Classical Chinese Medicine resources on the web
It’s been a while since I’ve talked about what’s available on the web for people interested in Chinese Medicine. Living in Portland, OR, I have so many amazing wellsprings of knowledge and experience all around me, I sometimes forget that other folks are relatively more isolated from the information they seek. The Internet is a fantastic source for both the more and the less isolated. You just have to know where to look! I’m in the process of updating my Resources page, but I thought I would do a more in depth review of a few of the most promising resources.
1. ClassicalChineseMedicine.org : Internet home of Dr. Heiner Fruehauf, PhD the founder and continued inspiration behind the incredible Classical Chinese Medicine program at National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. I’ve talked many times about Heiner Fruehauf on this site, but let it suffice to say that he is what drew me to this medicine and what he has taught me has helped me to expand my ideas not only about health and healing, but about the world and my place in it.
There are some articles available for free available along the top of the main page, including basic information about Classical Chinese Medicine, some partial translations of Classical Chinese texts and more. You can also access information about upcoming lectures, Dr. Fruehauf’s clinic and a list of excellent links. There is some incredible paid content available as well. For $195 a year, you have access to an ever expanding collection of video and written material from leading voices in the field of Classical Chinese Medicine. This is content you simply will not find anywhere else. You can also obtain NCAAOM continuing education credits through the Associates Forum, which more than justifies the cost. You can check out a preview of the Associates Forum if you haven’t already. I’ve really benefited from the use of this site and I think you will as well.
2. Arnaudversluys.com : Website for Dr. Arnaud Versluys, PhD, leading scholar and clinician of Chinese Medicine in the Shang Han Lun tradition. There are a few gems here, although I think the best is still yet to come. I want to point out the incredible resource that is the Forums section of his website. There are some pretty intense theoretical discussions going on, plenty of food for thought in an environment of open inquiry. I would love to see more people putting their questions out there and sharing their wisdom. You have to sign up to access the forums, but there is no cost and you will not be spammed! You won’t get a follow up email once you register, just try your username and password later the same day to see if you’ve been given access. You can also find information on the now forming Journal of Classics in East Asian Medicine, Dr. Versluys’ diagnostic services, his clinical practice and the upcoming addition of Continuing Education material.
3. Not strictly Classical, but an invaluable and rapidly developing resource is the Chinese Medicine site, Rootdown.us, my go-to source for basic info on herbs and acupuncture. There are 7 basic portions to the site: Herbs, Formulas, Acupuncture, Tests, Community, Pearls and CEUs. The first three sections are basic information about Chinese Medicine presented in a very accessible format. The databases for these three sections are expanding and being cleaned up all the time. You can also add your experiences with these categories through the “suggestions” tab - such as special clinical information that you’ve learned about a particular formula. Through this tool, I think this section can grow to be a repository of great Chinese medicine information!
The last four sections are incredibly exciting! The testing section is new and is growing daily. Here you can take tests on a variety of Chinese medicine subjects for free, both California-only information and information on the national Board exams. What an incredible asset! I don’t have space to discuss the rest of the sections right now, but they are all well worth your time. Accounts are free - if you sign up, be sure to add me as a “buddy” as the social interaction with colleagues all over the world is one of the primary aims of Rootdown.
4. A newly launched Classical Chinese Medicine wiki was started by a NCNM student. If you don’t know, the idea of a Wiki is that anyone can edit the information and through the power of the group, a rich and accurate resource is created. While it is true that “anyone editing” means that “anyone can add incorrect information,” in general the group will correct any misleading passages quickly - particularly when the amount of subject material is relatively small. I suggest you check it out and add what you know!
5. A couple of resources for research purposes: You can do a Google Book Search for “Classical Chinese Medicine” and restrict it to give you only books that have partial or full previews, then read full pages of various texts. If you’re working with Chinese language texts and would like more information on a particular character, including ancient forms of the character, check out the Chinese Etymology Home Page. Finally, definitely check out all of the articles available for free with Blue Poppy’s “TCMInfo” online database.
