by Matthew Wood
The liver makes cholesterol and sends it into the bloodstream. All cholesterol is innately “good,” until genetics or lifestyle puts it out of balance. The so-called “bad” cholesterol (LDLs) has the positive purpose of plopping patches on tears and rough spots on the vascular walls—like poor-quality plaster slapped on the wall by a slum landlord. “Good” cholesterol (HDLs) acts like a “sander” to smooth out the blobs of LDLs which would, otherwise, act as a nucleous for clotting blood and attract bacterial colonies to feed off the garbage. High levels of HDLs are good; high levels of LDLs are “mischief-prone” when deposited in excess. This causes various health changes such as high blood pressure.
Anemia is usually associated with low iron, or poor assimilation or storage of iron, but can also be caused by poor nutrition in general. “Kidney anemia” occurs when the kidneys don’t signal the bone marrow to produce more blood cells. In this case, the tongue is pale but moist. The bone marrow needs nourishment to manufacture good red, white, and replacement cells. Other kinds of anemia usually have a pale, dry tongue.
Blood, Congealed; Bruising: • ACHILLEA (thrombosis, bruising, hematoma; complexion red and blue) • Ajuga • Allium sativa (to lower excess fibrin through lysis) • ANGELICA (bruising or blue, green, yellow, grey complexion) • ARNICA (bruising, chronic blood coagulation; complexion red and blue; external) • BUPLEURUM (chronic; darkish, reddish complexion) • CAPSICUM (thins the blood, equalizes the circulation) • CARTHAMUS (complexion red and blue; coagulated blood) • Prunus serotina (neurovascular cause, not due to blood coagulation; slow capillary reflex; blood stuck in periphery; histaminic irritation of skin) • SASSAFRAS (thins the blood; coagulated blood, cold extremities; pulse feels thick, like oatmeal) • Scrophularia (stagnant lymphatics and blood) • SOLIDAGO (old bruises, strains, and sprains, especially of the spine, lower back; flower tops, in oil).
Blood Deficiency, Anemia: • Achillea (hemorrhagic; pernicious—Dudley) • Alchemilla (thin or watery blood, “pale complexion, blue veins show through”—LeSassier) • Aletris (uterine weakness, poor digestion, infertility) • Amygdalus (asthenic anemia or atrophy—needs confirmation) • Angelica (aplastic; iron deficiency) • Angelica sinensis • Artemisia absinthium (bitter, for appetite) • BETA (food tonic) • Ceanothus (anemia with enlarged spleen; pernicious anemia; Hodgkin’s disease) • Cetraria (and seaweeds, for electrolytes and salts) • Cinchona (from blood loss; long-term exhaustion) • CODONOPSIS (weak, thin, dried-out; vata people, nursing mothers) • CRATAEGUS (“heart blood deficiency”; lack of concentration, waking at night, dizziness) • Eleutherococcus • Fucus (minerals) • Gentiana (lack of appetite, poor digestion and absorption) • Helonias (with uterine and ovarian weakness) • MEDICAGO • Menyanthes (bitter) • Petroselinum (weakness; scanty periods or severe dysmenorrhea; leaf) • Polygonum multiflorum (dizziness, tinnitus, poor vision, low back pain, prematurely grey hair; prepared root) • Polymnia • REHMANNIA (excessive menstrual bleeding, anemia in pregnancy; cooked root) • RHUS SPP. (tongue pale but moist; “kidney anemia”—kidneys not signaling the bone marrow to produce blood cells—Light) • Rosa (asthenic anemia) • Rubus canadensis (during pregnancy and after) • RUMEX CRISPUS (iron assimilation, storage, release) • URTICA (high in iron) • Silybum • Withania.
Note: Bone-marrow stew with beets, mushrooms, and root crops is an excellent general background tonic. MOLASSES also, as a food or the basis for a tonic.
Hemorrhage: • ACHILLEA (bright-red, profuse) • Agrimonia (hemorrhagic ulcer) • CAPSELLA (passive capillary bleeding; dark, oozing) • CAPSICUM (internal or external) • CINNAMOMUM ZEYLANICUM • ERIGERON (from congested, boggy mucosa; oil) • Geum urbanum (chronic, passive hemorrhage—Grieve) • Hamamelis (passive capillary bleeding) • HYDRASTIS (passive bleeding from congested, boggy mucosa, or active bleeding from a clean cut) • Lycopus (with rapid, irregular pulse) • Panax ginseng (asthenic hemorrhage; collapse from fluid loss; minute pulse) • Sanguisorba • Trillium.
