In response to my post noting that
>> What the Chinese refer to as
>>the Spleen is actually the Pancrease in western terms.
>  Spleen/pancreas disorders are
>and were very prevalent in China,. ..
> The need for spleen tonics in Asia has
>been widespread for centuries.  Some feel/think that the high grain, low
>protein intake causes the Spleen ( actually it is the pancreas if you look
>at the diagram of the organ the Chinese refer to as the spleen in Chinese
>medical texts.) to become enlarged.

Amadeus Schmidt asked:
Which chinese herbal medicine helps against diabetes, btw?

There is not single herb.  There are classic herbal formulas but each is
best chosen for the particular person in response to his/her particular
symptoms.  You could take six people with "colds" or with "back pain" and
find that they have widely different symptom patterns.  Some people have a
cold with cold symptoms, others have hot symptoms; some have thin mucous,
others have copious mucous; some have white or clear mucous; some have thick
mucous.  Some have mostly congestion in the head, others have it more in the
chest.  THERE IS NO ONE SINGLE COLD.  It is the same with people who have
blood sugar disorders, including diabetes.  Just look around---some
diabetics are skinny, some are over-fat.

That's just a simple example. A qualified herbalist will ask questions,
listen to the patient, look at his or her demeanor, tongue, take the pulses
(more complex than counting beats per minute, trust me!!), and look at the
overall pattern when making a Chinese energetic diagnosis and assmebling a
custom formula or choosing from among patent formulas.   Also, an herb
formula that is custommade will be adjusted over time, as the person's
condition changes.   It would be the same if someone went to an herbalist
with "menstral problems/disorders"  (a vague catch-all phrase which can
manifest in various ways among people with varying body types, symptoms,
lifestyles, histories, etc).  So, there are many herbs that would be used
but a single herb would not be used in isolation.  A formula would be used,
like a recipe, a collection of herbs that work together.

Rachel
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