Primal Energetics

hot ~ cold

Heating herbs generally speed up processes, increase peripheral circulation, are generally stimulating in nature...........

Cooling herbs slow down processes, soothe either irritations or excess

damp ~ dryImbalances in the body are often characteristically dry or damp. 

 As it turns out, most herbs are drying, though they can vary greatly not only in degree, but in nature of the "dryness" they impart. Drying herbs tend to cause dryness via one of two processes:

1.) They result in the release of fluids from the body, like diuretics (fluid lost through pee), diaphoretics (fluid lost through sweat), bitters (fluid lost through bile), galactagogues (fluid lost through breastmilk), emmenogogues (fluid lost through blood), sialogogues (fluid lost through drool), expectorants/decongestants (fluid lost through mucous), emetics (fluid lost through vomit), aphrodisiacs (fluid lost through... you probably get the picture).

But, of course, we need to thicken the plot a bit...

The same drying herbs that release fluids from the body in some ways moisten tissues as the fluids are released. For example, the skin will go from dry to moist with the use of an appropriate diaphoretic. This, though, is a local and transient phenomenon, one to be utilized for a limited duration of time; if it makes you secrete a fluid or stimulates some type of evacuation, it’s still constitutionally drying, because there is less fluid in the body as a result of its action. But sometimes just establishing - or reestablishing - the flow of fluids through a given tissue will restore proper function, and with that, moisture.

Another consideration is that the "dampness" in the body calling for the use of this class of "drying" herbs can often be seen as a "stagnation" of some sort. By stimulating the flow of fluids associated with a given organ, system or tissue, we help to break up that stagnation and resolve the problems that go along with it; as a general rule of thumb, anywhere you have stagnation in the body, you have an imbalance that needs to be addressed.

2.) Astringents are considered drying. This is both a correct and misleading way to understand what they do. Astringent herbs don't really cause the loss of fluids from the body... in fact, they often are used to help retain fluid from being lost (for example, blackberry root being used to stop diarrhea, shepherd's purse to staunch uterine bleeding, or staghorn sumach to help resolve excessive urination). But a simple taste of an astringent leaves the mouth (i.e. the mucous membranes) dry (think about the dryness you get from sipping green tea, or from taking a bite of a too green banana). What astringents do is restore tone to tissues by causing them to constrict. It is this constriction - generally of the outer surface of the tissues - causes dryness. In western herbalism, these herbs were sometimes referred to as "tonics": herbs that restored tone to tissues. In most cases, short term use of astringents causes a localized dryness, while helping to preserve fluids constitutionally. Prolonged use, however, or the use of very strong astringents can constrict tissues too much (and not just on the surface), and in doing so impairs their proper function by both robbing them of fluids and impairing their ability to absorb or secrete fluids.

So we might say that "drying herbs" that cause loss of fluids from the body a constitutionally drying while sometimes moistening locally, and astringents are locally drying while they initially help to retain fluids on a constitutional level... this distinction is exceptionally important, as lumping together these differing qualities under the simplified assessment "drying" can lead to inappropriate use or inappropriate avoidance.

Moistening herbs generally come in four types:

1.) Demulcent/emollient herbs that moisten via mucilage. We should be aware, though, that this is not always a direct effect of the mucilage coming into contact with tissues. In the GI tract, there's a moistening effect via contact, but this isn't the case with, say, the lungs. Still, mucilages almost universally moisten mucous membranes, even if they don't come into contact with them. Degrees to which mucilaginous herbs moisten is roughly proportional to how mucilaginous they are; slippery elm and marshmallow a very mucilaginous and very moistening, plantain is mildly mucilaginous and mildly moistening. Sassafras and violet leaves are in the middle.

2.) "Sweet tonics" are mildly moistening. Think of "yin tonic" in the TCM sense - herbs like American Ginseng, Codonopsis, licorice.

3.) Herbs rich in fixed oils (think of most seeds and nuts), or that affect oil utilization are moistening. Flax (the freshly ground seeds, not the probably rancid oil), in addition to fixed oils is rich in mucilage, and so especially useful. Some herbs may not actually contain a lot of fixed oils, but somehow help in there optimal utilization. Burdock is an example of an herb that affects oil utilization. Also, we should consider the incredibly important role of Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids found in wild fatty fish, wild game, and other animals with a free ranging wild eating lifestyle.

