Lesson 1: Introduction

Disclaimer

Through research and clinical experience, knowledge in medicine is subject to constant change. Our author Jeremy Ross has compiled and checked the diagnosis, safety, and therapy-relevant information in this online course to the best of his knowledge and belief. However, this does not release the users of this online course from their obligation to check other sources of information on this subject to see whether the information given there differs from that in this online course.

To create a balanced, effective, and safe herb combination, in terms of the energetics of Western or Chinese tradition, it is important to consider the following four principles. These principles apply whether the herbs used are Western or Chinese (click on the following texts for details):

• balance temperature (Lesson 2)

• balance directions of energy (Lesson 3)

• balance tastes (Lesson 4)

• balance herb actions (Lesson 5)

For the beginner in herbal medicine, who does not have a knowledge of Chinese medicine, the most clinically important of these four principles is temperature. Balancing the direction of energy is also of practical importance to herb safety, and is a relatively simple concept.

A knowledge of the main action categories is also useful, especially to understand the color-coding of the herb combination tables. But taste is a complex topic, and understanding taste does require some knowledge of Chinese medicine.