Re-reading the classic Small Is Beautiful by the economist E.F. Schumacher, I found a little gem.
“What is it that we really require from scientists and technologists? I should answer: We need methods and equipment which are
Cheap enough so that they are accessible to virtually everyone;
Suitable for small-scale application; and
Compatible with man’s need for creativity.”
“Out of these three characteristics is born non-violence and a relationship of man to nature which guarantees permanence. If only one of these three is neglected, things are bound to go wrong…”
Here are the herbal combinations that the Chinese government finally turned to during the SARS epidemic. I first heard about them during my research about Houttuynia cordata as an ethnobotanical in Japan. During the SARS epidemic, modern medicine wasn’t enough. It seems, looking at the numbers, that SARS was far more virulent than the current 2019 Corinavirus, however, it is good to know some remedies that we might be able to turn to in case modern medicine fails again. This case demonstrates the power of looking back into historical events and finding clues for how to deal with life in the moment. The following table is easier to read inside the text. It is towards the end. The therapeutic functions are listed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lingo; just understand that these formulas worked and that is why they were used by thousands of people. Look up the meanings online if you want to learn about them. The methods for making the medicines are in the linked document. Basically, you make a tea and drink it three or more times a day, depending.
Ingredients Lists:
Formula 1 Astragalus (huangqi) A. propinquus Patrinia (baijiangcao) Valerianaceae – species Thlaspi arvense or Patrinia scabiosaefolia Coix (yiyiren) Poaceae – Coix lacryma-jobi (also known as Job’s Tears, the seeds) Platycodon (jiegeng) – P. grandiflorus Licorice (gancao) – Glycyrrhiza uralensis (the root) Therapeutic Functions benefit qi, remove moisture, clear heat, clean toxin
Formula 2 Houttuynia (yuxingcao) H. cordata Chrysanthemum (yejuhua) C. indicum Capillaris (yinchenhao) Artemisia capillaris Eupatorium (peilan) E. fortunei Tsao-ko (caoguo) Lanxangia tsaoko Therapeutic Functions clear heat, clean toxins, resolve turbidity
Formula 3 Taraxacum (pugongying) dandelion Trollius (jinlianhua) T. chinensis (globeflower) Isatis leaf (daqingye) I. indigotica Pueraria (gegen) P. lobata (Kudzu) Perilla leaf (zisuye) Shiso Therapeutic Functions clear heat, clean toxin, dispel wind, expel pathogens
Formula 4 Phragmites (lugen) P. australis (Reed Root) Lonicera (jinyinhua) Flo’s Lonicerae japonicae (Japanese Honeysuckle flower) Forsythia (lianqiao) Forsythiae fructus (ripened fruit of the plant) Mentha (bohe) Mentha haplocalyx (peppermint) Licorice (gancao) Glycyrrhiza uralensis (the root) Therapeutic Functions clear heat, dispel wind-chill, expel pathogens
Formula 5 Astragalus (huangqi) A. propinquus Atractylodes (baizhu) Atractylodes macrocephala Red Atractylodes (cangzhu) A. lancea, A. chinensis, and A. japonica all function similarly. Pogostemon (huoxiang) (Patchouli) Adenophora (nanshashen) A. triphylla Lonicera (jinyinhua) Flo’s Lonicerae japonicae (Japanese Honeysuckle flower) Dryopteris (guanzhong) Dryopteris crassirhizoma (Wood Fern root. There are other Dryopteris that can be used) Therapeutic Functions strengthen spleen, benefit qi, resolve damp, clean toxins
Formula 6 Pseudostellaria (taizishen) Pseudostellaria heterophylla, ginseng of the lung. Gentler than Panax Ginseng. Cures lungs. Dryopteris (guanzhong) (referring in particular to Dryopteris filix-mas), or buckler ferns, is a genus of 300-350 (or possibly 400) species. Lonicera (jinyinhua) Flo’s Lonicerae japonicae (Japanese Honeysuckle flower) Isatis leaf (daqingye) I. indigotica Pueraria (gegen) P. lobata (Kudzu) Perilla leaf (zisuye) Shiso Pogostemon (huoxiang) Patchouli, in the mint family. Not specified whether leaves or stems. Red Atractylodes (cangzhu) A. lancea, A. chinensis, and A. japonica all function similarly. Eupatorium (peilan) E. fortunei Therapeutic Functions benefit qi, disperse pathogens, clean toxins, remove moisture
