Aidus & E-Fong Herbal Solution
Herbal Formula for Sedative
                                         
                                           Chapter 9

                Herbal Formula  for Sedative

All these formulae being mainly composed of sedative herbs, having the effects of tranquilizing the mind by heavy herbs
or tranquilizing the mind with strengthening, and treating restlessness, are generally known as sedative formulae.
Five zang organs dominate five emotions. Syndromes of the mental reslessness may be caused by dysfunction of five
zang organ, and are particularly related to the heart, liver and kidney. In clinical practice, these diseases may be divided
into the deficiency and excess syndromes. If the mental symptoms due to external fright or fear, or caused by disturbing
the heart spirit due to the liver stagnation transformed into fire, manifested as fright, fear, susceptible to anger, irritability
etc. , they are mostly attributable to excess syndrome . If over-worries leads to blood deficiency of both the heart and
liver, the heart spirit is lack in nourishment, or insufficiency of heart yin leads to internal disturbing of deficiency-fire,
marked by palpitation, poor memory and insomnia, deficient vexation etc. , they are mostly attributable to deficiency
syndrome.
In accordance with principles that "fright-syndrome should be treated with sedative herbs" (Chapter 74 in Su Wen '
Plain Questions') and that" heaviness can suppress mental disturbance" in the Ten Kinds of Formulae, mental symptoms
should be treated with sedative therapies, in which sedative therapy by heavy herbs is used for treatment of excess
syndrome, while sedative therapy with tonic herbs for deficiency syndrome. This chapter contains some formulae that
tranquilize the mind with heavy and some that tranquilize the mind with tonic herbs.
As for other therapies, we have discussed them in the relevant chapters. For examples, madness due to heat should be
treated by purging fire, (for details, see chapter heat-clearing formulae) ; Madness due to phlegm should be treated by
expectorating phlegm (for details, see chapter 14 eliminating phlegm); Palpitation and insomnia due to deficiency should
be treated by strengthening ( for detail, see chapter 7 tonic formulae ); Madness with irritability due to blood stasis
should be cured by resolving stasis(for detail, see chapter 12 formulae promoting blood circulation to remove blood
stasis). When studying and applying them in clinical practice, one should pay more attention to inter-connection among
different therapies so as to master comprehensive knowledge and apply them flexibly.
There is also simultaneous occurrence of deficiency and excess syndrome in clinical practice, therefore, sedative formula
with heavy herbs and sedative formula with tonic herbs are often used in combination in order to treat both the" branch"
and the" root" .
Sedative formulae with heavy herbs are chiefly composed of mineral and metal herbs than hurt the stomach, so that they
are only suitable for temporary use, and are not suitable for long term administration, particularly for patients with weak
spleen and stomach. It is advisable to combine with some herbs for invigorating the spleen and harmonizing the stomach.