Insights and Updates

Different doses of a drug produce different clinical effects; this is an undeniable fact in modern pharmacological research. The dose-response problem exists not only for Western drugs but also for Chinese herbal medicine. Many TCM physicians, when troubled by clinical efficacy, blame the herbs themselves.

Level woods spread far, mist woven through; / the cold hills stretch a wistful blue. / Dusk settles on the high tower, / and someone on the tower grieves. / On jade steps she stands in vain, / roosting birds fly swiftly home. / Where…

The famous Dutch neuroscientist Swaab once said that physical exercise is far less important than mental exercise, but the latest research may overturn this view. Exercise and mental training are not unrelated: physical activity promotes brain health. Exercise not only improves physical strength but also…

The Yixue Rumen (Introduction to Medicine) contains a formula called Cangqin Wan (Atractylodes-Scutellaria Pill). Its composition: Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma) 5 qian (15 g), Pianqin (i.e. Huangqin, Scutellariae Radix) 3 qian (9 g), Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix) 1.5 fen (4.5 g). Preparation: grind the three herbs together…

Xiao Xuming Tang (Minor Life-Extension Decoction) comes from the Beiji Qianjin Yaofang (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies). Its composition: Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba), Fangji (Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix), Renshen (Ginseng Radix), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Guixin (Cinnamomi Cortex inner portion), Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix), Shaoyao (Paeoniae…

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases of modern times. As living standards rise, its incidence keeps increasing; worldwide, the prevalence of hypertension reaches 31.3%. China is a high-burden country, with a prevalence of 23.2%. Hypertension is more common in northern China than…

China has long been a country with a heavy burden of esophageal cancer. According to the World Health Organization, China ranks first in the world in esophageal cancer incidence. This is closely related to two deeply ingrained dietary habits of the Chinese people: first, the…

Patients with advanced upper digestive tract cancer (esophageal cancer, cardiac carcinoma or gastric cancer) usually develop, as the disease progresses, symptoms such as gastric bloating, stomach pain, hiccups, vomiting, acid regurgitation and heartburn. By this stage most patients already have distant metastases, and cure by…

The Suwen Bingqi Yi Baoming Ji records a formula called Cangzhu Diyu Tang (Atractylodes and Sanguisorba Decoction). Its composition is: Cangzhu (Atractylodes) 2 liang (60 g), Diyu (Sanguisorba) 1 liang (30 g). File the herbs; take 1 liang (30 g) per dose, decoct in water,…

The Shiyong Zhongyiyao Zazhi (Journal of Practical Traditional Chinese Medicine), Vol. 40, No. 6 (Serial No. 377), June 2024, published a paper by Lu Liting, Lu Yingxue, Ni Huashui, and colleagues of the Maoming People's Hospital, Guangdong Province, titled "Observation on the Efficacy of Modified…