Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 1267 pages
• Published by: Art of Medicine Press; First edition January 1, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0974063509
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0974063508
• Book Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.3 x 2 inches
• Weighs: 6.3 pounds

Product Review
Book Review Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology by John K. Chen and Tina T. Chen. Art of Medicine Press; 2004. ISBN: 0-9740635-0-9. $89.95 by Roy Upton, Herbalist Executive Director, American Herbal Pharmacopoeia This newly released textbook should be a welcomed addition to the libraries of every Chinese medical practitioner, student, or researcher interested in Chinese medicine herbs. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology is a 1266 page hard backed tome covering virtually all aspects of Chinese materia medica in among the most complete manner possible as compared to most other currently available English-language texts. There are many attributes to this text for which I am greatly appreciative. Firstly, most everything that I need to know about how to use the botanical both safely and effectively is presented in a concise manner in a single text. This will help in the continued monograph development work of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. The philosophical discussions regarding the basics of understanding Chinese materia medica and Chinese nomenclature have greatly deepened my understanding about these aspects of Chinese herbology, thus making my personal study of Chinese herbal; medicine more rich. Equally important, there is a plethora of information and numerous herbal entries contained in this text that I have never seen in any other work. It is also an great reference for manufacturers requiring information regarding product formulation, substantiation files, effective dosages and other information needed for the development of safe and effective products. Any manufacturer trying to access the references alone would cost tens-of-thousands of dollars. Inexpensively priced at $89.95, Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology is a must-have text for any practitioner, researcher, herbal manufacturer, or student of TCM. The Chen's should be commended for this outstanding contribution to the Chinese medical literature. --Roy Upton, Herbalist

Product Review
John Chen and Tina Chen have brought a unique and broad base of knowledge and experience to their recently published reference and textbook Chinese Medicine Herbology and Pharmacology. It is the 12th Chinese herbal Materia Medica I have purchased during the past 22 years, among many other books on Chinese Herbology that I own. Every section of this text sets a new and higher standard for all English language sources of information on medicinal Chinese herbs. This is now the first TCM herbal text I reach for among the many texts from which I can choose. There are several reasons for this. If you are considering improving your library in this area, I can point out several factors that should place this book at the top of your list: A concise 8 Chapter introductory section provides a great overview on Chinese Herbal Medicine, including a timely Chapter on considerations for taking herbs and pharmaceuticals concurrently The sections on traditional uses of each herb are more clearly explained than other texts making it more understandable to both TCM professionals and students as well as scientists trained in other disciplines. Each herb listing provides a referenced review of pharmacology studies A section in each herb listing reviews relevant clinical studies and research The chemical composition section presents key chemical structure information More than 800 plant listings allows for inclusion of items of current interest like red yeast rice, which are not found in most similar texts. The index is more complete due to using multiple reference points for each herb, including physiological conditions, latin names, and listings by plant parts. The cross references are all in ONE index instead of several separate indices provided by many similar texts. Rather than just offering line drawings, great color pictures of each plant material are provided in the beginning of the book and a black and white photo accompanies each entry throughout the text. The authors comments on each ingredient are often invaluable in clarifying issues that were previously unavailable in English language texts For example, under the listing for Clematidis Classic texts state that Clematidis dissolves fish bones that are obstructing the throat. This statement, however, is not strictly correct, since this herb does not literally dissolve fish bones. Instead, Clematidis relaxes the throat muscles, thereby helping to dislodge the obstruction. These simple yet important clarifications make this text significantly more useful than strict translations of other classic textbook information. I am personally very grateful to the authors and contributors to this book for this great addition to my library. We can all now own years of dedicated and uncompromising work for the price of taking my family out to dinner! In gratitude, Stephen Morrissey OMD Botanica BioScience Corp --Stephen Morrissey OMD

Reader Reviews
This is a modern pharmacology text on herbs and prescriptions. Unlike some older texts this fine reference book includes many features not found elsewhere. It includes photographic pictures of each herb and provides in both simplified and tradtional Chinese characters. The chemical composition is badly needed as both modern pharmacists and patients alike need to know what they are dealing with, other than just exotic PinYin names. The pharmacological interactions and author's comments are also welcomed as the effectiveness from modern clinical studies are required in any modern medical book. The only inconvenience I found is that the constant use of this 1200+ page book caused sore on my thumb and fingers. As more and more updates are added, frequent users would prefer a digital source (e.g., XHTML, XML etc) to get the latest update. The advantage of hypertext will allow one to navigate quickly with the click of a mouse without having to flip through pages or using indices. At present, 23% of medical professionals are now using an online source and it is expected more and more will do so to stay current. In sum, this is a highly useful book which will get to its place. Reviwed by Sam Shueh, medical librarian 9/25/04 Comment | | (Report this)