The Wood For The Trees
In decades past, it was always the hope of scientists to find a miracle drug to treat individual conditions such as hypertension, cancer, depression and HIV infection. But it is now well-accepted that combined drug therapies have provided better clinical outcomes for these conditions. What is the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach?
Why is the Synergy of Herbal Formulae Important to a TCM Practitioner?
Although recognising single herbs as highly effective for specific conditions (i.e. Sweet Wormwood to treat Malaria), Traditional Chinese Medicine has always prescribed formulae to return patients to a state of health. These formulae are constructed using herbs which will interact with each other to produce an effect greater than the sum of the parts. The classical texts describe some herbs amplifying the effect or alternately reducing the side-effects of other herbs when combined in specific ratios. Each herb in the formula has a specific role i.e. Principal, Associate, Assistant, Envoy, with the Principal(s) doing most of the heavy lifting.
There are some interesting passages in textbooks, written centuries ago, which recognise the potency of some herbs while also acknowledging the toxicity. Li Shizhen, the 16th Century author of the Chinese Materia Medica, wrote Aconite is thus commonly used in combination with the herbs Gan Cao (licorice), Ren Shen (ginseng), and Sheng Jiang (fresh ginger). All of these have the effect to control the inherent toxicity of aconite and harness its power for righteous medicinal purposes, an effect confirmed by modern scientific studies.
What’s the Advantage of Herbal Formulae Used For Centuries?
This valuable knowledge needed to be gained empirically. Shen Nong, one of the early medical practitioners, reputedly poisoned himself 70 times in one day attempting to test and categorise plants for the betterment of mankind.
Wood For The Trees?
Having access to this empirical data, TCM practitioners are able to prescribe safe, balanced formulae matched to a patient's condition, confident in the knowledge it will return the patient to health. If the herbs are the Trees, the formulae are the Woods.