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Sigesbeckia, Xi Xian Cao FREE

ByAdam Tate

Siegesbeckia, Xi Xian Cao 稀薟草 St. Paul’s WortXi Xian Cao (TCM) Siegesbeckia orientalisWight, R., , Icones plantarum Indiae orientalis (1840-1853) Siegesbeckia orientalis(Photo by Elouanne) (Wikimedia) Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION Botanical name: Siegesbeckia (Sigesbeckia) spp. S. orientalis S. pubescens S. glabrescens Parts used: Herb Temperature & Taste: Cool, dry. Bitter Classification: D. Clear…

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Btso thal, Purified Mercury

ByAdam Tate

Btso thal, Purified Mercury ash Btso thal, Tsotel (“Cooked ash”)Bcud kyi rgyal po (“The King of Essences”)Zuo Tai (Chinese) XXX Minerological name: Refined Mercuric sulphide Parts used: Prepared Mercury sulphideThere are 3 varieties of processed Mercury used in Tibetan Medicine: Btso thal, also called Dngul chu btso thal or Dngul chu btso bkru chen mo–Purified…

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Bacopa, Brahmi FREE

ByAdam Tate

Bacopa, Brahmi Brahmi (Ayurveda)Brahmi (Unani) M. Blanco, Flora de Filipinas. (1875) Bacopa monnieri(Photo by Forest & Kim Starr) (Wikimedia) Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION Botanical name: Bacopa monnieri (syn. B. monniera, Herpestis monniera, Moniera cuneifolia) Parts used: Whole plant Temperature & Taste: Neutral/slightly Warm. Bitter. Uses: 1. Settles Wind, Calms the Mind:-Neurasthenia, Nervous…

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Irish Slate, Lapis Hybernicus

ByAdam Tate

Irish Slate, Lapis Hybernicus Blue SlatePhoto from Wikimedia (US Govt.) Minerological name: Lapis HybernicusA foliated metamorphic rock formed from clay or volcanic-ash sediment. Parts used: Blue-grey slate from Ireland; softer than regular slate Temperature & Taste: Cool, dry. Constituents: Mainly composed of clay-minerals, quartz and mica, including muscovite, often with biotite, chlorite, hematite, pyrite.Less commonly…

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Paeonia officinalis, Western Peony PRO

ByAdam Tate

Paeonia officinalis, Peony European PeonyOod Saleeb, Ood Gharqi (Unani)Yao Yong Shao Yao 藥用芍藥 (TCM) Gart der Gesundheit, Cuba, 1485 Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491 Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578 Left: Male Peony; Right: Female PeonyKreutterbuch, Matthiolus, 1586 Botanische wandplaten (1904–1914) Peony seed(Photo by H. Zell) (Wikimedia) Left: Peony from the Unani Market; Above: Cross-section of the root showing…

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Cowrie shell

ByAdam Tate

Cowrie shell Concha venerisKarpardaka, Kapardik (Ayurveda)‘gron bu  འགྲོན་བུ  (Tibetan Medicine)Zi Bei Chi 紫貝齒 or Bei Zi (TCM)Kharmohra (Unani)Kawry (Arabic) Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578 Cypraea moneta (Money Cowrie)Photo by Liez   Zoological name: Cypraea spp. / Mauritia spp.Ayurvedic texts mention 3 types of Cowrie: White, Red, Yellow. A Purple variety is preferred in TCM.A number of different…

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Calcined Boar Feces, Gar nag

ByAdam Tate

Calcined Boar Feces, Gar nag གར་ནག ‘Black Camphor’Gar nag (Tibetan Medicine) Zoological name: Sus scrofa and related species Parts used: Carbonised Boar dung Temperature & Taste: Cold, dry. Pungent Uses: 1. Clears Heat, Resists Toxin:-Septic disorders-Infectious and Epidemic Fevers-Tumors from Bile-also regarded as an antidote to poison in the West 2. Promotes Digestion, Clears Heat…

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Heracleum candicans, Spru dkar PRO

ByAdam Tate

Heracleum candicans, Spru dkar སྤྲུ་དཀར་ Spru dkar (Tibet)Ruan Mao Du Huo (H. lanatum, TCM) Heracleum lanatumIllustrated Flors of the US, Canada, and the British Possessions, Britton & Brown, 1913 Heracleum lanatum(Photo by Dr. Alexey Yakovlev) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Heracleum candicans, H. nepalense, H. lanatum (Masterwort)H. lanatum and H. hemsleyanum are used as alternate sources of…

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Lobelia

ByAdam Tate

Lobelia Indian Tobacco, Pukeweed, Asthma Weed, Emetic rootDevanala (Ayurveda) Lobelia inflataAtlas der Officinellen Pflanzen, Berg & Schmidt, Leipzig, 1893 1. Channeled and winged stems. 2. Mass of leaves and stems. 3. Inflated calyx.  4. Three typesof leaves.  5. Raceme of flowers(Squibb’s Atlas of the Official Drugs,Mansfield, 1919) Botanical name: Lobelia inflata Parts used: Whole Herb; Dried aerial…

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Lycoris, Red Spider Lily, Shi Suan PRO

ByAdam Tate

Lycoris, Red Spider Lily, Shi Suan 石蒜 Shorttube Lycoris Shi Suan (“Stone Garlic”, TCM) Lycoris radiata(Kerner, J.S., Hortus sempervirens, 1795-1830) Lycoris radiata(Herbert, 1822) (Wikimedia) Lycoris radiata(Photo by Kakidai) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Lycoris spp. L. radiata (syn. Amaryllis radiata) L. chinensis Parts used: Bulb; occasionally the aerial parts Temperature & Taste: Warm, dry. Pungent, Sweet. Slightly…

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Malachite

ByAdam Tate

Malachite Molochite, Melochites, Chrysocolla (Dioscorides)Kong Que Shi  孔雀石 (TCM)Spang ma  སྤང་མ (Tibetan) MelochitesHortus sanitatis, 1491 MalachitePhoto by Miguel Calvo (Wikimedia) Minerological name: MalachitumGreen Copper Carbonate with admixture Parts used: Mineral, usually washed or burned for internal use.Nodular or laminate varieties are used. Temperature & Taste: Warm, dry. Sour, Astringent. Slightly Toxic Properties:Hardness: 4Specific Gravity: 4Of…

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Akebia Fructus, Ba Yue Zha PRO

ByAdam Tate

Akebia Fructus, Ba Yue Zha 八月札 Chocolate VineBa Yue Zha (Fruit), Yu Zhi Zi (Seed) (TCM) Akebia quinataLindley, J., Edwards’s Botanical Register (1829-1847) Botanical name: Akebia spp.  1. A. quinata  2. A. trifoliata  3. A. trifoliata var. australis Parts used: Fruit Temperature & Taste: Neutral. Bitter Classification: J. Regulates Qi Uses: 1. Moves Liver Qi,…

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