An in depth guide to using Western herbs following the theories of Chinese medicine ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE / HERBS "Each continent has unique herbs that have no equivalent elsewhere. I know of no Western herb equal to the Chinese herb tian ma (Gastrodia) for treating dizziness and epileptic seizures. Likewise, I find few herbs in the Chinese materia medica to rival saw palmetto, milk thistle, or fresh oat. Adding to one's "toolbox" of active medicines enhances any practitioner's abilities to more effectively treat patients. Thomas Avery Garran has written the first truly authoritative work on understanding and using Western herbs based on the TCM model. This book is a major achievement, allowing anyone trained in Chinese medicine to effectively and safely add Western herbs to their daily practice." --David Winston, RH(AHG), author of Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief and Winston and Kuhn's Herbal Therapy and Supplements "Thomas Avery Garran has definitively integrated a cornucopia of herbs from North America and other Western countries into the system of traditional Chinese medicine." --Michael Tierra, author of Planetary Herbology and founder of the American Herbalists Guild The ever-growing number of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in the West has brought about an amalgamation of many styles of Chinese medicine and various other medical practices from around the world. This book addresses the increasing demand for knowledge of how to integrate plants from outside the standard Chinese materia medica into the fold of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is the first in-depth guide to Western herbs that is based exclusively on the theories, diagnoses, and treatments of traditional Chinese medicine and that successfully harmonizes the unique terminology and theories of TCM with other botanical medicines. The book contains 58 monographs, illustrated with full-color photographs, of herbs commonly used by Western herbalists. Each herb is grouped by the basic categorization for medicinals in Chinese medicine, such as Herbs that Resolve the Exterior and Herbs that Regulate Blood. The monographs detail the energetics, functions and indications, channels entered, dosage and preparation, and contraindications of each plant. Using his own clinical experience, the author also explains how to combine herbs to increase their effectiveness and how to use Western herbs to modify standard formulas used in everyday Chinese herbal medicine. An appendix of Western analogues for Chinese herbs further highlights 40 Chinese medicinals that have related species growing in the West. THOMAS AVERY GARRAN, MTOM, L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist with a master's degree in Oriental medicine. He has practiced and taught herbal medicine since 1992. He has been chair of the Department of Herbal Medicine at the Institute of Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Honolulu, Hawai'i, and has served on the faculty of the John A. Burns School of Medicine in the Department of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. He is currently on leave of absence from teaching while pursuing a degree in Chinese language and ethnobotany at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in Honolulu, where he maintains a private practice in Oriental medicine. Foreword vii Michael Tierra Foreword ix Z' Ev Rosenberg Preface xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction 1(7) PART ONE METHODS AND MEASURES Understanding Western Herbs From The Chinese Medical Perspective 8(11) The Construction and Use of a Materia Medica 10(2) Eastern vs. Western Ways of Working with Herbs 12(1) Western Herbal Preparations 13(3) Herb Quality 16(1) Cultivated vs. Wildcrafted Herbs 17(2) Herbal Medicine Making 19(11) Infusions and Decoctions 20(1) Tinctures, Fluidextracts, and Liquid Extracts 21(3) Poultices 24(1) Suppositories 24(1) Infused Oils 25(1) Salves 26(1) Powdered Extracts 26(1) Mix-Frying with Solid and Liquid Adjuvants 27(3) PART TWO THE MATERIA MEDICA Herbs That Resolve The Exterior 30(28) Herbs That Clear Heat 58(48) Herbs That Precipitate 106(4) Herbs That Drain Dampness 110(9) Herbs That Dispel Wind and Dampness 119(11) Herbs That Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing 130(10) Herbs That Aromatically Transform Dampness 140(4) Herbs That Rectify QI 144(9) Herbs That Regulate Blood 153(12) Herbs That Warm The Interior and Expel Cold 165(3) Herbs That Supplement 168(17) Herbs That Stabilize and Bind 185(6) Herbs That Calm The Spirit 191(21) Herbs That Extinguish Wind 212(30) APPENDICES I. Western Analogues of Chinese Herbs 216(4) II. Index of Herbs By Common (english) Name 220(7) III. Index of Herbs By Latin Name 227(6) IV. Glossary of Chinese Medical Terms 233(9) Notes 242(4) Bibliography 246(4) Index 250