In Chinese Herbal Medicine, most prescriptions are comprised of a formula of many herbs. The formula prescribed for an individual patient is usually a traditional recipe with a few modifications to address the unique manifestation of the patient's syndrome. In addition to the Materia Medica, there is a large formulary, comprised of hundreds of formulas, organized by category. Most formulas are comprised of 6-18 herbs. Traditionally, some formulas were delivered in decoctions (teas), some were given as pills, some as powders, and even some as wines. Each method of administration has certain effects; for example, hot teas are quickly absorbed, whereas pills are slowly digested. Honey pills, because of their sweet nature, are tonifying.
As you can see, the practice of Chinese Herbal Medicine is dependent upon the underlying theories of Chinese Medicine. To properly prescribe a formula, the herbalist must do an intake to find out about the patient's signs and symptoms, and then use the theories to differentiate the signs and symptoms into a syndrome. Then the proper herb formula is selected to treat the syndrome. Bulk herbal formulas, as well as custom wines, pills, and powders, are often customized to the individual.
Formulas Contents