4.) Some warming, oily aromatics can moisten, if only superficially. Angelica and Osha are examples. This may seem strange, because these are herbs that are generally used to treat wet coughs (and they do indeed have a notable drying action). But they are really oily herbs, and the moisture they offer is oil moisture, not water moisture. So, if someone needs water moisture, they won't help much and might aggravate, but if someone needs oil moisture for some acute situation, they can be very helpful. I (who tends to be dry) can use these without much aggravation, but their potential to aggravate if there's water dryness can be tempered by adding a bit of mucilage. A practical example of this is to use Osha on a dry cough; the mucous dries up, but the lung tissues are moistened to a degree by the clearance of Osha's antimicrobial oils.

constriction/spasm/tension~relaxation/atony/laxity

Tissues can become too tense, or too lax/weak.

Tension or spasm in tissues impedes the flow of the circulation and the body's vital energy. Relaxants are usually called for here... normally people refer to these as "antispasmodics", 

in tissues calls for astringents, as astringents help to cause the tissues to constrict and tighten up; think of the puckering, tightening sensation you get if you eat a banana that's not ripe enough, or the milder expression of this that accompanies sipping on green tea. Prolapse is a form of laxity (think about the way a balloon looks that's been blown up for a week and then deflated). Other tissues may get "spongy" when they lose tone (such as the gums or prostates).

 diffusive/permanentAgents acting principally on the nerves are, therefore, more diffusive and transient, while those relying upon the slower process of absorption are more permanent.         

Adaptogen

Adaptogenic herbs increase the ability of the body to cope with and respond to stress. They tend to act on the adrenals and the endocrine & immune systems.

Alterative

These herbs act on the body to promote a healthy and balanced state of functioning by supporting the liver, kidneys, lymphatic & immune system and adrenals. They are often referred to in herb books as “blood purifiers,

Aromatic

Aromatic herbs are those that contain strong smelling volatile essential oils. These oils tend to be anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and are “dispersive” in nature, which is to say that they help break up stagnation of all sortsAstringent/Styptic/Hemostatic

Astringents are herbs that cause tissue to contract, and so are indicated when tissues are weak, atonic and/or “leaking” (the tissues don’t have the tone they need to hold in fluids), swollen or injured. They may be used to stop bleeding (In which case they are called styptics/hemostatics).   

                         Herbs containing mucilage are referred to as “demulcents” when used internally, and “emollients” when applied externally. Mucilage refers to a carbohydrate that, when moistened with water, becomes viscid and slimy. Michigan herbalist Joyce Wardwell calls these herbs “slimaceous

Trophorestorative

“Trophorestorative” isn’t so much an action, but a term that applies to the result obtained upon certain organs/tissues through the use of certain herbs. Trophorestoratives are herbs whose use resulted not only in restored structure (as in astringents) but in restored function as well. Beyond that, a trophorestorative will create lasting improvement in structure

A tonic is usually an herb or food that acts on the body in a slow, nutritive fashion to build up the substance of the bodyBitter

Bitter herbs stimulate the secretion of of pretty much all the digestive acids, juices and enzymes, which generally improves appetite & digestion, especially of fats/oils/lipids.        

Diaphoretic/Sudorific

Diaphorectics are used to open the pores and promote perspiration

Diuretic

Diuretics increase the quantity of urine expelled from the body

Relaxants

”Relaxant” is a term commonly used in Eclectic and Physiomedical herbal texts. It does not refer to herbs that are sedative, but rather herbs that relax contracted tissues, such as antispasmodics

Nervine/Sedative/Hypnotic/Soporific

Nervines are herbs that act on the nerous system. Technically, there are stimulating nerviness 

 Stimulant

Here’s a doosey of a term. Obviously, stimulants stimulate activity. However, while nowadays people almost always associate stimulants with caffeine, Ephedra and other cerebral or metabolic stimulants, most old herbal texts use the word stimulant to describe an herb that stimulates activity of any sort of tissue or process... sialagogues are therefore stimulants.

Herbs are exogenous agents.  They do not mimic the bodies’ own functions.
Instead, they cause the body to react to them.  They do not mimic, inhibit, or block
digestion, absorption, circulation, metabolism and excretion the way that drugs
tend to.  Instead, they stimulate these functions by their very presence in the body.
Their very complexity is also their grace, if you know how to take advantage of
that

 Tonics are not meant to directly treat disorders, but to strengthen
the person according to his or her nature

These archetypes of constitution are
meant to enable you to evaluate  how that particular person has made
accommodations for hereditary and lifestyle factors and  which accommodationshave become excessive for their health.  Herbs can then be used to strengthen the
PERSON who is sick, not necessarily deal directly and specifically with their illness.

