1. Properties:
* Taste (Wei): Bitter, sweet, sour, pungent, salty. Each taste influences different organs and functions.
* Nature (Xing): Cold, cool, neutral, warm, hot. This indicates how the herb interacts with the body's temperature and energy.
* Energetics (Qi): Floating, sinking, ascending, descending, outward, inward. This describes how the herb moves energy within the body.
* Tropic (Qiao): The specific organ or system the herb targets.
* Channels (Jingluo): The meridians along which the herb's energy circulates.
2. Actions:
* Tonify (Bu): Nourishing and strengthening a deficient organ or function.
* Clear (Xie): Eliminating excess or pathogenic factors from the body.
* Harmonize (He): Bringing balance to the body's functions.
* Regulate (Zong): Adjusting the body's energy and function.
* Disperse (San): Moving stagnation and dispersing blockages.
* Transform (Hua): Changing the state of something in the body, like transforming phlegm or dampness.
3. Uses:
* Specific conditions: Herbs are used to treat a wide range of conditions, from common colds to complex illnesses.
* Syndrome differentiation: TCM practitioners use a combination of symptoms, pulse diagnosis, tongue diagnosis, and other factors to determine the underlying imbalance and select the appropriate herbs.
Example:
* Ginger (Sheng Jiang):
* Taste: Pungent
* Nature: Warm
* Energetics: Descending
* Tropic: Spleen, Stomach
* Channels: Stomach, Spleen
* Actions: Warms the middle burner, dispels cold, promotes sweating, resolves phlegm, reduces nausea.
* Uses: Common cold, flu, indigestion, nausea, motion sickness.
Beyond these basic categories, TCM also uses a sophisticated system of:
* Herb combinations: Herbs are often combined in formulas to enhance their efficacy and address multiple imbalances.
* Herb preparation: Decoctions, tinctures, pills, and other methods are used to prepare herbs for consumption.
* Dosage: Dosage is carefully calculated based on the individual's condition and the herb's potency.
The classification system of TCM herbs is complex and requires extensive knowledge and experience. However, understanding these basic principles can provide insights into the rationale behind traditional Chinese medicine practices.