Читать книгу The Healing Remedies Sourcebook: Over 1,000 Natural Remedies to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments - C. Shealy Norman - Страница 48

MERIDIANS AND ORGANS

Although qi is everywhere in the body, it does have main pathways along which it flows, nourishing and warming the organs and body parts, and harmonizing their activity. These channels are called the meridian system (Jing-Luo). Most acupuncture points are sited along these channels, and most herbs that a practitioner of Chinese medicine prescribes enter one or more of the meridian pathways. There are 12 main meridians, and these correspond to the 12 main organs in the body, such as the Liver, Heart, Stomach, Kidneys, Spleen, and so on. These meridians are bilateral—there is an identical pair on each side of the body. Some are more yin meridians, with functions more to do with storing the vital essences of the body. These are the Kidneys, Liver, Spleen, Heart, Lungs, and Pericardium. The other six are more yang meridians, with functions more to do with transportation of fluids and food. These are the Bladder, Gall bladder, Stomach, Small Intestine, Large Intestine, and the Triple Burner (a mechanism which regulates the overall body temperature and the Upper, Middle, and Lower parts (Jiaos) of the body). There are also six extra meridians, one of which runs up the front center line of the body—the Ren Mai, or Conception Vessel, and one of which runs up the spine—the Du Mai, or Governor Vessel.

When a practitioner of Chinese medicine talks about an organ being out of balance, he or she usually refers to the meridian related to that organ, not necessarily the physical organ itself. For instance, the Liver meridian runs from the big toe, up the inside of the leg, through the genitals, and then deep into the Liver organ itself. There can be problems along the course of the meridian, and there is also a sphere of influence which each organ has within the body. The Liver controls the free flow of qi generally in the body, including the evenness of emotions, digestion, and menstruation. It also stores the blood, rules circulation in the tendons, has the major influence on the eyes, and manifests in the nails. It is therefore possible to see how diseases in these areas of the body may be treated via the Liver meridian.

In illness, different meridians exhibit different tendencies of disharmony—for instance, the Spleen has a tendency to deficiency causing Damp. This creates symptoms such as diarrhea or lassitude (tiredness). The Liver, on the other hand, has a tendency toward Rising yang, creating red sore eyes, migraines, and high blood pressure. It is these disharmonies that Chinese herbal medicine can address.

CONSULTING A CHINESE HERBALIST

When you consult a practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine, he or she will first of all ask you in detail about your presenting condition—when it first appeared, your symptoms, what makes it worse or better. You will then be asked about your past medical history and your general health, for example:

 your appetite, diet, digestion, stools, and urination

 your sleep patterns, any pain—headaches, backache—ear, nose, and throat (ENT) problems

 intake of drugs, alcohol, nicotine

 body temperature (more hot or cold), circulation, and perspiration

 energy levels, mental, and emotional states

 gynecology—menstruation, pregnancies, menopause

Finally, your practitioner will take both radial (wrist) pulses and look at your tongue, in order to help him or her to make a diagnosis according to Chinese medicine. The practitioner may search through some books to check on the herbal prescription most suited to your condition, and will then write down a prescription. This will include anything from 4 to 20 herbs, and their dosages in grams or in qian (Chinese measurements). The names of the herbs will be in English, Latin, Pinyin (anglicized Chinese), or in Chinese characters. Your practitioner will then make up the prescription for you or refer you to a herbal supplier to have it made up elsewhere.

Chinese herbs are mostly made of plant parts—leaves, flowers, fruit, or fruit peel, twigs, roots, bark, or fungus. There are some minerals, such as gypsum, but these are less commonly used. There are also animal parts in Traditional Chinese Medicine, such as snake, mammal bones, or deer horn. However, their importation has now been forbidden, and herbal practitioners find alternatives to prescribe.

PREPARATIONS AND TREATMENT

There are many different ways of taking herbs. Individual herbs can be added to foods or taken as a tea, but Chinese herbs are rarely taken singly—they are much more effective when made into a composite prescription.

Decoctions Packets of dried herbs are boiled for around 30 minutes, down to 2 cups, and then often boiled again to last two days. They smell worse than they taste!

Powders One teaspoonful of cooked, freeze-dried herbs is taken two or three times a day, mixed with a little cold water to a paste; then a little boiling water is added. This is somewhat unpalatable but easy and effective.

Tinctures One teaspoon of liquid taken two or three times a day. These are more palatable but not as strong as decoctions or powders.

Pills and capsules These are used-for patent remedies (prescriptions which have not been changed to suit the individual). They are easy to swallow, but you have to take a lot more than with Western drugs—sometimes eight tablets at a time.

Syrups These are patent remedies, mainly good for coughs or children’s tonics.

Plasters These are used for rheumatic ailments (Wind-Damp); they are very effective for relieving local pain and stiffness. Treatment generally means taking herbs two or three times a day until the problem is gone.

At first you will need to see your practitioner every one or two weeks so that he or she can alter the prescription as your symptoms improve. You may experience slight nausea, diarrhea, or digestive upset as your system becomes used to the herbs. In this case, you will need to halve your dosage and build it up again slowly; your practitioner may add more digestive herbs in order that you may tolerate it better. After that, you may be able to see or even telephone your practitioner once a month in order to report on progress, and so that the prescription can be changed accordingly. Herbal medicines should not be taken without review for more than 30 days.