Table 7. Classification of Herbs in Categories Based on The Textbook of Medical Herbology (Descending order by the frequency of herbs used in each main category.)

Main Category Sub Category Frequency
Tonyfying and replenishing medicinal(補益藥) Qi-tonifying medicinal(補氣藥) 8 22
Blood-tonifying medicinal(補血藥) 6
Yin-tonyfying medicinal(補陰藥) 5
Yang-tonifying medicinal(補陽藥) 3
Heat-clearing medicinal(淸熱藥) Heat-clearing and blood-cooling medicinal(淸熱凉血藥) 6 18
Heat-clearing and detoxicating medicinal(淸熱解毒藥) 5
Heat-clearing and fire-purging medicinal(淸熱瀉火藥) 3
Heat-clearing and dampness-drying medicinal(淸熱燥濕藥) 3
Deficiency heat-clearing medicinal(淸虛熱藥) 1
Exterior-releasing medicinal(解表藥) Wind-cold dispersing medicinal(發散風寒藥) 11 18
Wind-heat dispersing medicinal(發散風熱藥) 7
Qi-regulating medicinal(理氣藥) 9 9
Blood-activating and stasis-dispelling medicinal(活血祛瘀藥) 8 8
Phlegm-resolving, Cough-suppressing and panting-calming medicinal(化痰止咳平喘藥) Clearing and resloving heat-phlegm medicinal(淸化熱痰藥) 4 7
Cough-suppressing and panting-calming medicinal(止咳平喘藥) 2
Warm and resolving cold-phlegm medicinal(溫化寒痰藥) 1
Hemostatic medicinal(止血藥) Blood-cooling hemostatic medicinal (凉血止血藥) 3 7
Stasis-resolving hemostatic medicinal (化瘀止血藥) 2
Astringent hemostatic medicinal (收斂止血藥) 2
Wind-dampness-dispelling medicinal(祛風濕藥) Wind-dampness-dispelling and impedimental pain-relieving medicinal(祛風濕止痺痛藥) 4 6
Wind-dampness-dispelling and sinew and bone fortifying medicinal(祛風濕强筋骨藥) 1
Sinew-relaxing and collateral-activating medicinal(舒筋活絡藥) 1
Dampness Draining diuretic medicinal(利水滲濕藥) Water-draining and swelling-dispersing medicinal(利水退腫藥) 6 6
Dampness-resolving medicinal(芳香化濕藥) 5 5
Interior-warming medicinal(溫裏藥) 4 4
Digestant medicinal(消食藥) 4 4
Astringent medicinal(收澁藥) Essence-securing, urination-reducing and vaginal discharge stanching medicinal (澀精縮尿止帶藥) 2 3
Diarrhea-stopping medicinal(止瀉藥) 1
Purgative medicinal(瀉下藥) Offensive purgative medicinal(攻下藥) 2 2
Tranquillizing medicinal(安神藥) 2 2
Orifice-opening medicinal(開竅藥) 1 1