Chinese Herbal Prescriptions: A Practical and Authoritative Self-Help Guide

This slim British import provides a thorough review of the principles of Chinese medicinethe doctrines of ch'i (or energy), the balance of forces in yin and yang, the five basic elements and the lines of force along the body (known as meridians) used in acupuncture and herbal medicine. The authors display due caution as they offer some 50 common prescriptions, many of them soups, teas and tonics. Although this is billed as a self-help guide, it might better be used as a rudimentary People's Pharmacy for those who consult professional herbalists. There are also a handful of recipes for ""medicinal foods'' of the chicken-soup school of treatmentdishes that are good to eat whether you're sick or not. (February)