Jul 03 2008
Gui Zhi or Huang Qi?
While these two herbs lives pages and pages away from each other in the materia medica, in practice patients with signs of the cinnamon twig and astragulas presentations are often puzzlingly similar.
Both have signs of spontaneous sweating, both have moist skin, and an aversion to wind will dog both types. Likewise, there often are complaints about the limbs with both constitutions.
How to tell them apart?
First, look to the abdomen. Those with a gui zhi constitution will tend to have flat, tight abdomens, while the huang qi clan has a soft belly that can be deeply palpated without discomfort. Both can have pale tongues, but the gui zhi tongue tends to be red and pale, or dark red; while the huang qi tongue is pale or dull and pale, it also tends to be flabby.
Both of these types sweat easily, but sometimes the sweat of the astragalus body type will have a yellowish color. They both dislike wind and are quite effected it. If you ask a patient if they are sensitive to drafts, and they don’t really understand the question, they likely are NOT one of these body types.
While both might complain of limb discomfort, the character of that discomfort is quite different. The cinnamon twig people tend to have joint pain, while our astragalus friends have more of a sensation of heaviness or numbness.
When faced with similarities in constitutional type, it helps to know the key aspects that lead you to see the distinctive differences!
4 responses so far
That really helps.
I just got Dr Huangs book and am finally getting a chance to read through it.
Your explanation of the the difference between the two was really helpful.
Thanks Michael.
Glad you found it to be helpful.
This blog is also meant to be a conversation. So, if you have further questions, or insights of your own, please do post them here in the comments. Or, better yet, submit something for publication!
Hi Michael-
I recently found your website and info on Dr. Huang. I just finished the 8-day course he held in Amherst, MA and I heard that you were translating his book into English. I was wondering what the timeline was on that book and when it is expected to be published. Thanks!
-Steve
For all of you that have had this question about when the book will be out in English. The answer is sometime in 2009. Eastland Press will be the publisher. As we get closer to firm dates I will have it announced on this site.
In the meantime, if you want to tune up your Chinese so you can learn to read this stuff in its original form, visit http://chinesepod.com and chew on some of the Chinese lessons there!