The Traditional Effects of Medicines

The following is a brief overview of the traditional effects of medicines. The effects are shown based on Temperature and Functions, as used in the Materia Medica.

This is not sufficient to use for diagnosis or treatment, but gives a general introduction to the indications for certain functions.

1. Temperature

The degree of temperature was used in the Western Tradition, in 4 degrees for each of the 4 Qualities (Cold, Hot, Moist, Dry). So a medicine may be Cool in the 1st degree and dry in the 3rd degree. First degree is very mild, not far removed from neutral or balanced, while the 4th degree is harsh and extreme, and may be toxic or have side effects if misused. The 2nd and 3rd degrees are intermediate, 2nd degree medicines still being relatively mild, though stronger in effect, the 3rd degree being strong, and capable of causing side effects. In general, all toxic medicines were viewed as toxic due to their extremes; Arsenic being toxic from its excessive Heat (4th degree), while Narcotics and Soporifics tend to be very Cold.

The other systems tend to refer to either Warm or Hot, and Cool or Cold, and neither give degrees of strength nor take into account the dryness or moisture.

Cold
Cold medicines clear Heat. They are used for acute or chronic infections, inflammations and hyperfunction such as Hyperthyroidism. They lessen digestion and circulatory efficacy so are only suitable for short-term use in heat conditions.

Hot
Heating medicines are used for Cold, and for hypofunction, especially of the digestive and circulatory systems. They increase metabolism, enhance digestion, and therefore increase the effect of other medicines they are combined with. Some increase Yang.

Moist
Moist medicines are used for dryness. They soothe mucous membranes, are emollient and soften the tissues. Used in excess, or in cold bodies or those with poor digestion, they increase Phlegm and Damp. Some of them nourish Yin.

Drying
Dry medicines resolve excess fluid and moisture. Some work by expelling water from the body, as diuretics, others due to their own drying nature, like Galls. Some have a secondary tonic effect, primarily by astringing Essence. Excess use of drying medicines lessens Yin and decreases Sperm.

Cool and Moist
These medicine are gentle and soothing. They clear Heat and relieve irritation, thereby easing pain coming from Heat. Some calm the mind and nerves. The best of them nourish the Yin. They tend to be heavy and difficult to digest.

Cool and Dry
These are used for Damp-Heat and Phlegm-Heat conditions. They clear Heat while drying Damp and are most used for the organs carrying fluids like the Bladder and Gall Bladder, as well ad for Diarrhea etc. They are some of the stronger anti-bacterial medicines and are also used for acute inflammations.

Warm and Dry
These medicines are most used for Cold, Damp and Phlegm conditions. They work by both increasing Digestive heat (the source of Damp and Phlegm), and drying and digesting the Damp or Phlegm present. The best are those that are also aromatic like the Spices, and in this case they promote the flow of Qi and blood, and stimulate digestion and circulation.

Warm and Moist
These medicine are those that are most similar in nature to our body, and therefore, some of the best tonics are Warm and Moist, such as Ginseng and Licorice. They tend to be rich and therefore can be cloying and heavy to digest.

Mixed Complexion
There are some herbs and formulas that have been claimed to be of opposite nature in different systems, and in some cases, even within the same system. Some older authors have explained that some medicines have both a heating and a cooling effect. In most cases, it is contextual.

For example, all systems have tended to regard Rose and Sandalwood as cooling, and there are a number of elegant cooling formulas based on these medicines in various systems. However, TCM has viewed them as Warm. In these cases, neither viewpoint is of them being extreme in respect of heat or coolness; what is consistently noted is the aromatic and Qi-regulating effect which is their most significant effect.

Thus, in some cases, a medicine maybe listed as Warm or Cool, but have aspects that are opposite.

2. Functions
Clear External Wind

External Wind (after TCM), is primarily Hot or Cold. It may also come with Damp or Dryness.

Wind-Cold is seen at the beginning of an acute disease, usually during cold months or in cold constitutions. Runny nose with clear mucus, cough, headache, pale tongue with wet coat and a slow pulse. Warm, pungent medicines are used to clear the pathogen through the skin.

Wind-Heat is seen at the beginning of an acute disease, usually during hot months or in hot constitutions. Sore throat, cough with yellow phlegm, headache, Fever, red tongue and a fast pulse. Cool, pungent medicines are used to clear the pathogen through the skin.

Clear Heat
Anti-inflammatory, Anti-bacterial

Heat disease is associated with infection or inflammation. It can be seen in the progression of an external disorders (wind-cold or wind-heat) moving deeper into the body, such as tonsillitis or Lung infection that occurs after a common cold. It can also be more chronic or constitutional in nature, such as someone with Liver Heat / Bile constitution. Treatment uses cool medicines to clear Heat.

