Herbal medicine is an essential and integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Its historical tradition dates back to the Later Han dynasty (25 – 220 A. D.) with the Divine Husbandman’s Classic of the Materia Medica (Shen nong ben cao jing). Legend ascribes the authorship of this text, the first book to focus on the description of individual herbs containing 364 herbal, mineral, and animal substances, to the mythical “Divine Husbandman” (Shen nong), who was supposed to have tasted “the hundred herbs,” although it was compiled by unknown authors. One of the most influential and oldest sources of herbal formulas in China is Discussions of Cold-Induced Disorders (Shang Han Lun) written around 200 A.D. by Zhang Zhong-Jing. It details the origin and development of externally contracted diseases and their diagnoses and treatment, not by acupuncture, but principally by a highly sophisticated use of herbal formulas. Herbal medicine has continued to grow into the modern era, and now more than five thousand entries are complied in the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Substances published in 1977.

Traditionally, the therapeutic effects of each medical substance are defined by its taste, temperature, ascribed actions, and channels through which it enters the body. For example, dang gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) is sweet, acrid, bitter, warm, and it enters the body through Heart, Liver, and Spleen channels. It is a commonly used herb to treat Blood disorders, especially in women. It must be noted, however, that individual herbs are seldom used by themselves to address a specific complaint. They are usually combined in formulas containing several substances to increase the potency of therapeutic effects, to minimize toxicity or side effects, and to address complex clinical situations.

In recent years, various attempts have been made to understand the actions and properties of traditional Chinese medical substances in terms of modern pharmacology, citing active compounds and detectable biochemical effects on microorganisms, animals, and humans. In fact, the historical roots of modern pharmacology are embedded in herbal medicine. The discovery of penicillin derived from fungus, aspirin from the bark of willow trees, morphine from the seeds of poppy flowers. Many of the biomedical pharmaceuticals are derivatives of natural substances as well as wholly synthetic compounds.

Herbal medicine in contemporary China, Japan and Korea is a continually evolving, growing medicine. Along with formulas that have been tested over the past centuries of Chinese medicinal history, variations on traditional formulas are continually being developed to incorporate innovations based on clinical experience and scientific investigation.

Herbal medicine and acupuncture constitute the basic therapeutic modalities of Traditional Chinese Medicine to restore balance in the body. Because every patient’s body is unique, the Chinese physician starts with a general formula based on the classical texts, and then modifies it by adding or subtracting various herbs or by adjusting the dosages to suit individual needs. Traditionally, herbs decocted into a drink have been most popular and widely used, but pills, powders, tinctures are now commonly available and used. Although many in the West regard herbs as nutritional supplements and self-prescribe them without professional advice, it is advisable to seek the guidance of a trained herbalist to avoid any possible complications and to derive the most benefit from their usage.