By Eric Brand

The recent arrival of the Great Nature tablet line of 105 classical formulas has expanded the scope of our ready-made formulas here at Blue Poppy. This line offers a number of formulas that can be hard to find elsewhere. For example, many practitioners have gravitated towards some of the textbook classic formulas that can be hard to find in prepared form, such as Xiao Feng San, Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin, Zhen Gan Xi Feng San, Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang, Si Shen Wan, Su Zi Jiang Qi Tang, etc. However, the Great Nature line also has a number of key formulas may be unfamiliar to some practitioners, such as Xiang Sha Yang Wei Wan (Costusroot and Amomum Stomach-Nourishing Pill), Yi Gan San (Liver-Repressing Powder), San Ren Tang (Three Kernels Decoction), and Bi Xie Feng Qing Yin (Fish Poison Yam Clear-Turbid Separation Beverage). These formulas each have their own unique niche, and understanding how to use them effectively broadens the range of conditions that we can treat.

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By Eric Brand

In the past, I've written several blogs that discuss acutomic needles. Acutomic needles are a new Chinese medical device. They are thicker than normal needles and they have a flat tip that is sharpened like a scalpel blade. Essentially an acutomic needle is a device for minor surgery, and they are quite painful so anesthesia is usually used.

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By Eric Brand and Nigel Wiseman

Frosting is a term used in Chinese herbal pharmacy. Basically, "frosting" (shuang) is the production of a fine crisp powder by methods other than simple grinding. Medicinals that are used in a "frost" form include Ba Dou, Bai Zi Ren, Xi Gua Shuang (watermelon frost), and Shi Shuang (persimmon frost). The following methods exist:

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By Eric Brand

As practitioners of Chinese medicine, we often wonder about the origin of the herbal products that we use. How many of the products that we use are cultivated and how many are wildcrafted? As Chinese medicine grows worldwide, will wild plant populations be sufficient to meet the global demand? Will new growing regions emerge, will wildcrafting expand into new ecosystems? Some of these questions are beyond the scope of a simple blog, but let’s look at some statistics on Chinese herb production to get a feel for the situation.

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By Eric Brand

This weekend I'll be teaching at AIMC in Berkeley. When I first saw the syllabus I was completely blown away by the content of the class. Obviously I love the subject matter, but beyond that I am truly impressed that AIMC offers a class like this. This class would have been my dream class as a student, and I'm honored that I have the chance to teach it this semester.

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