115 Herbs common to Western
& Chinese Medicine Traditions
The following list is important to support the similarity of Materia Medica used in the Western and Chinese Traditions. A large number of the most important medicines are common to both systems, while each system also has its own peculiar and unique medicines. However, by recognising the Materia Medica common to both systems, we can see some of the most important medicines used in Traditional Medicine. Importantly, in many cases the use in both East and West is very similar, again supporting early sharing of information.
Many of the classical animal and mineral remedies are common to both systems, and in addition, many of the listed medicines have been used in the Western Tradition for centuries before use in TCM.
Herbal Medicines
ENGLISH NAME
CHINESE NAME
| Agrimony (E) Almond/Apricot kernel Almond/Apricot, Bitter Aloe Aloeswood Angelica (1) Arum (E) Asafetida Asarum (E) Asparagus root (E) Benzoin Black Nightshade Calamus Camphor Cannabis seed Cardamon, Greater Cassia Wood Catechu Chebulic Myrobalan China root Cinnamon Citron Clove Coltsfoot Coriander Corn Silk Costus Cyperus rotundus Dandelion White Dittany (2) Dodder (herb of) Dragons Blood Duckweed Fennel seed Fenugreek Frigwort (E) Frankincense Galangal Galls Garlic Gentian (E) Ginger Hawthorn Paris Herb Hog Fennel Horsetail Jujube Knotgrass Licorice Leek seed Lovage Madder Malted Barley Mallow seed Mint MIstletoe Motherwort Mugwort Mulberry Mustard seed Myrrh Nutmeg Nux Vomica Orange peel Peach kernel Peony root Black Pepper Long Pepper PLantain herb Plantain seed Pomegranate Pomegranate peel Purslane Radish seed Rhubarb Rose Safflower Saffron Sandalwood Self Heal Senna leaf Seseli, Siler Montane (3) Solomon’s Seal Storax Tabasheer Turmeric Walnut Water Plantain Zedoary | Xian He Cao Xing Ren Ku Xing Ren Lu Hui Chen Xiang Bai Zhi/Dang Gui Tian Nan Xing E Wei Xi Xin Tian Men Dong An Xi Xiang Long Kui Shi Chang Pu Bing Pian/Zhang Nao Huo Ma Ren She Ren Rou Gui Er Cha He Zi Tu Fu Ling Gui Pi / Rou Gui Ju Yuan / Fo Shou Ding Xiang Kuan Dong Hua Xiang Cai Yu Mi Xu Mu Xiang Xiang Fu Pu Gong Ying Bai Xian Pi Tu Si Zi (seed of) Xue Jie Fu Ping Xiao Hui Xiang Hu Lu Ba Xuan Shen Ru Xiang Gao Liang Jiang Wu Bei Zi Da Suan Long Dan Cao Jiang Shan Zha Chong Lu Qian Hu Mu Zei Da Zao Bian Xu Gan Cao Jiu Cai Zi Chuan Xiong Qian Cao Gen Mai Ya Dong Kui Zi Bo He Sang Ji Sheng Yi Mu Cao Ai Ye Sang Shen Bai Jie Zi Mo Yao Rou Dou Kou Ma Qian Zi Ju Pi / Chen Pi Tao Ren Shao Yao Hei Hui Jiao Bi Ba Che Qian Cao Che Qian Zi Shi Liu Shi Liu Pi Ma Chi Xian Lai Fu Zi Da Huang Mei Gui Hua Hong Hua Xi Hong Hua Tan Xiang Xia Ku Cao Fan Xie Ye Fang Feng Yu Zhu Su He Xiang Tian Zhu Huang Jiang Huang He Tao Ren Ze Xie E Zhu |
NOTE: In the Table, ‘(E)’ denotes a closely related herb that is deemed Equivalent.
1. Angelica shares properties more similar to Angelica Bai Zhi, but shares some tonic properties of Dang Gui.
2. White Dittany is synonymous with Dictamnus Bai Xian Pi of TCM
3. Siler Montane is closely related to Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, which was previously classed as a species of
Siler. The latter makes a reasonable substitute for Siler Montane of Western formulas.
Animal and Mineral Medicines
ENGLISH NAME
CHINESE NAME
| Alum Amber Bezoar Borax Calamine Calcite Cantharide Cinnabar Cuttlefish Bone Earthworm Glauber’s Salt Gold Cypsum Hematite Honey Litharge Orpiment Pearl Musk Red Earth Saltpeter Scorpion Silver Skink Sulphur Viper | Bai Fan Hu Po Niu Huang Peng Sha Lu Gan Shi HUa Rui Shi Ban Mao Zhu Sha Hai Piao Xiao Di Long Mang Xiao Jin Shi Gao Dai Zhe Shi Feng Mi Mi Tuo Seng Xiong Huang Zhen Zhu She Xiang Chi Shi Zhi Xiao Shi Quan Xie Yin Ge Jie Liu Huang Bai Hua She |
See also
Chinese Materia Medica
Chinese Medicines used in the West before TCM
Chinese Names for Western, Indian and Tibetan Herbs
38 Obsolete Western Medicines with Chinese Equivalents
