Description

Formulas and Strategies: Herbal Pairing in Physiomedicalist Herbalism

Paul Bergner 2003

90 Minutes 1.5 CEU credits

Chinese medicine is known for its model of formulation, beginning with ways the effects of an herb can be combined or modified by one or a few other herbs for specific humoral/energetic or clinical uses. This exact model was created by the Physiomedicalists of North American and the UK in the later 19th and early 29th century, not put forward as explicitly as in Chinese medicine, but can be extracted from descriptions in its classical materia medica and clinical methods. Here we show the ways that the Physiomedicalists modified the uses of Actaea racemosa for use in the female system, for neurological complaints, musculoskeletal issues, respiratory problems, or mental-emotional conditions. We show the differentiation through pairing of Commiphora myrrha for circulatory effects, antiseptic uses, or immune enhancement. We show different methods of pairing to modify the effects of Aralia racemosa in respiratory complaints, of Yarrow for diaphoretic, astringent, or uterine tonic effects, Prunus for bitter tonic or respiratory relaxant effects, and Scutellaria for nervine tonic, sedative, neurological, respiratory complaints or use during pregnancy. More than just a list of pairs for these herbs, we present a model for the skillful study and uses of herbal pairing and combination to specific clinical uses of herbs.

Materials