Ethnomedicine/Ethnomedicine by Culture Group/Traditional Chinese Medicine

There are a few branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat the human body. One of the main branches is the use of herbal medicine. Herbs may be used singly or combined into formulas to be more effective. When used in combination, herbs are sometimes called patent formulas, although they may or may not be patented in the legal sense of the term. Many of these formulas have been published in ancient texts, and some of them have been published in modern books, such as "Pharmacopoeia of The People’s Republic of China (Volume I)". State Pharmacopoeia Commission of the PRC (2005). Chemical Industry Press. ISBN 7117069821.

Below are a sample of these formulas:

Ankun Zanyu Wan
按坤赞育丸 (Pinyin: ànkūn zànyù wán, Traditional Chinese: 按坤贊育丸)

A large black honeyed pill used in traditional Chinese medicine to "nourish qi and blood, regulate menstruation and relieve leukorrhagia, when there are symptoms of deficiency of qi and blood, deficiency of liver and kidney and poor health after postpartum, indicated by abdomen pain".

The formulation of the pill is:

Anwei Pian
安胃片 (Pinyin: ānwèi piàn)

A whitish to yellowish tablet used in traditional Chinese medicine to "promote the flow of  qi and activate blood circulation, to counteract acidity and relieve gastric pain in the stomach".

The formulation of the pill is:

Anyang Jingzhi Gao
安阳精制膏 (Pinyin: ānyáng jīngzhì gāo, Traditional Chinese: 安陽精制膏)

A red plaster used in traditional Chinese medicine to "dissolve lumps, remove blood stasis, relieve pain, strengthen muscles and tendons, activate blood circulation, and to dispel wind and cold". It is typically pasted on the skin when there is "numbness in the extremities".

The formulation of the plaster is:

Awei Huapi Gao
阿魏化痞膏 (Pinyin: āwèi huàpǐ gāo)

A black plaster spread on cloth, used in traditional Chinese medicine to "treat abdominal masses due to stagnation of qi and congealed blood that is accompanied by epigastric and abdominal pain, and a feeling of fullness and distension in the chest and hypochondriac regions". It is traditionally plastered on the "umbilicus or the afflicted area after being softened by heating".

The formulation of the plaster is:

Babao Kunshun Wan
八宝坤顺丸 (Pinyin: bābǎo kūnshùn wán, Traditional Chinese: 八寶坤順丸)

A blackish-brown honeyed pill used in traditional Chinese medicine to "nourish blood and regulate menstruation". It is typically prescribed when there is "deficiency of both blood and qi, with abdominal pain, aching in the loins and legs, and edema of the lower extremities during menstrual periods".

The formulation of the pill is:

Baidai Wan
白带丸 (, Pinyin: báidài wán, Traditional Chinese: 白帶丸) A herbal pill used in traditional Chinese medicine to "remove damp-heat and arrest excessive leucorrhea&rdquo;.

The formulation of the pill is:

Baochi San
保赤散 (Pinyin: bǎochì sǎn)

A herbal pill used in traditional Chinese medicine to "promote digestion, remove retained food, relieve abdominal distension, eliminate phlegm and induce sedation".

The formulation of the pill is:

Baofukang Shuan
保妇抗拴 (Pinyin: bǎofùkàng shuān, Traditional Chinese: 保婦抗拴)

A milky white, yellow or brown herbal suppository used in traditional Chinese medicine to "activate the flow of  qi and remove blood stasis, promote the growth of muscles, and relieve pain due to symptoms of colpomycosis, senile vaginitis and erosion of the cervix&rdquo;.

The formulation of the pill, using polyoxyethylene stearate as a carrier, is: