This seems like an appropriate place to begin our discussion of particular herbs. I would like to generate a list of herbs which are similar to guizhi in various ways, undertake a comprehensive study each individually, and then make some comparisons. If anyone else would like to join me and apply their own preferred study methodology to one or more of these plants, that would be great.
First I want to make sure that I have a reasonably comprehensive list of guizhi-alike herbs. I am thinking of guizhi as a warm, pungent, (sweet), diaphoretic, tonifying circulatory stimulant. Are there other properties of guizhi that I should be keeping in mind as I look for analogues?
Here are the herbs that I have identified so far, with some brief comments on the ways they are like or unlike guizhi:
Cayenne - Probably the closest match to guizhi, this was a key herb in the Thompsonian / Physiomedical school, which has come down to us most clearly in the work of Dr. Christopher. In that school it was used primarily for the circulation and for “all forms of depression and atony.” Jeremy Ross uses it for “external wind-cold-damp.” It can also be used as a diaphoretic for colds, presumably including taiyang wind-strike. It is generally said to be hot, but I have tolerated it well even in times when the heat of guizhi was too much for me.
Rosemary - In the words of Peter Holmes, rosemary “permeates the whole organism with warmth and activity.” That sounds just like “yang out of the box” to me. This is a key herb in both traditional Arabic medicine and Anthroposophical medicine. Anthroposophical Medicine discovered the use of rosemary for diabetes (cinnamon is also used in western herbalism for diabetes, and for similar reasons if I understand correctly). Holmes lists a use as a diaphoretic for colds, but I haven't found anyone else describing such use. In fact, Ross states that rosemary’s action is specifically oriented toward the interior (as compared to sage). Rosemary seems to be less actively moving than Cayenne. Rosemary also seems to have some mild shaoyang properties.
Yarrow - Another heavy hitter. Yarrow is well known as a diaphoretic for colds. Matthew Wood further refers to Yarrow as the “master of the blood," saying that it regulates blood flow to and from the surface, in and out of the capillaries. This is perhaps less activating than the action of guizhi, but includes enough encouragement to circulation that I am happy to include it in this list. In fact, Wood likens Yarrow to Hong Hua, which is often paired with Tao Ren where classically one might use Gui Zhi. Yarrow also has some tonifying properties, but these seem to be more specific than we see with guizhi, cayenne, or rosemary.
Angelica Archangelica - I don’t have any experience with this herbs, and I have just started learning about it. It is a warm, pungent, sweet, diaphoretic that promotes blood movement. Wood reports that it substitutes adequately for Dang Gui; Michael Moore disagrees but suggests that with the proper paozhi that might change.
Sassafras - Another warm diaphoretic, circulatory stimulant that I don’t know much about. Sassafras is probably not suitable to serve as a general purpose guizhi-alike, but rather achieves a more pointed accentuation of a certain guizhi-like functions. Wood discusses it specifically for cases with thickened turbidity of the blood. Most other authors seem to consider Sassafras primarily as an herb for Bi syndrome, although it can also be used for colds.
First I want to make sure that I have a reasonably comprehensive list of guizhi-alike herbs. I am thinking of guizhi as a warm, pungent, (sweet), diaphoretic, tonifying circulatory stimulant. Are there other properties of guizhi that I should be keeping in mind as I look for analogues?
Here are the herbs that I have identified so far, with some brief comments on the ways they are like or unlike guizhi:
Cayenne - Probably the closest match to guizhi, this was a key herb in the Thompsonian / Physiomedical school, which has come down to us most clearly in the work of Dr. Christopher. In that school it was used primarily for the circulation and for “all forms of depression and atony.” Jeremy Ross uses it for “external wind-cold-damp.” It can also be used as a diaphoretic for colds, presumably including taiyang wind-strike. It is generally said to be hot, but I have tolerated it well even in times when the heat of guizhi was too much for me.
Rosemary - In the words of Peter Holmes, rosemary “permeates the whole organism with warmth and activity.” That sounds just like “yang out of the box” to me. This is a key herb in both traditional Arabic medicine and Anthroposophical medicine. Anthroposophical Medicine discovered the use of rosemary for diabetes (cinnamon is also used in western herbalism for diabetes, and for similar reasons if I understand correctly). Holmes lists a use as a diaphoretic for colds, but I haven't found anyone else describing such use. In fact, Ross states that rosemary’s action is specifically oriented toward the interior (as compared to sage). Rosemary seems to be less actively moving than Cayenne. Rosemary also seems to have some mild shaoyang properties.
