1,311 pages, 8 ˝” x 11”
Fully illustrated, 15 pages of color plates
Cloth

ISBN: 0-939616-42-4

$99.00 until 8/31 
(reg. $125.00)

Available late August

To view a sampling of  Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica (3rd Edition) click the link below.  It takes a few minutes to download.

Included are the following:

Title page, p. 1
Table of Contents, p. 2
Preface to 3rd edition  pp.  3-5
Sample herb entries,  pp. 6-20
Sample from summary  tables. pp.21-22
Sample from color photo section on adulterants, p.23
 
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Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica (3rd Edition)
Dan Bensky, Steve Clavey, Erich Stöger with Andrew Gamble
Illustrations adapted by Lilian Lai Bensky

The new 3rd edition of Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica is designed to give practitioners the information they need to practice Chinese herbal medicine with greater understanding and confidence. It provides a wealth of new information – more than twice the content of the previous edition -- and practical insight into more than 530 of the most commonly used herbs in the Chinese pharmacopoeia.  

Drawing from a wide range of sources, both classical and modern, this edition provides unparalleled perspective and detail that goes far beyond what is available elsewhere to the Western practitioner. Among its many features:  

•   Herbs are grouped in chapters by function, with expanded summaries and tables for contrast and comparison. Each herb is identified by its pharmaceutical, pinyin, botanical, and family names, as well as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and English common names.  

•  Key characteristics are provided at the beginning of each entry, along with dosage, properties, channels entered, and relevant cautions and contraindications. This provides a quick overview of essential information.  

• Actions and indications are integrated with important combinations that illustrate the range of an herb’s functions, with references to appropriate formulas. This presents a more three-dimensional picture of how each herb is actually used.  

•   Expanded commentary offers in-depth analysis and places each herb in its clinical context through rich historical references. The mechanisms of action underlying important combinations, and comparisons with similar herbs, provide a broader context for understanding how the herb can be used with optimal effect.  

• A section devoted to nomenclature and preparation describes the most important methods of processing and preparing each herb, and the advantages of each method. It also provides information about other commonly-used names and historical background.  

•  Safety is an important focus of this edition, with an emphasis on proper herb identification. Issues concerning standardized products, desirable qualities, variants, and adulterants are explained for each herb. There is also extensive information on toxicity, as well as chemical constituents.  

•   The utility of this book is enhanced by its wide range of appendices, among which are color photographs comparing the standard and adulterant forms of over 20 common herbs; tables of herbs that are indicated for specific pathologies of the five yin organs; and extensive cross references of the herbs by taxonomy, pinyin, pharmaceutical name, and other East Asian languages. There are also comprehensive indices of both herbs and formulas, as well as a general index.  

• Preface
• Introduction
• Herbs that Release the Exterior
• Herbs that Clear Heat
• Downward-Draining Herbs
• Herbs that Drain Dampness
• Herbs that Dispel Wind-Dampness
• Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing
• Aromatic Herbs that Transform Dampness
• Herbs that Relieve Food Stagnation
• Herbs that Regulate the Qi
• Herbs that Regulate the Blood
• Herbs that Warm the Interior and Expel Cold
• Tonifying Herbs
• Herbs that Stabilize and Bind
• Substances that Calm the Spirit
• Aromatic Substances that Open the Orifices
• Substances that Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors
• Herbs that Expel Parasites
• Substances for Topical Application
• Obsolete Substances
• Table 1 Herbs Associated with Pathologies of the Five Yin Organs
• Table 2 Summary Table of Herb Actions and Indications
• Appendix 1 Guide to  Pronunciation
• Appendix 2 Table of Chinese Dynasties
• Appendix 3 Glossary
• Appendix 4 Sample Photographs: Adulterants & Quality Issues
• Appendix 5 Table of Authors
• Appendix 6 Historical and Source Text Bibliography
• Appendix 7 Translators’ Bibliography
• Appendix 8 Cross Reference of Pharmaceutical Names with Previous Edition
• Herb and formula index
• Pinyin-pharmaceutical cross reference
• English-pharmaceutical cross reference
• Japanese-pharmaceutical cross reference
• Korean-pharmaceutical cross reference
• Botanical, zoological, and mineral index
• General index