A basic premise of stress is that once a pattern of chronic weakness has been
set up, any stress increases the imbalance.  Homeostasis means being in balance,
locally and throughout the body.  This is accomplished by controlling our internal
and external environment through nerves, hormones, fluid transport, a selfadjusting energy template.  In a way we only lose homeostasis when we die.

ORGAN SYSTEM ENERGETICS:

In setting up
patterns of excess and deficiency, the starting point is the primary physiologic
function of the organ system.   Herbs effect absorption, metabolism, fluid transport
and excretion; the important aspect here is function (physiology) not structure
(anatomy).  In an energetic support of chronic imbalances, you want to strengthen
the function of systems in order to avoid impairment of structure.

EXCESS means that that organ system is over functioning, usually from
hormonal or neurologic causes. 

To suppress an excess function often entails some form of drug effect. 

Medical approaches often suppress
excesses as a pDEFICIENCY in an organ system is often the main focus of my approach.
Most such weaknesses derive from the necessary diverting of energy to other
organs or functions. This may result from the lifelong accommodations between
inherited organ strengths and weaknesses.  

e the first symptom of metabolic imbalance is usually increased central nervous system irritability.

another basic premise to keep in mind when you are undertaking
an organ system evaluation is: don't try to judge the system involved in the main
complaint.  An acute disease or a chronic one with acute episodes will put special
stresses on the affected organ or tissues that are defensive, inflammatory or
regenerative, and will have little bearing on how the organ or tissues normally
relate constitutionally with the rest of the body.

Upper Intestinal Tract :

UPPER GI DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS are a dry mouth, usually
with a history of gum and teeth problems. The person has a coated tongue and bad
breath first thing in the morning, and seldom eats breakfast. He/she often does not

finish meals or may intentionally eat to calm down, often has indigestion or a sense
of excess fullness after eating and has trouble with evening meals.  The stomach,
like the mouth, has deficient or slow secretions, with erratic tone and peristalsis,
and sometimes there is difficulty in swallowing.  The slow evacuation of the
stomach results in poor coordination of pancreatic and gall-bladder secretion,
which in turn results in poor digestion of fats and inhibition of subsequent stomach
evacuations. This induces an extended retention of food in the stomach with
resultant fermentation, smelly burps, and frequent problems with food sensitivities
and food combinations. They don’t like too many proteins and fats, and if dietaware, may (understandably) have a rigid and articulate approach to what they
can/can 't eat.  Heavy, long term use of alcohol can induce deficiency symptoms,
and some cigarette smokers instinctively picked up the habit in the first place
because it helped stimulate upper GI functions they forgot were weak...until they
quit smoking.
••HERBS TO STIMULATE  either excite by reflex as a bitter tonic taken just
before meals, increasing both mouth and gastric juices to encourage better
function, or stimulate function by exciting membrane secretions or increasing blood
supply to the mouth, stomach and pancreas.

UPPER GI EXCESS SYMPTOMS are a moist mouth and oversecreting stomach in the presence of food, often with a pointy, red-tipped tongue
(even to the extent of a sore tip), and an exaggerated and rapid evacuation of the
stomach and bowels in the morning.  The person can (seemingly) eat anything,
often preferring high protein and fat foods.  If the person has any tendency to
chronic nausea, it is in the mornings or just before a delayed meal.
••HERBS TO COOL are astringent (acting locally as a vasoconstrictor,
decreasing inflammation), protectant (coating the mucosa) or anesthetic to the
muscle coats and mucosa.  Generally, a difficult imbalance to modify directly with
herbs (except in gastric ulcers).  It is easier to accidentally overstimulate, so avoid
using other tonic herbs with the side effect of strong upper GI stimulus. It is a
reactive condition. Low doses of Rheum (Rhubarb) work as well as anything.

