Chinese Herbal Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine is commonly known as herbal medicine or herbal tea. Herbs taken from the plants or vegetation below ground or above ground, roots, flowers, leaves, seeds, fruit, twigs and tree bark. Although the medicine mostly herbs but sometimes a prescription or a package of Chinese medicine can contain minerals, insects and animal parts like antelope’s horn and  tail or Rhinoceros horn, or Tiger products. In some country those animal products are illegal to use.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine has been used for thousands of years and the formation of the prescriptions come from classic medical texts or manuals, like “Golden Chamber classic”, “Corrections of Medical Works”, “Prescriptions of Thousand Gold”, “Prescriptions of Cold Syndrome”, “Prescriptions of Heat Syndrome”,  written by ancient physicians. But some modern prescriptions come from the “Research College of Traditional Chinese Medicine”. In China or in Taiwan, but most of prescriptions are formed by the Chinese doctor to suit the individual.

The principles of the Chinese medicine are not designed to kill off the diseases, bacteria, or infections, but to balance the pathological factor created by the diseases, bacteria, or infections, such as cold and heat, deficiency and excess syndromes. The nature of the prescriptions are basically for four purposes, “Warming, cooling, promotion or elimination”, in the other word to balance the Yin & Yang in the body. When the body has been put back to balance and the defence system restored, then the body may be able to fight back the diseases.

The preparation of the herbs is an art as well as knowledge, the therapeutic effect all

depends upon the preparation, whether it is too strong or not enough strength, a packet of herbal medicine may contain some dry leaves and flowers, dry roots and twigs or stones, and that means some materials are not to be over cooked and some need cooking for a longer time, a good Chinese doctor will be able to tell you how to use the medicine and how to take them. Here is some common knowledge as follow:

A ceramic, glass or clay pot with lid is the best, any metal saucepans especially with non-stick coating or a tin pan should not be use in case of chemical reaction that turns medicine in to toxic.

Tap water or mineral water can be use. In general, the medicines go in to the pot first, then add water enough to soak for ten minutes, then add more water, “no more than one litre of water for one single dose (a packet)”, just cover the top of the soaked medicines and bring it to boil, then slow cook with the lid on for over an hour or reduce to one bowl of water (tea). Some dry animal’s products or minerals, should cook first for an hour before the other easy cooking materials. Any powder or minerals should put in a small cotton bag. When its ready have some sweet or chocolate in hand, when its cooled down drink the tea all in one go.

You should be able to obtain a copy of the written prescription from your Chinese doctor, and you can keep it yourself. It is not a tradition to keep the prescription in  a confidential hand- writing,  some of the commonly use medicine can be bought from supper market, after all you don’t need a doctor’s prescription to buy the medicine over the counter, you can simply make it up yourself if you know what you doing, sometime the man behind the counter will question you or give you a warning if your prescription doesn’t make any sense, but he will sell it to you anyway.