6. Finally, I’ve recently come across a number of great Chinese medicine related blogs to add to my daily reading list. I’d like to list them (as well as my old favorites) here and ask you to check them out.
Abdallah B Stickley writes about Chinese Medicine, Islam and clinical practice at Even Unto China
G. Michael Reynolds writes about Asian martial arts, Chinese medicine and many topics at The Life Giving Sword
Yael in Israel writes about many facets of Chinese Medicine and clinical practice at Chinese Medicine Notes
Ross Rosen writes eloquently about Chinese medicine practice and other facets of daily life on his blog
The recently started Five Minds holds a lot of promise in discussing some more esoteric and personal aspects of Chinese medical theory and practice.
Portland Acupuncture Blog is just getting started but covers some specific conditions and provides a ready example of how blogging can be used to promote CM businesses
I don’t mean to leave anyone out - these are just the few that stand out in my mind as being quality sources of Chinese medicine related information with relatively frequent updates.
If you think I’ve missed something vital - add it in the comments and maybe I’ll edit the post and add your choices! Don’t be afraid to self promote… if I missed you and you think I shouldn’t have, it’s probably just because my mind is melted after having PASSED MY CLINICAL ENTRANCE EXAMS. Oh yeah!
Eric
If you like what you read here, you may want to keep updated by using my RSS feed. Want to know more about RSS/feeds? - read more here. Thanks for visiting!
Tags: Acupuncture, Blogging, Blogroll, Character, chinese-medicine-research, internet, scholar, websitesRelated posts
Multi-disciplinary herbal study - Huang Qi
Last term at NCNM, the Classical Chinese Medicine students in my class took a course with Paul Kalnins, an anthroposophical researcher and natural medicine superstar, about the pharmacology of natural substances. We were asked to write a paper about a particular herb, bringing together Chinese and Western information about it. I asked my class if anyone would be interested in bringing their paper public, and one brave soul took me up on my offer - Danit Polunsky. Below find the results of her research - lightly modified from the original. It’s been a while since I’ve talked about a single herb, so I thought this would be welcomed. I’ll put my paper up next - on Wu Zhu Yu.
Huang Qi: Astragalus Propinquus - aka: Astragalus membranaceu
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Astragalus
Species: A propinquus
Botany:
Huang qi prefers sandy to loamy soil, which is well drained, or even dry. Huang qi likes soil that is neutral & alkaline, in a sunny location; it will not grow in the shade. Huang qi, Astragalus membranaceus, is an herbaceous perennial with a deep straight tapering taproot.
Each flower has five petals; the banner is large and envelopes the rest of the petals in a bud, often relaxing when the flower blooms. The two adjacent petals are the wings, surrounding the two bottom petals with claws one and a half times the length of the limb. The two bottom petals are fused together at the apex, remaining free at the base and forming a boat-like keel. Together the petals are whorled into a bell shape (calyx campanulate), 8 to 9 mm long, forming a tube 3 times longer than the linear subulate lobes. Each flower is hermaphroditic with 10 stamen, 9 fused and 1 free. They are pollinated by bees, moths and butterflies. Huang qi’s flowers turn into legumes that are 10 to 13 mm long, papery and glabrous. The seeds are dark brown, kidney shaped, and 7 to 8 mm long.