Note: “Active” hemorrhage, in the old authors, indicates bleeding from the arterial circulation while “passive” means bleeding from the capillary bed or veins. The former gives a bright red hemorrhage; the latter tends to be dark, oozing, and clotted.
“High Blood”: • Achillea • LAVANDULA (to open the capillaries and disperse the blood; oil, on sides of head) • MELILOTUS (high blood pressure, headache) • Pulsatilla (“determination of blood to the head”—Scudder) • Rheum • Rumex crispus • Tilia • Tribulus • Verbena.
Note: “High blood” refers to a circulatory imbalance where there is “too much blood” in the head and upper part of the body. The old authors would describe it as “determination of blood to the head.” This condition is characterized by mental overactivity, restlessness, hyperactivity, high blood pressure, overstimulated appetite, overeating, tendency to weight gain, diabetes mellitus type II, and mild heat conditions and is indicated by the high or large pulse.
“Low Blood”: • Acorus • Capsicum • Lavandula • ROSMARINUS • Sambucus.
Note: Darkening color around the ankles past the age of fifty indicates what is called “low blood” in Southern American folk medicine. This indicates that the blood is lingering in the lower extremities and not returning to the head. It can therefore be an extremely important indicator of developing senility or mental vacuity, and it is important to head off this condition before it gets worse.
High Serum-Cholesterol Levels: • Allium sativa (reduces LDLs and triglycerides, raises HDLs, lowers blood pressure) • Arctium (uric-acid elevation; subclinical acidosis) • Capsella (high uric acid) • Centella (low T4 thyroid hormone levels) • Curcuma (strengthens blood vessels, improves blood flow, reduces LDLs, platelet stickiness, clotting, arteriosclerosis) • Cynara (lowers LDLs and triglycerides, increases HDLs) • Daucus (uric-acid elevation) • Iris (elevated LDLs, VLDLs) • Linaria (bilirubinemia, without active hepatitis) • Medicago sativa (alkalinizes the blood, prevents cholesterol absorption) • Panax quinquefolius (elevated LDLs, VLDLs; alkalosis, metabolic) • Polygonum multiflorum (lowers cholesterol, reduces arteriosclerosis, improves hormones) • Silybum (bilirubinemia, without active hepatitis) • Taraxacum (high uric acid) • Tribulus (elevated LDLs, VLDLs) • Trigonella (inhibits absorption, decreases manufacture by liver, lowers triglycerides and related high blood sugar) • Urtica (alkalinizing; subclinical acidosis) • Zingiberis (reduces cholesterol and blood pressure, thins blood, strengthens the heart, improves circulation).
Note: High acidity favors potentially harmful cholesterol absorption—hence the merit of alkalinizing remedies and foods. The above entries are largely based on Michael Moore, and Hershoff and Rotelli.
FORMULARY
Sambucus berry—with Silybum seed, honey, and brandy (blood tonic). Wood.
Prunus serotina—with Xanthorrhiza, Alnus serrulata, Goodyeara, Asarum (Cherokee Blood Tonic from Mary Chiloskey). Les Moore, 2002, 62.
Rumex crispus—with blackstrap molasses, raisins, jujubes, and/or goji berries (blood tonic).
Rumex crispus—with Urtica, Rubus canadensis (blood tonic).
Pulse
The descriptions of pulses given in this section correspond to the definitions given in Traditional Western Herbalism, Pulse Evaluation: A Conversation by Matthew Wood, Francis Bonaldo Begnoche, and Phyllis Light (2015). We only have a very small number of remedies associated with specific pulses so far, but we hope this number will grow.
Rapid: • ACHILLEA (nonresistant, full, feels rapid) • Ajuga (rapid, high, weak; unequal circulation—Grieve) • Amygdalus • Convallaria (rapid, feeble; with heart problems, arrhythmia) • Crataegus • LYCOPUS (rapid and wild; during or after scarlet fever; hyperthyroid, Grave’s Disease—Rafinesque) • PRUNUS SEROTINA (rapid, strong in the liver; rapid and irregular) • Rosa • Tilia • Veratrum viride (rapid, strong, large; stressful to the heart).
Slow: • Chelidonium • CONVALLARIA (slow and weak) • Cnicus • Crataegus • Crocus (saffron)
• Lactuca (slow and hard) • Prunus serotina (slow and irregular) • Selenicereus (irregular, chaotic pulse).
Note: When the pulse is rapid, friction from the blood moving through the vessels increases, and this increases blood temperature; the reverse occurs when the pulse is slow.