LOWER INTESTINAL TRACT:

LOWER GI DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS are characterized by
either simple constipation, with poor stimulation of colon function, dehydration of
feces, extended transit time and the long-term tendency to overlook the defecation
reflex (usually of short duration and not repeated for several hours), or the more
complex syndrome of fat malabsorption with episodes of steatorrhea. Like the
first, the latter is the result of upper GI deficiency, but usually in persons that
chronically consume fats in excess of their digestive capacity.
The lipids are poorly emulsified in the stomach and duodenum, and the fat
particles remain larger than normal, with less surface area for pancreatic lipases
to act upon.  The diminished amount of adequately digested lipids is absorbed into
the lymph system, much more is left to be taken into the liver (thickening the portal
blood and slowing its passage through the liver), with the undigested and poorly
emulsified fractions passing raw into the cecum.
Intestinal flora reflects the stuff its fed.  Lipid-digesting bacteria, rare in the
normal cecum, proliferate with undigested fats. The small intestine is nearly
sterile, the cecum is a stomach-like culturing tank that inoculates used food with
friendly (and controllable) flora, and the juncture of the two is heavily protected
with lymph nodes and specialized defense organs...the appendix in the cecum and
the Peyer's Patches of the lower ileum.  With the shift to an abnormal balance of
flora, the whole area becomes moderately inflamed and the selective absorption
(B12, fatty vitamins etc.) becomes impaired.
The specialized endothelial cells that line the inner surface of the lower ileum
depend on their impermeable mutual protein bonds to block any substances from
passing out of the ileum except THROUGH them (that way completely controlling
what gets into the body).  Both the distension of inflammation and the tattering of
these bonds by excited leukocytes as they move in and out of the ileum between
these cells result in the leaking of solutes past the endothelium.  This results in the
loss of selective absorption that the ileum specializes in.
Fat is sometimes excreted in the feces and in some persons the deficiency may vacillate between constipation and loose stools (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

LOWER GI EXCESS SYMPTOMS are rapid transit of food through
the GI tract (usually 20 hours or less) with dark soft stools and heightened
defecation reflex (eat a meal, get the urge shortly after). The beginning of a bowel
movement is formed, the major part is semi-formed, and the whole process is quick
(no magazine reading here). This is seldom of major constitutional importance,
since it is either an acute condition that needs specific treatment or it is a secondary
effect in a well-formed stress imbalance.
••HERBS TO COOL sedate plexus nerves in the smooth muscle walls, suppress
parasympathetic excess, cool the thyroid, or act as simple astringents

LIVER:LIVER DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS are dry skin and mucosa; atopic
allergies of the skin, sinuses and bronchial mucosa;  generally poor fat and protein
metabolism and appetite.  There is a tendency for labile blood sugar levels and an
overall catabolic-leaning  homeostasis, with yinny sweet foods preferred to yangy
fats and proteins.
Most folks with blood sugar problems, allergies and constipation are liver
deficient.  It can be acquired later in life from viral hepatitis, heavy drinking and
extended contact with solvents.
••HERBS TO STIMULATE increase liver metabolism by exciting hepatocyte
enzyme production, increasing bile synthesis and liver cleansing, improving fat
absorption into the lymph and taking the lipid load off the portal blood and liver, or
increasing blood supply by dilating the hepatic artery

LIVER EXCESS SYMPTOMS are moist, oily skin; fat and protein
cravings with general anabolic excess, that,  in middle age tends to elevated
cholesterols, hyperuricemia and essential hypertension; rapid defense response
with quick fever and sweating. The usual causes are adrenocortical stress, with
elevated testosterone and progesterone, but also may be caused by thyroid stress,
in which case there is general tachycardia and disruption of sleep patterns.
••HERBS TO COOL tend to increase blood buffering of nitrogen compounds with
electrolytes, increase bile secretion without stimulating liver metabolism, or aid in
sodium loss/potassium retention.
In reality, diet is the most important approach, decreasing proteins and fats,
and increasing those green and red crisp things hated by liver excess folks.  A trip to
a salad bar by a liver excess is an excuse to eat blue cheese dressing.  Hard people to change.

LIVER EXCESS SYMPTOMS are moist, oily skin; fat and protein
cravings with general anabolic excess, that,  in middle age tends to elevated
cholesterols, hyperuricemia and essential hypertension; rapid defense response
with quick fever and sweating. The usual causes are adrenocortical stress, with
elevated testosterone and progesterone, but also may be caused by thyroid stress,
in which case there is general tachycardia and disruption of sleep patterns.
••HERBS TO COOL tend to increase blood buffering of nitrogen compounds with
electrolytes, increase bile secretion without stimulating liver metabolism, or aid in
sodium loss/potassium retention.
In reality, diet is the most important approach, decreasing proteins and fats,
and increasing those green and red crisp things hated by liver excess folks.  A trip to
a salad bar by a liver excess is an excuse to eat blue cheese dressing.  Hard people to change.

