Page through the Material Medica and it is easy to think that Chinese herbal medicine is one unified body of knowledge and practice. But, it’s not. 

If you look closely you’ll see that different formulations come from different dynasties. Some were written in times of famine and war, others first penned during heights of peace, cultural exchange and affluence. While it looks like one coherent collection of prescriptions it is actually a history of doctors striving to cope with wildly different conditions. 

In today’s conversation we explore the dosing and cooking methods of some of our oldest and most used prescriptions. Listen in and discover the differences in dosing between ancient and modern times and why harmonizing formulas require a particular kind of attention to how they are prepared. 

Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.