The taproot grows 30 to 100 cm long and 0.5 to 2 (rarely 2.5 ) cm in diameter. It is twisted near the crown, wider at the top, and generally stripped of secondary rootlets. The outer surface is light grayish-yellow to yellowish-beige with longitudinal wrinkles irregularly dispersed throughout horizontal lenticel-like patterns. A cross section of the top portion of root reveals 2 to 3 mm thick light yellowish-white outer cortex surrounding light yellow xylem that look like cracks in larger roots. The root has an overall fibrous texture, making it difficult to break, a slightly starchy aroma, and a starchy, mildly sweet slightly acrid, bean-like taste. Many of the Fabaceae host diazotrophs in their root nodules. Diazotrophs take nitrogen gas out of the air and convert it into a form of nitrogen that is usable to the plant, such as ammonia, nitrate, and nitrogen dioxide, in a process called Nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation is important for replenishing the soil nutrients
Traditionally, the roots of 4 to 5 year old plants are collected in the spring or autumn; the autumn harvest is superior to the spring harvest. In the autumn the qi is descending and internalizing in preparation for winter, which is reflected in the qi of the root herb. The spring qi is emerging upward and outward, striving for growth and spreading from the root into the leaves. After gathering, the roots are cleaned and graded according to size. Some roots are dried whole, while others are cut and sliced. Most authorities report increased potency and increased root size from plants in the Shanxi Province and Mongolia in western northeast China. The Huang qi samples from Shanxi province and Mongolia show high astragaloside I and II concentrations in fingerprint analysis tests.2 Comparative chemical analyses of roots of varying age show that the isoflavone and astragloside concentrations, the constituents correlated with activity, decrease as the diameter of the roots increases. Increasing age also correlates to a decrease in concentration of most constituents.
High quality roots are dry, but still supple and resistant to snapping. The outer surface is relatively unwrinkled, with a floury texture and a solid deep yellow core — in contrast to material which is lacking a core or roots in which the core is black or pithy.
Western Perspectives on Huang Qi activity:
Huang Qi is known for three main groups of active constituents. Flavonoids and isoflavanoids, which give the root slice a yellow color, are metabolized on the Shikimate pathway. Flavonoids are generally known for anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects which assist the body’s reaction to allergens, viruses, and carcinogens. It is believed that isofavanoid activity will help restore impaired immune systems. Saponins are common ingredients of Fabaceaea family members. Saponins are triterpenoids, formed through the mevalonic acid pathway. Saponins are common adaptogens, known to enliven blood circulation and resolve phlegm. Huang qi also has long-chain polysaccharides with potential medicinal benefit mediated by white blood cells.
The majority of Western research on Huang qi is focused on its immune stimulation activity and its ability to restore the activity of a suppressed immune system. In an epidemiological study in China, 1000 individuals were administered Huang qi orally or as a nasal spray to test its preventative effects in upper respiratory illnesses. The incidence of common colds decreased on the whole, and the duration of the colds contracted was shortened dramatically.
Huang qi’s remarkable ability to restore the functioning of a suppressed immune system has been labeled within Chinese medicine as fu zheng gu ben, “restore the correct and secure the root.” It is used to enhance non-specific immunity, protect adrenal cortical function during radiation and chemotherapy, and ameliorate bone marrow depression.4 Studies report general immune stimulation that include increased stem cell generation of blood cells and platelets, increased lymphocyte proliferation, increased numbers of antibody producing cells, increased numbers of spleen cells, stimulation of phagocytic activity by macrophages and leukocytes, and increased cytotoxicity by natural killer cells.
In the body, Astragalus increases the activities of Th-1 cytokines and decreases Th-2 cytokines. Th1 cytokines protect against intracellular pathogens like viruses and some bacteria, and are implicated in organ transplant rejection and miscarriage. By inhibiting the production of Th 2 cykotones, Huang qi inhibits the defense against extracellular pathogens, but may exacerbate allergies and asthma.5
In China, Huang Qi is used widely in treating cancer, both as a primary treatment and as an adjunct to chemical and radiation therapies. Most frequently Huang qi is combined with Chuan Xiong (lingusticum wallichii). In a number of randomized prospective clinical studies of cancer patients using a combination of Huang qi and Chuan Xiong, it was found that breast cancer patients given a combination of these herbs as an adjunct to irradiation treatments showed a decrease in deaths from 1 in 2, to 1 in 10. The exact formulas and ratios are not recorded, and in practice may vary due to individual constitution. In another study of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy was compared to the effectiveness of chemotherapy in conjunction with the Huang qi and Chuan Xiong formula. Patients with squamous carcinoma showed a significant increase in survival time averaging 204 to 465 days; patients with adenocarcinoma showed a less significant increase in survival from 192 to 324 days6.
