Herb Classifications

SUPERIOR HERBS: Tonics

The goal of Three Treasure Herbalism is always to move toward the use of the highest class of herbs known as superior or ‘tonics’.  The definition of a tonic herb is one that “ strengthens a weakness or deficiency somewhere in the body”.

These herbs are considered highly nutritious foods and can be used on a daily basis to supplement the body’s energy.  Although tonic herbalism utilizes herbs from all of the classes, the emphasis is on superior herbs to build and strengthen, striving to reach a state of health beyond danger.

Tonics are herbs that people in China have utilized for thousands of years in the cooking of soups and teas.  The importance of herbal tonics are taught from early childhood.  Herb shops in China display them for easy consumption, for these are the herbs the people all buy for themselves. They have a protective, nourishing, and restorative quality to them.

GENERAL HERBS: Herbal Balance

The middle class of herbs is called “general herbs”.  The action of these is partly preventative and partly medicinal.

Often used to detoxify or rebalance the body, they can be used seasonally and to deal with constitutional issues.  They can boost our natural defenses and be used in large amounts to ward off colds and flu.

When starting a program general herbs are often included to aid in absorption and circulation, laying the groundwork for the use of superior herbs.  They can be used to support and harmonize the action of the superior class and can be taken for an extended period of time.

INFERIOR HERBS: Herbal Remedies

The lowest class is the Inferior herbs. Very similar in action to western drugs, they are used to treat serious illness or infections.  In China, they are often referred to as “poisons”.

You would use these toxic herbs to kill a pathogen that has invaded your body.  Only meant for short-term use, inferior herbs should be administered by a knowledgeable herbalist trained in the use of medicine.

“Inferior” does not refers to the quality of the herb, but to the state of health that it addresses.  The term merely refers to its action being medicinal.

If you were ever really sick and rescued by the use of these herbs, you would think of them as “magical”.  Yet they do nothing to promote your overall wellbeing.

Always relying on medicine to rescue you after falling ill is considered an “inferior” health program.