Clear Heat and Damp
Anti-bacterial

TCM has a classification of medicines that clear Heat and Damp, these being fairly synonymous with medicines used to clear Bile Humor in the West. Damp-Heat is a condition of excess Heat affecting a fluid-carrying organ, principally the Gall Bladder, Bowels and Bladder, but also other organs. These medicines are very bitter, strong anti-bacterials and are some of the most useful medicines to clear Heat (Infection) in general from the body.

Clear Heat and Toxin
Detoxicant

Toxin can be of several kinds, and can be endogenous or exogenous. The first can be caused by improper digestion, or failure of waste being expelled from the body etc. The latter can be from natural or chemical poison, venom, bad food etc. Often, toxin associated with heat is due to bacterial endotoxins being released during a bacterial infection. Toxin is usually what makes one feel unwell, tired, aching and ‘off color’. Treatment aims at using cooling drugs which clear toxin to relieve the condition. Some warms drugs also help clear Poison.

Cool the Blood
Alterative

Blood heat can be acute, where a febrile diseases has penetrated the Blood level causing hemorrhagic fever, bleeding under the skin etc. Chronic blood heat conditions are often associated with chronic skin diseases such as acne, eczema, psoriasis etc. Treatment clears heat from the Blood.

Clear Damp, Promote Urine
Diuretics

Dampness can be of various types, but usually is associated with thin fluid, and is therefore passed off with diuretic medicines. Damp most commonly affects organs dealing with fluids, especially Stomach, Bowels, Gall Bladder and Bladder. It may also lodge in the Tissues or Joints. Medicines that clear Damp help with Edema, fluid retention and swelling. If damp is obstructing the digestive system, light, aromatic medicines are used to penetrate the damp and aromatically revive the sluggish digestion. Dampness alone is Cool, but it may mix with Heat causing Damp-Heat, or with Wind causing Wind-Damp.

Clear Wind-Damp
Anti-arthritic, Anti-rheumatic

Wind-Damp causes several chronic manifestations, notably Arthritis and Rheumatism, but also certain chronic skin diseases and scrofula. There will be signs of Wind, such as moving pain, stiffness, itchiness, restlessness, cracking joints, along with Damp, either fluid swelling, swelling of the joints, aggravation during damp weather and low energy. As a class of medicines, medicines that clear Wind-Damp are principally concerned with arthritic diseases.

Clear Phlegm
Expectorants

Phlegm is usually classed as either Hot or Cold.

Hot Phlegm is often associated with Lung Heat Cough with excess yellow mucus. The phlegm can be thick, sticky and yellow or thin, sharp and yellowish. Cool medicines which clear the heat while thinning out thick phlegm or thickening thin phlegm are used. Phlegm-Heat can also be associated with swollen, red nodes, Scrofula and Tumors.

Cold Phlegm is due to accumulation of thick, undigested Phlegm humor. Medicines to warm and digest the thick Phlegm and thin the thickness are used. Some of these medicines are hot, sharp and irritant or poison.

Warm to clear Cold
Stimulants

These are warm medicines that clear Cold and activate the body functions. They warm and stimulate digestion, benefit circulation, and increase energy. They are used for Coldness (Yang deficiency) of the principle Organs.

Tonify or Strengthen
Tonics, Adaptogens, Restoratives

Certain medicines strengthen certain body parts. For example, a Cephalic medicine strengthens the Head, Brain and Nerves. A warm Cephalic will have a strengthening effect on cold diseases of the Head, Brain and Nerves, and vice versa. Strengthening medicines may support the structure (Yin) or increase the function (Yang) of the part they are appropriated to. They are useful in weakness, chronic disease, old age, for longevity, to preserve from disease, and as a health tonic.

TCM divides tonics broadly into Qi, Blood, Yin, Yang and Essence tonics. Ayurveda classes tonics according to which of the 7 Body Constituents (or ‘Tissues’) are supplemented. As stated above, the Western Tradition classed medicines according to Organ or Part: Cephalic for the Head, Cardiac for the Heart, Hepatic for the Liver, Uterine for the Uterus etc. A warming Cephalic will be a tonic in a cold diseases of the Head, and a cooling Hepatic will be a tonic for Heat of the Liver.

Laxative, Purgative, Cathartic

Purgatives carry waste from the body. They are generally used in cases of excess or obstruction of humors. Different purgatives purge different Humors and can have an affinity for a certain part or organ.