Yarrow - Another heavy hitter. Yarrow is well known as a diaphoretic for colds. Matthew Wood further refers to Yarrow as the “master of the blood," saying that it regulates blood flow to and from the surface, in and out of the capillaries. This is perhaps less activating than the action of guizhi, but includes enough encouragement to circulation that I am happy to include it in this list. In fact, Wood likens Yarrow to Hong Hua, which is often paired with Tao Ren where classically one might use Gui Zhi. Yarrow also has some tonifying properties, but these seem to be more specific than we see with guizhi, cayenne, or rosemary.
Angelica Archangelica - I don’t have any experience with this herbs, and I have just started learning about it. It is a warm, pungent, sweet, diaphoretic that promotes blood movement. Wood reports that it substitutes adequately for Dang Gui; Michael Moore disagrees but suggests that with the proper paozhi that might change.
Sassafras - Another warm diaphoretic, circulatory stimulant that I don’t know much about. Sassafras is probably not suitable to serve as a general purpose guizhi-alike, but rather achieves a more pointed accentuation of a certain guizhi-like functions. Wood discusses it specifically for cases with thickened turbidity of the blood. Most other authors seem to consider Sassafras primarily as an herb for Bi syndrome, although it can also be used for colds.
Are there other herbs that should be on this list? Other thoughts on these herbs?
Thank you for including me Solomon and Leilani! I am excited about this project.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good list of Guizhi-alikes. You are exploring the "jieji" aspect of warming and releasing the muscles, and the wind strike aspects, but Guizhi is the archetype herb of the entire Taiyang conformation including the Bladder. This is important to consider. Also, as a tree whose scent permeates the air, it is quite a prominent herb. Cayenne does not compare to the Cassia tree in this regard. Something to consider.
Hey Solomon...thanks for including me as well.
ReplyDeleteI've been playing with a number of different variations on a Guizhi Tang for my kids. My favorite locally growable herb for it's "substitution" (I really don't like that word here) is Sambucus Nigra/Black Elderberry.
Like Michael said, you are definitely considering the warming and releasing of the muscles, etc...but there are other aspects of Guizhi which make it hard to directly substitute for. (Myself, I like to consider an entire formula and it's purpose and try and fill in the players to get there. I think that's a little easier to do. Depending on that purpose, you will make up a combination which may use an herb that has a similar quality to the one you are trying to evoke in that particular instance.)
I do like to utilize rosemary in some instances, especially because I think of it as really working on that couli area as well as within the heart itself. These are some of the gestures that it shares with Guizhi. From my experience, it is a "lighter" herb, I think it opens the sinus passages and the areas within the brain and top of the head/body a bit more than Chinese guizhi does (though I think some of that may be the amount of time that guizhi spends in storage as it makes its way to us). Obviously, it can be called more into the heart or lower areas of the body, depending on the other herbs that are used with it, the cooking time, the preparation method, etc.
I too, need to work more with AA and so I can't say much, though I do see it as a bit of a bitter-pungent quality whereas GZ is more of a sweet-pungent and we should take that into account.
I feel like Yarrow and Cayenne are a bit different in gesture than what I would expect in my use of guizhi, though given the right formula and need - perhaps. Cayenne really opens and pushes in the heart, Nagel told us to always keep cayenne capsules on hand...they are great in cases of heart attack in which the ambulance has been called and the heart needs to be opened immediately. That alone makes me think of a variety of different uses for it....but it's got such a hot and moving quality that I wouldn't use it to make a cold formula for a child, whereas I have no qualms doing that with Guizhi.
So...I guess that rosemary and elderberry are my favorites. Elderberry helps to ease joint and muscle pain in Western herbalism...I view this as releasing the muscle layer and helping to resolve minor bi issues. It increases blood flow through the heart, but gently, not in such a dramatic way as cayenne or yarrow. It helps improve the qi of the lung. With what Michael has said above, elderberry is used to fight bladder infections and UTIs. To me, this is the closest remedy...however, it is more sweet than pungent, whereas guizhi is more pungent than sweet. It is also blue in color and is a different part of the plant (berry as opposed to bark). All of these things have different signatures and so it must be combined with other herbs that respect the differences....
My two cents on a chaotic morning, following a sleepless night. I apologize for incoherent thoughts and grammatical errors!