The Eight Principles

Symptoms are various, often move, transform, disappear, reappear elsewhere, and undergo constant of changes. The Eight Principles are always a key to direct a herbalist to analyze changing symptoms and what is to help to discover the true story of symptoms. Every formula a herbalist writes will and must follow the direction of The Eight Principles. The Eight Principles thus enable the therapist to select a correct combinations of herbs most suitable for each different stage of the cure, so that the herbs work well connect with the body's own internal healing mechanisms.

Yin and Yang: These two are known as the principle of the Principles and are the most important key of the diagnosis and treatment of disease. In fact, the other six are simply more specific aspects or the continuation of yin and yang symptomology. All diseases and their symptoms are first diagnosed in begin of the yin and yang polarity of the various vital organs and energies affected by the ailment. For example, high temperature, constipation, profuse sweating, and hypertension are all common indicators of a basically yang condition. Whereas chills, diarrhea, pallid complexion, chronic fatigue, weakness, and aversion to cold indicate a basically yin condition. Yang symptoms are treated with cooling yin herbs, while yin symptoms are counteracted with warming yang herbs.

Internal (yin) and external (yang): These conditions inform the herbalist where the evil force is located and which meridians are involved , therefore what kind of method is to choose. If symptoms are moving inward toward from yang to yin, or external to into the internal, it indicates that the disease is aggressive or the evil is moving from yang meridians into yin meridians, so the herbs should use heavy, or expel the evil downward. On other hand, when the evil is on the yang meridian, herbs should use light, expelling the toxin throughout surface. When a patient's symptom generally move outward toward the surface for elimination, it tells you the patient's condition is improving, or which is a clear sign that the chosen formula is working. During the course of treatment, symptoms can shift rapidly between the surface and interior, and herbal formulas must be adjusted accordingly in order to assist rather than interfere with the body's own natural healing processes.

Cold (yin) and Hot (yang): Cold and hot indicate the basic nature of the disease as reflected by symptomatic changes in the aberrant energies associated with it, such as high or low body temperature, flushed or pale complexion, light or dark urine, hard or soft stools, and so on. These indicators not only transform according the stage of illness, but can also take opposite directions in different parts of the body. Herbal formulas must be periodically adjusted in order to correct imbalances caused by aberrant energies. Once find out the patient is cold indication, should choose the warming herbs to balance it. On the contrary, if it is hot indication, should choose the cold herbs to balance the energy.

Empty (yin) and Full (yang): These indicate the degree to which an ailment has depleted (empty) or congested (full) the vital organs and energies affected by the ailment. They also reflect the level of the patient's resistance and the current balance in the battle between pure and evil energies in the body. When immunity and resistance become severely impaired by prolonged neglect or abuse, the body acquires a chronic immune deficiency, a condition in which good energy drains away and becomes progressively emptier, while the myriad evil energies that cause disease flourish and grow congested stagnation. Once a herbalist find out patient's condition is empty or full, he is able to design whether he should use tonic herbs or cleaning herbs. When the tonic herbs are reinforced to the body, make sure the good energy flourishes into the system and the defense system will not empty. While the cleansing herbs introduce to the body. The evil energy of disease will been driven out of The system, or The stagnation of The energy will invigorated from The congestion..

Except for yin and yang, which are general Principles of overall conditions, The other six signs usually manifest in combinations of varying complexity. If a hot symptom appears on The surface, it is called external hot; if a full symptom manifests internally, it is internal cold; and so forth. For general diagnostic purposes, however, The Eight Principles in their basic singular forms usually suffice to keep track of symptomatic changes during The course of treatment.