Large, Full, Wide: • Aconitum (homeopathic; full, with dry skin, suppressed secretions, sudden onset of fever) • Apocynum cannabinum (homeopathic; edema; full pulse with skin puffy, tight, full, and blanched) • Asclepias tuberosa (asthma, obstruction of breathing, with full, obstructed pulse) • Atropa belladonna (homeopathic; full, throbbing, with hot skin and cold extremities, in fever) • Cimicifuga (muscular and joint pain when the pulse is open and the skin not dry and constricted) • CINNAMOMUM CASSIA (large, floating, easily felt; spontaneous sweating—Huang) • Eupatorium purpureum (insufficient kidney action with large, firm pulse—Scudder) • GELSEMIUM (homeopathic; full, soft, empty pulse of exhaustion from fluid loss—Boger) • Myrica (feeble venous flow and mucosal debility; strengthens peripheral circulation; pulse full and weak—Priest and Priest) • Podophyllum (full tissues) • VERATRUM (rapid, full, strong).
Narrow, Thin: • Zingiberis (adjuvant in chronic sluggish renal function; pulse small and irritable; dried rhizome—Priest and Priest).
Note: The wide/thick and narrow/thin pulses are major indicators of the nutritional state of the body. A thick, wide, full, large pulse indicates possible overfeeding. A narrow, thin pulse (often called “small” in Western tradition) indicates inadequate nutrition. A frequent presentation is a thin pulse on one arm and a wiry one on the other, indicating lack of nutrition plus tension, a vata combination. (Though this condition is frequently encountered, I haven’t made a list of remedies for it.) The wide pulse can also mean a very active fever, or blockage, bloating, edema, etc. Stimulants—like the Zingiberis mentioned above—may assist these remedies.
Wiry, Tense, Tight: • AGRIMONY (wiry; wiry and slippery) • BUPLEURUM (wiry and thin; yellowish complexion) • LYCOPODIUM (wiry and thin).
Note: The wiry or tense pulse is tense lengthwise, like a tendon pulled tight, while the tight pulse is tense side-to-side or top-to-bottom, and “twangs.” Both are treated particularly by acrid herbs. The relaxed pulse (immediately below) is the opposite of the tense pulse; it feels like a clothesline drooping down in the middle between two poles. The relaxed pulse indicates lack of tension.
Relaxed: This indicates the need for an astringent.
Strong: • VERATRUM VIRIDE (homeopathic; strong and full; high, unyielding fever, or post-febrile condition, even after years, wearing on the constitution; tongue has red streak down the center).
Weak: • Angelica • Convallaria (slow and weak in cardiac problems) • Myrica (weak peripheral circulation—Priest and Priest) • Sanguinaria (respiratory weakness with weak peripheral circulation).
Note: A strong pulse means the heart is beating too hard, and occurs during or after a very active fever. A weak pulse indicates weak peripheral circulation.
Quick: • AESCULUS HIP. (obsessive-compulsive) • PASSIFLORA (obsessive-compulsive).
Note: The quick pulse is “quick” in regard to the return of the systole—there is no space between beats. This indicates a lack of time for the heart to relax and—since “the heart stores the shen, or mind”—a lack of time between thoughts, hence the obsessive, compulsive behavior.
Rare, Leisurely (pauses between beats): • Rosmarinus (needs confirmation).
Note: The rare pulse has long spaces between beats, and indicates good tone from exercise and mental quiescence from medication. It is a good pulse to attain after the correct remedies have been given. However, it is not good in the elderly—especially if the pulse is also slow—as it indicates vanishing of thoughts. It is also not good in a person who feels cold and does not exercise or meditate.
Flooding: • Pulsatilla (small flooding; hormonal imbalance) • VERBENA (large flooding; “not enough yin to hold down the yang”; fire exhausting fluids).
Oppressed: • ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA • Capsicum (capillary congestion, stagnation) • Crataegus (low capillary reflux) • PRUNUS SEROTINA (irritated arterioles block blood from entering the capillaries; low capillary reflux).
Note: The flooding pulse feels like the surf—it comes in with strength, and leaves with none. Flooding and excess indicate an approaching crisis—discharge is about to occur, with danger of bleeding or excessive fluid loss. A flooding deficient or small pulse indicates unstable personality tendencies—persons who are too much outside themselves—and stress with discharges, especially menstrual. The oppressed pulse is a flooding pulse where there is obstruction, like surf hitting the rocks on the beach. It indicates arteriolar tension, difficulty dealing with heat or cold and discharge of fluids—also, peripheral blockage in the circulation.
