Table 3. Classification of Herbs in Categories Based on The Textbook of Medical Herbology

Main category Sub category Frequency
Exterior-releasing medicinal (解表藥) Wind-cold dispersing medicinal (發散風熱藥) 4 11
Wind-heat dispersing medicinal (發散風寒藥) 7
Heat-clearing medicinal (淸熱藥) Heat-clearing and fire-purging medicinal (淸熱瀉火藥) 4 11
Heat-clearing and blood-cooling medicinal (淸熱凉血藥) 3
Heat-clearing and dampness-drying medicinal (淸熱燥濕藥) 2
Heat-clearing and detoxicating medicinal (淸熱解毒藥) 2
Phlegm-resolving, Cough-suppressing and panting-calming medicinal (化痰止咳平喘藥) Clearing and resolving heat-phlegm medicinal (淸化熱痰藥) 5 9
Cough-suppressing and panting-calming medicinal (止咳平喘藥) 3
Warm and resolving cold-phlegm medicinal (溫化寒痰藥) 1
Tonifying and Replenishing medicinal (補益藥) Qi-tonifying medicinal (補氣藥) 5 7
Yin-tonifying medicinal (補陰藥) 1
Blood-tonifying medicinal (補血藥) 1
Dampness Draining Diuretic medicinal (利水滲濕藥) Water-draining and swelling-dispersing medicinal (利水退腫藥) 4 5
Strangury-relieving diuretic medicinal (利尿通淋藥) 1
Qi-regulating medicinal (理氣藥) 3
Blood-activating and stasis-dispelling medicinal (活血祛瘀藥) 3
Astringent medicinal (收澁藥) Essence-securing, urination-reducing and vaginal discharge stanching medicinal (澀精縮尿止帶藥) 2 2
Hemostatic medicinal (止血藥) Blood-cooling and Hemostatic medicinal (凉血止血藥) 1 1
Liver pacifying medicinal (平肝藥) Liver pacifying and wind extinguishing medicinal (平肝息風藥) 1 1
Orifice-opening medicinal (開竅藥) 1
Dampness-resolving medicinal (芳香化濕藥) 1
Interior-warming medicinal (溫裏藥) 1