = root

Front 72

仁 rén means?

Back 72

仁 rén = seed, kernel

Front 73

藤 téng means?

Back 73

藤 téng = vine

Front 74

要药 Yao Yao means?

Back 74

要药 Yao Yao = "important herbal medicine"