Huang qi’s antioxidant activity has been studied in its benefit to the cardiovascular system and has shown improvement in clinical parameters associated with angina, congestive heart failure, and acute myocardial infarct. A number of isoflavonoids have been identified with free radical scavenging activity, and Huang qi’s polysaccharides also report prevention of free radical damage.
A Classical Chinese Medicine Perspective:
Huang Qi’s recorded use dates back to the first century AD in the Shennong Bencao Jing, the Divine Husbandman’s Classic of Materia Medica, in which Huang qi is classified as a “superior herb.” The superior herbs are “rulers…they control the maintenance of life and correspond to heaven. They do not have a markedly medicinal effectiveness. Taking [Huang qi] in large amounts or over a long period of time is not harmful to man. If one wishes to take the material weight from the body, to supplement the influences [circulating in the body], and to prolong the years of life without aging” these herbs should be used.1 Crude Huang qi extract tested on rats and mice confirm Huang qi’s safety - no toxic reactions or mutagenic effects occurred.
According to the Ben Cao Bei Yao, Essentials of Materia Medica “When used in harmonizing preparations, it tonifies and supplements; in sweating preparations it relieves the surface; in cooling preparations, it drains pathogenic heat; in moistening preparations, it nourishes the yin and blood.”
Wang Haogu, an herbalist of the Jin-Yuan reform period, maintains that “Huang qi replenishes the defensive and, therefore, is a medicinal for the exterior. It boosts the spleen and stomach and, therefore, is medicinal for the center. Since it is able to treat cold damage with the cubit pulse not arriving, it supplements the kidney origin and, hence, is medicinal for the internal.” Through this explanation, Huang qi is seen as a broadly useful tonic ingredient to include in prescriptions.10
Huang qi’s sweet flavor and slightly warm nature tonifies the Spleen, Lung, and Zheng qi. It aids in replenishing the blood, uplifting yang, securing the exterior and reinforcing wei qi. It promotes growth of new tissue, urination, and suppuration. It circulates qi, reducing edema, and it drains yin fire. 8
Huang qi strongly tonifies the yuan qi. It restores both of the Spleen’s major functions; transformation and transportaion of yang qi drawn from the food into circulation via the Spleen’s other function of building new blood. When qi is strong it can more effectively impel the circulation of blood, which in turn helps resolve disease. Strengthening qi to move blood indirectly eliminates blood stasis without injuring zheng qi, as applied in the Bu Yang Huan We Tang: Tonify Yang to Restore the Five Decoction. The chief herb is Huang qi at 120 g, while the supporting herbs are dosed at 3 to 6 g to give the blood an extra, gentle push. 11 It is also often used to assist in recovery after severe blood loss and to promote healing. It is especially helpful from its Lung affiliation in enhancing eliminative functions of skin, especially promoting healing or elimination of non-healing or non-festering chronic sores or ulcerations. 8
The five best know formulas utilizing Huang qi are
|
Formula name |
Uses
|
Astragalus |
|
Buzhong Yiqi Tang |
Spleen/stomach deficiency with symptoms of fever, spontaneous sweating, shortness of breath, fatigue, organ prolapse. |
20 g |
|
Yiqi Congming Tang |
Qi deficiency and failing of yang to rise with symptoms of impairment of vision or hearing. |
15 g |
|
Guipi Tang |
Qi and blood deficiency with symptoms of anxiety, palpitation, insomnia, night sweating, fatigue, bleeding. |
30 g |
|
Shiquan Dabu Tang |
Qi, blood and yang deficiency with symptoms of fatigue, asthmatic breathing, bleeding |
15 g |
|
Yupingfeng San |
Qi deficiency with symptoms of spontaneous sweating and susceptibility to wind invasion. |
30 g |
|
Danggui Buxue Tang |
Generates blood in severely deficient patient, usually after excessive uterine bleeding |
30g 83% |
Resources:
