electronic resources

Safety of Chinese Herbal Medicine

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The issue of safety of Chinese herbal remedies must be paramount in the mind of
practitioners for two reasons. First and foremost, because, as practitioners, we must strive to
give patients the best possible care and minimize possible side-effects and adverse reactions;
secondly, we need to be seen to practise in a professional and responsible manner that ensures
the maximum safety if we are to satisfy potential regulatory authorities. There are more and
more negative reports regarding the alleged toxicity of herbal remedies (many of them
misguided or plainly wrong) and we need, as practitioners, not only to practise in the safest
way possible, but also to be seen to do so.

In the hands of experienced practitioners, Chinese herbs are very safe. This booklet aims, on
the one hand, to give guidelines for a safe use of herbs and, on the other hand, to show the
flaws in many of the reports on the alleged toxicity of Chinese herbs. Not by chance, the title
of this booklet is ASafety of Chinese Herbal Medicine@ rather than ASafety of Chinese
Herbs@. The issue of safety of Chinese herbs cannot be considered in isolation from the
principles, philosophy, diagnosis, guidelines, rules and methods of Chinese herbal medicine:
it is my belief that, when used according to such rules, Chinese herbs are remarkably safe.
Many of the reports of alleged toxicity of Chinese herbs concern situations when they were
self-administered, prescribed without regard to the principles of Chinese herbal medicine,
wrongly identified, or used as single herbs for dubious aims. The tragic case of the Belgian
women who were subjected to a slimming regime with a dubious cocktail of conventional
drugs and two Chinese herbs is simply the result of a reckless use of drugs and herbs without
any adherence not only to the principles of Chinese medicine but not even to basic principles
of good practice of Western medicine: it is simply an example of Abad medicine@ and tells
us nothing about the safety or otherwise of Chinese herbs.

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Availability

TCM0140

Prodi Traditional Chinese Medicine

Available

Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

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Publisher

: Su Wen P., 1999

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

0 9536157 0 7

Classification

NONE

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

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Subject(s)

Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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