Irregular: • LYCOPUS (rapid, tumultuous, irregular—Rafinesque) • Melissa • PRUNUS SEROTINA (irregular, rapid or slow) • SELENICEREUS (broken-heartedness; tumbling, irregular, slow).
Even, Slow, Rare: This is the pulse of athletic tone, and indicates a person who is currently exercising; takes five years or longer to completely disappear after exercise discontinued.
Note: An even pulse always means cardiac tone, even when other, less desirable factors are present, while an irregular pulse means stress on the heart, but not actual damage unless very rapid. The even, slow pulse is equivalent to the rare pulse, above.
High: • Amygdalus • CINNAMOMUM CASSIA (floating, large, easily felt; spontaneous sweating—Huang) • Crataegus • Prunus serotina • Rhuem • Rosa • Rumex crispus • Tilia.
Low, Absent: • Apocynum cannabinum • Capsicum (depressed in acute conditions) • Cornus florida (subnormal temperature and relaxed tissues—Scudder) • Myrica (low and weak—Priest and Priest) • Salvia (low in the liver position, indicating deficient liver blood—Bonaldo) • URTICA (short pulse, absent in the proximal and distal positions—Wood).
Note: A high pulse indicates circulation is engaged towards the surface, to repel external stressors such as cold or heat; it can also indicate excess heat in the system, or a need for downwards evacuation. A low pulse indicates circulation toward the interior attempting to preserve heat and energy, or a lack of energy, blood, and circulation. These can be equivalent to high and low blood (see Blood).
Hard: • Artemisia absinthium (hard pulse in liver position) • Eupatorium purpureum (large and firm—Priest and Priest) • LACTUCA (slow and hard throughout, from external cold invasion) • Rhus toxicodendron (homeopathic; sharp, hard pulse—Scudder; skin inflammation).
Soft: • CINCHONA (full, soft, empty; after fluid loss during fever) • GELSEMIUM (homeopathic; full, soft, sometimes empty; from fluid loss; enervation, exhaustion, lethargy).
Note: A hard pulse indicates nervous tension and resistance, while soft shows nervous prostration and exhaustion. A hard pulse also means resistance due to cold, dry, heat, or wind conditions, while soft indicates lack of resistance, from damp excess or concurrent loss of fluids.
Long: Usually a good sign not needed remediation, unless there is over-consumption of food.
Short: • URTICA (specific indication).
Note: The long pulse, according to the Greeks, is long in the apex. It shows capacity in the heart, and strength, if other factors are good. The long pulse in TCM means the pulse extends further down the arm from the proximal position and indicates a well-fed system. The short pulse in Chinese medicine is short from top to bottom, so that the pulse feels like it doesn’t reach the bottom—“doesn’t have feet,” so to speak. It feels like three little disconnected blips. Then the distal or proximal pulses disappear (one or both), showing that the circulation is no longer reaching the bottom or the top. This pulse is an excellent indication for nettles (Urtica), and can involve weak respiration and circulation (low distal pulses) and weak kidney expulsion (low proximal pulses). The Greek short pulse is sometimes called the “pencil-point pulse” because it is extr
emely bunched together in the apex. It means there is stress on the heart, very little capacity in the heart, and a possible incipient heart attack.
Choppy: A good indication for remedies for congealed blood.
Note: The choppy pulse is like the irregular pulse, but more forceful and oppressed; it always indicates a bruise, shock, strain, or sprain. The jolt of such injuries can cause a systemic reaction, and is weakening to the heart, which gives rise to the irregularity of the beat in time, force, and location.
Unequal: • Artemisia vulgaris (weak on the right, stronger on the left—Cowan) • Capsicum (highly unequal among the various pulse positions).
Note: Like the choppy pulse, the unequal indicate stress on the heart, from unequal distribution of the blood or impediments to circulation.
“Moving Bean,” Vibrating: • Apis (homeopathic) • Gentiana (severe allergic reaction, anaphylaxis).
Note: The pulse of acute allergic reaction, occurring during pulse-taking, feels like the finger is on a bee’s wing. I have used Apis several times, but the use of Gentiana needs confirmation.
Heart, Circulation, and Cardiovascular System
It has long been known that the heart does not pump the blood; the blood circulates on its own, independently of the heart. The evidence for this is well established, described in detail by Stephen Harrod Buhner in The Secret Teachings of Plants (2004). He quotes Robert Marinelli et al. (1995), “The blood is not propelled by pressure, but rather moves with its own biological momentum and with its own intrinsic flow pattern.” The circulation of the blood involves many principles, the most important of which have only been discovered recently. The circulatory activity begins with the properties of water.