1. Upton, Roy. Astragalus Root.American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium August 1999.
2. Wagner, Hildebert; Bauer, Rudolf; Peigen, Xiao; Jianming, Chen; Michler, Hans. Radix Astragali Chinese Drug Monographs and Analysis. Vol. 1, No. 8 1997
3. Chang HM, But PH. Pharmacology and Applications of Chinese Materia Medica vol. 2. Singapore World Sci.
4. Lau, BH; Ong, PY; Tosk, JM. Macrophage chemiluminescence modulated by Chinese medicinal herbs Astragalus membranaceus and Lingustrum lucidum. 1989.
5. Phaneuf, Holly. Herbs Demystified. Herbs Demystified, Marlow and Company, 2005.
6. Marazzoni, P; Bombardelli, E. Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bunge. Scientific documentation 30 Mar 1994.
7. Wang, D; Shen, W; Tian, Y; Sun, Z; Yuan, S; Jiang, C. the effects of the three components isolated from Astragalus mongholicus Bunge on scavenging Free Radical. Zhongguo Yaolixue Tongbao. 1994.
8. Bensky, Dan; Gamble, Andrew. Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica revised edition. Eastland Press, Seattle.1993.
9. Zhang, WD; Zhang, C; Liu, RH; Li, HL; Zhang, JT; Mao, C; Moran, S; Chen, CL. Preclinical pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of a natural cardioprotective agent astragaloside IV in rats and dogs doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2006.02.032
10. Dharmananda, Subhuti PhD. ASTRAGALUS, Practical Aspects of Administering the Herb. Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon http://www.itmonline.org/arts/astragalus.htm
11. Bensky, Dan; Barlet, Randall; Formulas and Strategies. Eastland Press, Seattle 1990.
Tags: Character, chinese-herb, chinese-herbs, chinese-medicine-research, guest-post, herbs, huang qi, pharmacology, western-scienceRelated posts
Today I watched a man die - Chinese medicine and emergency medicine
About two hours ago along one of the busiest streets in Portland, I held a man (feeling his pulses all the while) as he died from a heart attack. To be fair, I couldn’t stay until the bitter end and the man could have pulled through but I strongly, strongly doubt this.
I was taking the bus from my house to my connection at this busy intersection. When I reached my stop, I pulled the cord and both he and I waited until the bus came to a stop to rise. He was older - probably 55+ and using a cane to walk. He was quite overweight and his breathing was labored. I was walking a good deal quicker than he was and said, “Excuse me” as I passed him on the sidewalk. It seems strange now to realize that those are likely the last words he ever heard. Somehow I was interested in him, I thought about waiting in the intersection with him as he crossed as he seemed not to have the energy to make it all the way before the light changed. He barely made it across. I continued to my connection stop.
I placed my bag on the ground and started to look around. I suddenly had an urge to look behind me and there he was, flat on his back with his red and white striped umbrella and Oregon State Beavers’ cap lying unceremoniously in the street. I ran to him at the same time as another two men ran to him. He wasn’t breathing. I grabbed his arm to find a pulse and found something very slow and ponderous forcing itself against his vessel walls. This was almost immediately followed by an intense fluttering that grew dimmer and dimmer… Yin and Yang were separating. He began to turn blue, the man next to me started CPR as a recently arrived woman called 9-11.
We worked on him for about 7-8 minutes before the paramedics came. During that time he gurgled once or twice and thrust his tongue out as it turned purple. All I could think was, “That’s the color of his heart muscle right now and that is not good.” I felt him leave, but we kept working with him. He grew cold. The paramedics arrived and began their hard work - but got no response. I remained for a short time but knew there was nothing more for me to do, so I left a short time later when my bus arrived.