KIDNEYS:

KIDNEY DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS are frequent, dilute and pale
urination (often at night), flushing, thirst and the tendency for low blood pressure.
Orthostatic hypotension is common...you stand up and the blood stays somewhere
around your solar plexus, gradually surging up to your brain.  If your kidneys and
arteries fail to compensate fast enough, YOU compensate...by fainting.
There is a tendency to react poorly to sudden changes in temperature and
humidity, with short term water retention and headaches.  Common stresses to
fluid and osmosis homeostasis, such as PMS, changes in barometric pressure, high
altitudes, the last trimester of pregnancy, steroid drugs and high salt intake
produce exaggerated symptoms in the kidney deficient person.
The urine more easily becomes neutral or alkaline, easily shifting from the
normal acidity with even moderate shifts in diet.
••HERBS TO STIMULATE either strengthen or stimulate kidney nephrons,
improve renal blood supply that is diminished in adrenalin stress, and improve
hormonal stimulation.  With kidney deficiency and increased volume of urine, there
is less fluid surplus for the skin, intestines and lungs.  This is further defined later.

KIDNEY EXCESS SYMPTOMS are sodium and water retention,essential hypertension (from increased blood volume), concentrated acidic urine,
warm moist skin (under any circumstance), and orthostatic hypertension (you
stand up quickly and it feels as if blood was trying to pound out through your ears and crown chakra). 
••HERBS TO COOL either dilate renal arteries, relax the limbic system and the hypothalamus, decrease tubular reabsorption of sodium and therefore increase the
volume of the urine (since water follows sodium), or decrease water reabsorption by altering osmosis in the nephrons, with sodium following. As in liver excess, food
is very important here; decrease protein in the diet and increase foods high in electrolytes and minerals. The same hormonal stresses are also involved.

REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:

REPRODUCTIVE DEFICIENCY in women includes long cycles (30
days or more); erratic cycles; menses that start slowly, with cramping and spotting
and that extend too long.  Deficiency can also include frequent vaginal or uterine
inflammation or congestion, cervical erosion with or without a history of class II or
III pap smears, and herpes flare-ups around the time of menstruation.  Since liver
deficiency is often present, the anabolic peak of days 21-24 is poorly handled, with a
sense of heaviness, malabsorption, and pelvic congestion due to portal blood
engorgement.
Food cravings before menses tend towards sweets and CHOCOLATE!  The
woman generally feels better while in an estrogenic and catecholamine-dominant
mode, uncomfortable under progesterone influence.
In men, deficiency is characterized by benign prostatic hypertrophy before
age 45, sometimes a difficulty in maintaining erection under appropriate
circumstances , and a low sperm count together with dry skin. Frequent use of alcohol, Cannabis and cocaine can induce an acquired deficiency.

••HERBS TO STIMULATE (in both sexes) increase utilization of steroids, improve pelvic circulation, or effect the hypothalamus/ pituitary relationship. In simple deficiencies, you may view  Angelica sinensis  (Dong Quai) as a stimulant to the primary gonadal hormones if they are low (estrogen in women, testosterone in men), and  Vitex as a stimulant to the secondary (or modifying)
energies (progesterone in women and the sertoli cells in men).

REPRODUCTIVE EXCESS SYMPTOMS in women are a short estrus cycle with a rapid peaking of estrogen after menses.  Premenstrual food cravings tend towards proteins and fats...ranging from cheesecake to tofu
cheeseburgers to fried pork rinds (depending on ethnic and/or dietary awareness).
Reproductive excess women feel better during the progesterone phase, gorpy under estrogen influence, and may be especially sensitive to the brief estrogen
surge just before ovulation.
Excess symptoms in men include recent increases in skin and scalp oiliness in the absence of recent alcohol or solvent exposure.
NOTE: Regular alcohol consumption can mimic excess in both sexes, regular Cannabis use can mimic excess in women.
••HERBS TO COOL are seldom important...as with liver excess, modifying the diet and methods of diminishing pituitary/ hypothalamic stress are more useful.
Exceptions would be the peculiar energy-diminishing (and seemingly tonic) effects
of  Pæonia and  Nuphar.  In addition,   Vitex is useful for reproductive  excess in males...although used for reproductive deficient women.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM:

RESPIRATORY DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS are frequent lung
problems, shortness of breath, dry membranes with poor expectoration, frequent
yawning and noticeably labile respiration. Sometimes it is shallow and fast, other
times there are deep sighs that reflect emotions...sort of respiratory non-verbal
communication. Respiratory-deficient people often smoke tobacco as an instinctive
response to its respiratory stimulation but usually quit after several years because
it is irritating.  This is in contrast to other people that continue smoking because of
its stimulation of the GI tract, liver, metabolic rate...and addictiveness.
••HERBS THAT STIMULATE may induce an increase in cardio-pulmonary
function or counterbalance adrenalin stress by increasing parasympathetic
function.  Others will increase the secretions of mucus, the activity of cilia or excite
lymph and serous movement in the lungs.

