Book Review Graphic Jade Remedies A Chinese Herbal Reference For The West
by Peter Holmes
(Snow Lotus Press: 959 pp. in 2 volumes)

Reviewed by Alex Berks


Jade Remedies A Chinese Herbal Reference For The West by Peter Holmes is an important book in the development of Chinese Medicine and a great clinical reference. The genius of this two volume materia medica is to apply a terminology to the herbs that bridges the syndromes of Chinese Medicine with the terms of Western pharmacolgy so that each informs the other. The actions, indications and chemical constituents of the herbs in Western terms elucidate the broad Chinese symptom pictures, and the symptom groupings of Chinese Medicine syndromes help make the precise information of western pharmacology more clinically useful.

These volumes are about drawing together the ancient and the modern and the east and the west. To do this Holmes makes links between herb actions and treatment strategies, between pharmacology and therapeutics and between plant chemistry and pharmacology. The result is that Holmes is able to make a large amount of scientific information available in relation to traditional uses without reducing the Chinese syndromes to facile and clinically useless actions.

Where applicable Holmes also relates the Chinese herbs to similar Western counterparts. Holmes has had his eye on translating herbs from one tradition to another for quite some time. This is Holmes' second major cross-cultural pharmacopoeia reference work. The first, The Energetics of Western Herbs: An Herbal Reference Integrating Western and Oriental Medicine Traditions. This two-volume opus presents the pharmacopoeias of Western Herbal traditions with the symptom pictures of Chinese Medicine. In essence, Jade Remedies is a continuation of The Energetics of Western Herbs.

For the the Western practicioner unfamiliar with the lanaguage of Chinese Medicine, Jade Remedies is organized according to Western anatomical systems. By doing this Holmes is able to skirt the problems of explaining concepts unique to Chinese Medicine. For example, the function of the Chinese concept of Liver shares no similarity with the Western liver. Therefore an herb like Chai Hu Bupleurum that activates Liver qi is placed in the the "Nervous Sedative" class, more appropriate to its primary Western action.

Chai Hu Bupleurum Chinese Symptom picture is referred to as:

Translated into Western terms Chai Hu Bupleurum is:

The Western indications include:

Holmes is also thorough. This is one of nine Western indications for this herb, others include, hypotensive; antipyretic; anti-infective, antiviral, anti-bacterial, interferon inducent; immune regulator, anti-allergic; liver protective; radiation protective; pituitary adrenocortical stimulant; astringent, antiprolapse. Each with explanation. The Traditional Symptom pictures also includes: Gallbladder fire and shao yang heat.

It is very interesting to see how one's image of an herb's function changes when its class is reorganized. For example, Rou Gui Cinnamon is classed in the "Cardiac Restoratives" instead of the more traditional "Interior Warming".

A Notes section following each herb, highlights the common use and explains mode of action and modern applications. This section makes the book a must read for the student who needs to find "handles" to hold the herbs in their mind.

Jade Remedies listing of Chinese syndromes is as complete as Bensky and Gamble and quite thought provoking with additional information. Holmes assigns extra vessel channel affinities where appropriate (for example Chai Hu Bupleurum has affinity to the Yang Wei channel) and assigns qualities such as moistening and drying that go far beyond the Bensky presentation.

This materia medica is an important contribution in pulling Chinese Medicine out of its timeless mindset as an ancient imperially sanctioned system of classical medicine to a viable system of health care for the West. As Holmes sees it allopathy needs the therapeutic potentials of Chinese Medicine to more effectively treat chronic and degenerative diseases and Chinese Medicine needs a language for the West that will be employed to scientifically validate Chinese Medicine. This Materia Medica is most probably the first that preserves the soul of three-thousand plus years of vitalistic art/science in a way the West can use. It is for this feat that Jade Remedies becomes an indispensable reference source and will earn this book and its author a place in history.

Jade Remedies Cover

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