For the last two hours, I’ve been thinking hard about what I saw. I’ve also been thinking a lot about our medicine. I am never going to be a M.D. I do have CPR training and our program gives us a fair overview of Western medicine. When my fellow students and I discuss the limits of Chinese medicine we usually indicate our boundaries somewhere around the realm of acute heart attacks, intense bacterial and viral infections and, of course, major surgical conditions. I understand that it is best for me to refer patients in these conditions to Western doctors as this is their realm of expertise. I’m happy to do that. However, what about when I’m the only one around? I know our medicine is capable of helping people in dire situations and I am inexplicably drawn to the most severe illnesses and disorders.
We have acupuncture points that are meant to revive consciousness, we have herbs that in certain administrations are meant to reverse terminal conditions. But how far can we go? What do you know about emergency medicine in Chinese medicine? Do you have any experiences with it? I’m going to start doing some investigation - but your thoughts would be most appreciated.
Eric
Tags: Acupuncture, Acute conditions, chinese-medicine, chinese-medicine-research, death, emergencies, emergency-medicineRelated posts
Chinese medicine is scientific
There is an interesting conversation going on across a couple of blogs, Shiatsu blogger and, where the conversation began, Shiatsu Blog. The topic, basically, concerns the fit of “alternative medicine”, in the broader field of “science.” You need to look through the comments on that second post to see where the conversation goes. It’s not an uncommon conversation and PalMD effuses the standard skeptical standpoint. Essentially - Chinese medicine is not science (or such and such a concept within Chinese or other alternative medicine is not scientific) because it does not fit within the framework of materialistic science as we might read about it in a textbook on scientific methodology.
The word “science” does not mean “Western materialism.” Western materialism is a specific type of science that has resulted in some beautiful and terrible things. It has specific standards regarding methodology, it defines tightly what passes for an appropriate hypothesis, a well constructed experiment and so on. Because it is form of science practiced by most of the dominant cultures and because its practical applications have resulted in so many interesting and useful products it is commonly regarded godlike status. Why? It works.
For some things.
Chinese medicine is based on a scientific model entirely different from the one that governs the majority of Western medicine, which is governed by Western materialism. It too has produced beautiful things.
It may be true that it will never be possible to understand what Qi is from a Western materialistic standpoint. In fact, if my understanding of the concept so far is close to correct - it will not be possible. That is unless Western materialism finds a way to sweep the apparently “immaterial” world under its umbrella. I think this is probably conceptually impossible. However, some are more optimistic.
But whether we can find these correlates is simply… immaterial. Chinese medicine when properly learned and practiced heals people. This is absolutely incontrovertible. The precise mechanism for this has not been understood and may never be understood by modern Western materialism. It may be difficult or even impossible to design appropriate laboratory experiments that verify specific claims. But clinical study after clinical study demonstrates the effectiveness of Chinese medicine - when practiced with a firm understanding of Chinese medical science. I’m willing to bet that where clinical studies deny the power of the medicine or come up inconclusive we will find that the medicine has diverted from its science in an attempt to pacify Western researchers.
In other words, when Chinese medicine stays true to its roots - when Chinese medical scientists lay their foundations on the firm soil of Chinese medical science… when we as Chinese medical physicians devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the understanding of the science and the practice of our medicine (in the way that Western materialist scientists do) the clinical studies will more often be conclusive.
We need to stop insisting that Western materialism and its various theories and methodologies have cornered the market on truth.
Eric
PS: Still working on balancing my school work with my blog work. All will be well and the “All About Eric” and seasonal series’ will continue. I promise.
Tags: chinese-medicine, chinese-medicine-research, cultural-differences, Science, western-scienceRelated posts
Amazing new resource for scholars of Chinese medicine
Hey everyone,
I thought you might like to know that Blue Poppy Press, a leader in Chinese medicine related publishing, has recently made a free resource available to everyone that should prove to be very useful.
They have made all of their papers and research reports available for free, digitally searchable, online. I tried a few quick searches and came up with some great reading material. I know that they used to charge for some or all of these articles - so this opening of their information is a gracious step in the right direction.
Check it out at the Blue Poppy Press website. Share your observations in the comments after you try it out!
Eric
Tags: blue-poppy-press, chinese-medicine-research, scholar, Technology, websites
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