Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica

The Portable 3rd Edition of Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica offers the same trusted, comprehensive content as the standard edition—now in a more compact and flexible format, perfect for students, clinicians, and practitioners on the go.

With detailed information on over 530 of the most frequently used herbs in the Chinese pharmacopoeia, this book remains the definitive English-language reference for Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine. Drawing from both classical texts and modern clinical insights, it presents an unmatched depth of understanding, clarity, and practical application for the modern Western practitioner.

Key Features:

Functional Organization for Practical Use:
Herbs are grouped by therapeutic function, with summary tables and comparison charts to facilitate learning, differentiation, and clinical decision-making.
Comprehensive Herbal Entries:
Each herb is listed with its pharmaceutical, botanical, pinyin, and family names, as well as common names in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and English. Entries include taste, temperature, meridian associations, dosage, key characteristics, contraindications, and clinical cautions—offering a clear and complete reference at a glance.
Practical Formulation Guidance:
Actions and indications are presented alongside key combinations that illustrate how herbs work together in clinical formulas. References to classical and modern prescriptions offer valuable real-world context for use.
Expanded Clinical Commentary:
In-depth notes enrich each entry with historical insights, differentiation from similar herbs, and explanations of pharmacological effects. This layered commentary helps deepen clinical understanding and therapeutic nuance.
Processing & Preparation:
A dedicated section details processing methods (pao zhi), preparation techniques, and alternate names, along with traditional rationales for each approach. These insights are essential for both proper usage and safe application.
Safety and Quality Emphasis:
This edition places a strong emphasis on herb identification and safety, including information on standardization, toxicology, adulterants, substitutions, and distinguishing quality grades.
Rich Appendices & Cross-References:
Includes full-color photo comparisons of authentic versus adulterated herbs, treatment tables organized by Zàng-Fǔ pathology, the effects of taste combinations, and cross-indexes by Latin name, taxonomy, pinyin, and more. Detailed indices of herbs, formulas, and a general index further enhance accessibility.

A Modern Classic for Today’s Practitioner

More than just a textbook, this portable edition serves as a clinical companion, study guide, and trusted resource. It bridges the gap between ancient wisdom and modern application, offering a multidimensional understanding of herbal therapy that is medically relevant, historically grounded, and practically useful.

Whether you’re working in clinic, studying for board exams, teaching a course, or researching herbs in-depth, this book will meet you where you are—and support you every step of the way.

Praise for the Portable 3rd Edition:

“This edition sets a new standard for Chinese herbal medicine in the West.”
“The clinical commentary alone is worth the price of the book.”
“Essential, engaging, and surprisingly readable—it’s a joy to study and a relief to reference.”
Compact in size, expansive in scope—Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica (Portable 3rd Edition) is the ideal companion for herbalists and students who want deep knowledge in a format that fits into everyday practice.

REVIEWS:
The new 3rd edition of Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica raises the bar on the practice of herbal medicine in the West. Its commentaries on individual herbs and their combinations provide a wealth of practical information previously unavailable in English. The book is not just informative, it’s fun to read.

Carles Chace, L.Ac.

I use your book several times each day. It’s totally invaluable. Thank you for providing us all with such an indispensable tool. I’m immensely grateful!
Christine Leon, Head, Chinese Medicinal Plants Authentication & Conservation Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens

[The 3rd edition] sets a new standard of excellence for Chinese herbals. The level of scholarship in this book is a reminder of what is possible through a combination of intellect, integrity, and hard work. A ‘must’ for the clinic and the classroom.

Craig Mitchell, L.Ac.

A vastly improved edition. The commentary, comparisons, and new data on nomenclature and quality control all add considerably to previous editions and other versions of the Materia Medica. In particular, the descriptions of herbal individuality and applications which are rooted in traditional energetics and classical references are the great strength of this book.

The Journal of Chinese Medicine

CONTENTS:
Preface
Introduction
Herbs that Release the Exterior
Herbs that Clear Heat
Downward-Draining Herbs
Herbs that Drain Dampness
Herbs that Dispel Wind-Dampness
Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing
Aromatic Herbs that Transform Dampness
Herbs that Relieve Food Stagnation
Herbs that Regulate the Qi
Herbs that Regulate the Blood
Herbs that Warm the Interior and Expel Cold
Tonifying Herbs
Herbs that Stabilize and Bind
Substances that Calm the Spirit
Aromatic Substances that Open the Orifices
Substances that Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors
Herbs that Expel Parasites
Substances for Topical Application
Obsolete Substances
Table 1 Herbs Associated with Pathologies of the Five Yin Organs
Table 2 Summary Table of Herb Actions and Indications
Table 3 The Effects of Taste Combinations
Appendix 1 Guide to Pronunciation
Appendix 2 Table of Chinese Dynasties
Appendix 3 Glossary
Appendix 4 Sample Photographs: Adulterants & Quality Issues
Appendix 5 Table of Authors
Appendix 6 Historical and Source Text Bibliography
Appendix 7 Translators bibliography
Appendix 8 Cross Reference of Pharmaceutical Names with Previous Edition
Herb and formula index
Pinyin-pharmaceutical cross reference
English-pharmaceutical cross reference
Japanese-pharmaceutical cross reference
Korean-pharmaceutical cross reference
Botanical, zoological, and mineral index
General index