Introduction: The Wonder of Private Prescriptions

Rhinitis is a common illness in Northern China, where the weather is relatively cold.

A college student in his twenties has been suffering from chronic rhinitis for seven or eight years. Every year, during the seasonal changes in spring and autumn or when the weather is too cold, he can’t stop sneezing. For several months a year, his nose is always sniffling and blocked, and he always carries tissues with him. The most uncomfortable aspect is the severe headaches that accompany serious rhinitis attacks, leaving him with no energy and difficulty breathing.

Dr. Guo Yaning gave him a small private prescription to try. Despite his family’s well-off status and numerous attempts to treat his rhinitis, including visits to famous experts and expensive herbal medicines, his condition did not improve. The student initially did not take the simple prescription seriously but thanked Dr. Guo politely.

Ten days later, Dr. Guo received a call from the student, who reported significant improvement in his rhinitis and expressed his gratitude. He was surprised that such a simple prescription could cure his nearly decade-long condition.

Throughout the history of herbal medicine, there are many cases where renowned doctors and imperial physicians could not cure a disease, but small private prescriptions did.

What is the small private prescription that cured the student’s rhinitis?

Why do small private prescriptions have such power?

To answer this, we must understand the development history of herbal medicine in China.

The Role of Imperial Physicians

In ancient times, imperial physicians were health experts who served the emperor and his court, teaching people how to stay healthy and avoid illness. They had powerful treatment methods, but when it came to treating difficult and complicated diseases, they might not be as effective as folk doctors.

Example of Huang Yuanyu

Huang Yuanyu, originally a folk doctor, became famous locally and traveled around the country to study. He was recommended to the palace when Emperor Qianlong had a strange disease. Despite the prestige of becoming an imperial physician, Huang Yuanyu was reluctant due to the high risks involved.

The selection of imperial physicians was rigorous, involving examinations and apprenticeships. Treating high-status patients, including the emperor, carried significant risks. If the disease was not cured, the physician could be held accountable, and their life could be at stake. As a result, imperial physicians often preferred to avoid taking risks and focused on health revitalization prescriptions.

The Expertise of Folk Doctors

Unlike imperial physicians, folk doctors had to see patients to earn money, so they used stronger medicines and achieved quicker results. They dared to prescribe drugs, study, and experiment, leading to many effective prescriptions being handed down through generations.

In ancient times, poor living conditions meant that if a disease was cured, it was credited to the doctor. If not, it was considered the person’s fate. There was no concept of medical malpractice, and folk doctors did not bear responsibility for adverse outcomes.

A Balanced Approach

Ancient Chinese doctors were divided into two schools: the folk school and the imperial school. The imperial school focused on health revitalization, using mild and safe prescriptions, while the folk school used powerful and effective methods.

Combining the two approaches can be beneficial. For example, for a high blood pressure patient, a practitioner might first strengthen the spleen and stomach to replenish vital yuanqi, then use a small private prescription to regulate blood pressure. This approach balances the strengths of both schools.

As a result, ancient Chinese doctors were divided into two schools: the folk school and the imperial school. The two schools have very distinct characteristics.

The imperial school is a master of health revitalization. They use medicine in a very conventional way. They would rather issue a prescription without curing effect than use strong or cold medicine to try to cure the illness. There must be no risk for an imperial physician.

This kind of prescription is called Tai-ping-fang. It means that the doctor will be safe and sound after the patient takes the medicine according to the prescription, but it is hard to say about curing the illness. It may work, but the effect is very slow, or even completely ineffective.

On the other hand, the folk school prescriptions are powerful and effective. They are knowledgeable, experienced and skillful in using medicine. Therefore, folk doctors often use methods to treat diseases that imperial doctors cannot cure.

To put it bluntly, the folk school is wild and bold. Their shortcomings are obvious. They use strong medicines and only look at the immediate effect regardless of the consequences. As long as the symptoms at the time are alleviated, future consideration can be postponed.

At this point, we have a general understanding of the styles of these two schools. What we have always emphasized is that we need to strengthen the body and eliminate evil. So the imperial school uses prescriptions for strengthening the body, while the folk school uses prescriptions for eliminating evil.

What if a herbal practitioner combines the two approaches?

For example, for a high blood pressure patient, the practitioner first strengthens his spleen and stomach to replenish the vital yuanqi, which is strengthening the body. Then he uses a small private prescription (corn silk, white chrysanthemum, and cassia seed) to regulate blood pressure, which is the prescription for eliminating evil.

Another example is diabetes. The practitioner uses a small private prescription (bitter melon, cassia seed, mulberry frost leaf) recorded in “The Secret Records of the Stone Chamber” to relieve the symptoms.

Another example is the paste prescriptions for women with weak yuanqi and blood.

These prescriptions are all from the hands of folk doctors. They are both good and bad. The advantage is that they are quick and effective. The disadvantage is that they are toxic and only pursue temporary efficacy. Furthermore, these prescriptions are generally cold and laxative medicines. If used for a long time, they will damage the spleen and stomach and hurt the vital yuanqi in the long run.

Brief Summary

Your practice of health revitalization through herbal medicine involves understanding the importance of the spleen-stomach subsystem and the kidney-subsystem. These subsystems must be protected when treating illnesses to avoid damaging the body’s foundation. Using cold and laxative prescriptions alone can lead to recurring and worsening diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to balance cold medicines with spleen-stomach nourishment.

You are better off if you choose medicinal materials that are both medicinal and edible, such as bitter melon which can help achieve this balance. This two-pronged approach, strengthening the spleen-stomach subsystem and expelling evil spirits, is effective for maintaining health.

Understanding the origins and differences between the imperial and folk schools of herbal medicine helps you to appreciate the importance of combining their approaches. This idea was proposed by Huang Yuanyu, a master of his generation, and supported by other renowned doctors like Dr. Guo Yaning.

As practitioners of health revitalization, it is essential to strengthen the spleen-stomach subsystem while treating symptoms to protect the root of vital yuanqi and promote longevity.

This core principle of herbal medicine emphasizes strengthening the foundation and eliminating evil.

What’s Next?

Why do we need to replenish vital yuanqi when we are sick?

In the next issue, we will discuss the connection between vital yuanqi and disease.

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