Just to apply the principles of Chinese medicine to Western herbs is to ignore over 2,500 years of tradition of herbal theory in the West.
WESTERN HERB THEORY IS COMING BACK!
Galenic medicine
Most people do not realize that a large amount of Galenic principles remain in English and German texts, and more is being recovered. In 1651, Nicholas Culpeper wrote A Key to Galen’s Method of Physic, which is still available in print. This is a clear description of Galen’s methods of herb prescription.
Nicholas Culpeper
Western herbal theory was very similar to Chinese medicine, and traditional Western syndromes were very similar to Chinese syndromes. For example, Culpeper discussed herbs to treat:
- cold in the stomach
- obstruction of the liver
- obstruction of the spleen
- obstruction of the lungs by phlegm
- depression of the heart spirit
IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS
Western herbal theory has some very important contributions for world herbal medicine. For example, the emphasis on:
- classification according to damp and dryness
- use of (plants with) essential oils
- treatment of emotional imbalances
- use of bitter tonics and stabilizers for the nervous system
- use of bitter tonics for digestive and hepatobiliary systems
Damp and dryness
Western herbs were classified, not just in terms of temperature, but also in terms of whether they were moistening or drying. This is very important in treating patterns with different degrees of dryness and damp.
For example, Culpeper classified nettles as warm and dry, and wrote that: “Winter is cold and moist, so nettle tops, eaten in the spring, consume the excess phlegm in the body that the coldness and moistness of winter has left behind.”
Aromatic herbs
The emphasis on the use of the aromatic herbs, and the aromatic oils in herbs, to treat mental and emotional conditions, is much greater in Western tradition than it is in Chinese medicine. This is the basis of aromatherapy in the West.
Culpeper in 1651 specifically described the use of rosemary essential oil for lethargy, mental dullness, weak memory, and depression, but warned of the danger of overdose.