Introduction to Chinese Herbal Medicine Introduction to Chinese Herbal Medicine As long as people have communicated to each other and their children which plants, mushrooms, and animals were edible, and which had strange effects, there has been a tradition of herbal therapy. Other animals, including dogs, seem to instinctively know certain plants to treat their maladies.
Monkeys are smart enough to avoid toxic plants.
There are other ways to categorize herbs, as well. The most useful categorization in Chinese Medicine is by medicinal functions. For example, there are herbs that clear heat, herbs that induce perspiration, herbs which kill parasites, and herbs which supplement the blood. Some herbs and categories have interesting correlations with nutrition and chemistry. After building a Materia Medica with hundreds or thousands of ingredients categorized by effects on the body, the Chinese Herbalists began to develop formulas, discovering optimum combinations of herbs to maximize the benefit while minimizing side-effects.