Purgatives are generally in three categories:
1. Laxative which are gentle and safe;
2. purgatives which purge more forcefully and should be used cautiously and not used on a long-term basis;
3. Cathartics which work very strongly, can cause passage of water via the bowels, and can be dangerous if misused or overdosed.

Settle Wind, Stops Spasms
Antispasmodic, Antihypertensives

Internal Wind (Vata or rLung) is erratic movement of Qi. When Qi flows smoothly and with regularity, body functions, nervous system and mental faculties are regulated. When Qi flows erratically, the nervous system is not regulated and disorder in the functions of the nerves and organs, as well as the mental faculties, are seen. These are called ‘Wind’ diseases. Epilepsy, Convulsions, Neuralgia, Paralysis, Migraine and Hypertension are common examples.

Wind often combines with another Humor, such as Wind-Damp, Wind-Phlegm, or Wind-Heat. Wind may come from excess or deficiency. Deficiency can be of Yin or Yang, excess can be of Heat, Phlegm etc.

Move Qi
Carminatives

Qi stagnation causes distention, pressure or tightness of a part or organ. A feeling of discomfort, irritation and a lack of calm usually comes from Qi stagnation. Mental unrest, emotions and worry are often the initiating causes. Medicines are generally light, pungent and aromatic to uplift and awaken the Qi.

Physiologically, Qi stagnation is often associated with spasm of the muscles, both skeletal and smooth muscle, and the medicines used to treat this are called Carminatives.

Move Blood, Clears Stasis
Emmenagogues, Blood thinners

Blood stasis can be caused by trauma, cold, heat, dryness, phlegm, and Qi stagnation. Blood stasis starves a part, tissue or organ of blood and Qi, therefore there may be wasting, weakness, loss of function. Symptoms include sharp, stabbing, fixed pain, dull complexion, bluing of the nails, lips and tongue, darkness of the eyes. Some of these medicines promote circulation; some dilate capillaries; some break up blood stasis; some thin the blood. Medium and strong medicines that move blood are forbidden during pregnancy.

These medicines are often used in Gynecology, poor circulation, and after Trauma. Some reduce platelet aggregation or thin the blood. The stronger tend to have fibrinolytic and anti-tumor effects.

Open Obstructions

Obstruction is usually of Qi and/or Blood. However, the western practitioners often just listed a medicine to ‘open obstruction’. In acute cases Qi typically stagnates, while in chronic cases Blood is typically stagnant. Chronic Obstruction is often more complicated than just obstruction of Qi and Blood. Chronic Obstruction usually comes with Phlegm, Heat, Cold, Dryness, Yin deficiency etc. Therefore, to open obstructions often a complex formula combining different elements needs to be formulated.

Resolve Masses and Tumors
Anti-tumor

In the Treatment of Tumors and Masses we must always treat the cause. Tumors can develop from Heat, Phlegm, Cold and Damp, or due to obstruction of Qi and Blood. For example often Scrofula and Goiter are associated with Phlegm masses. while cyclical swelling in a woman’s breast is associated with Qi stagnation. Masses formed after trauma are due to blood stagnation, while a lump following an infection or a swollen node after tonsillitis are due to Heat-Toxin.

Chronic Tumors associated with degrading health and weakness indicate Melancholy and/or deficiency of Qi, Yin, Essence etc., and this is the category that a majority of Cancers fall into..

Medicines that resolve Masses or Tumors work in one of several ways. They tend to either strongly move the Blood and dissolve Masses, work to break up Phlegm masses, or clear Heat and Toxin to remove Swellings and Tumors. Many toxic medicines also help to resolve Tumors too.

Stop Bleeding
Hemostatic, Styptic

Medicines that stop Bleeding are self-explanatory. However, Bleeding needs to be divided into hot and cold types. Cold type bleeding is passive, the blood is pale and watery, the pulse weak and the face pale. Heat-type bleeding is often acute, bright red blood, the pulse is fast, and may come as a result of fever or poisoning.

Astringent

Astringent medicines are drying, and stop Leakage. They are used for conditions where excess fluid is escaping the body such as Diarrhea, Leukorrhea, Spermatorrhea and excess Sweating. Some have secondary tonic effects to constrain or consolidate the Essence. Astringents and Hemostatics are closely related, many medicines sharing both functions.

Kill Worms
Anthelmintic

Again, this class is self explanatory. Certain medicines are appropriate to different types of Worm. Some of the most effective are slightly toxic, especially in the Eastern systems where there are types of Worms not common in modern Western society.

External Medicines

Some medicines are only or primarily used externally. They are often toxic, and many are metals or minerals. They are used for Wounds, Ulcers, Tumors, Skin diseases etc.

The Traditional Effects of Medicines

The Traditional Effects of Medicines

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