Poisonous herbs dosages

Dosages for all poisonous herbs should be learned by heart. Since the toxic dose varies for each individual, the therapeutic range for these herbs is small and only experienced doctors should prescribe them. 

Ma Huang is chosen to induce sweating and it focuses on the main pathological change. As it is a harsh and poisonous herb, it cannot be used in a large dosage. 

The side effects of Xi Xin are the likelihood of injuring the Yin, blood and body fluids and it can weaken the Qi. As Xi Xin is a poisonous herb, the dosage should be controlled carefully. 

Detractors of herbal medicine use have legitimate concerns about dosage variability, possible toxicity and adulteration, herb-drug interactions, and above all, lack of FDA regulation. Far from being intrinsically harmless, many pharmacologically active plant alkaloids and other compounds are natural defensive poisons their very effectiveness may be an unanticipated consequence of their adaptive toxicity to grazing animals and... 

Since the chief herbs are very poisonous and the dosages should be kept to a minimum, a large amount of Qian Niu Zi is added as deputy, along with Da Huang. They enhance the abilities of the chief herbs and ensure the therapeutic result in a safe dosage range. 

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