RESPIRATORY EXCESS SYMPTOMS include the tendency to hyperventilate under stress, have active and excessive expectoration, or have the
type of moderate cardio-pulmonary excitation associated with thyroid stress.
••HERBS TO COOL are usually not an important consideration.  Cooling liver
and mucus membrane functions or lessening the causes cardiovascular excess will
take care of the limited secondary effects of respiratory heat.  If it is part of a thyroid stress syndrome, deal with it in that context.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM:

CARDIOVASCULAR DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS are cold
hands and feet, dry skin and mucosa, and a thready shallow pulse that is often
quick and easily compressed.  The skin flushes and blanches under environmental
and emotional stimulus, and there is a general tendency towards peripheral
vasoconstriction.
••HERBS TO STIMULATE either increase the force and efficiency of cardiac
output, increase the resilience of arterial walls, stimulate parasympathetic energy or act as simple vasodilators.

CARDIOVASCULAR EXCESS SYMPTOMS are warm skin,
bounding pulse, strong and easy secretions and excretions.  This is usually
concurrent with varying degrees of essential hypertension with excess blood and
interstitial fluid.  Blood viscosity may be high, due either to increased chylomicrons
(transport fats) from the liver and lymph or a general high level of blood proteins.
Simply lowering the blood pressure without decreasing either blood volume
or viscosity is to suppress the effect without altering the cause. This often means
working on the kidney and liver excess that is the usual cause.
••HERBS TO COOL generally support parasympathetic or cholinergic energies,
sedate the heart and major arteries or act as sodium leaching diuretics.

LYMPH-IMMUNE SYSTEM:

LYMPH/IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS are mainly
those associated with chronic moderate

immunodeficiency; slow recuperation,
slow healing of injuries and bruises, frequent low level infections in high-stress
tissues such the respiratory mucosa and skin, and cold and flu symptoms that come
and go for a month or more.  Underlying causes can be many, ranging from a diet
poor in protein to constant and subtle infections that never go away and drain
immunologic energy (such as "slow" viruses, candidiasis and sinus infections).
Further functional causes are emotional stresses that induce depressions and
frustrations.  Allergies that persist and induce hypersensitivities to other agents are also symptoms of deficiency.

••HERBS TO STIMULATE increase efficiency of lymph transport, the bone
marrow proliferation of WBCs, phagocytosis by innate immunity granulocytes,
and overall synthesis of blood immunoglobulins and complement protein by the
liver.   Some tonics stimulate liver breakdown of immune waste products as well.
Most allergies have as a base an acquired immunity underpinning (antibody
response to Juniper pollen, as an example) and, if the chemicals produced by the
response are not removed from the blood in an orderly fashion by the liver, they
induce further unneeded innate immunity reactions.
LYMPH/IMMUNE EXCESS seems to have little constitutional importance... or perhaps I just don't know.

SKIN/MUCOSA:

SKIN/MUCOSA DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS are often caused
by liver deficiency.  Together with the liver symptoms, vasodilation and secretory
stimulus is often inadequate . Dry flaky skin, with crack and fissures, eczema and
strange rough spots are typical, as well as frequent mouth, rectal and vaginal sores
or inflammation.
••HERBS THAT STIMULATE generally increase blood supply, stimulate
cholinergic sympathetic and parasympathetic enervation , or support the liver (and
related functions ) to make better quality proteins and fats for cell regeneration.
Remember, you need to stimulate  blood constituents for rebuilding,  blood
availability to the tissues, and excretory secretions from the skin.
SKIN/MUCOSA EXCESS SYMPTOMS are greasy and oily skin,
often with adolescent type acne (acne vulgaris).  There is hypertrophy in often-used
membranes, such as keratosis pilaris, and a tendency to ingrown hair, sebaceous
cysts or hydrosis.  All the skin is oily, not just the face, and all the skin is moist, not
just the face, neck, hands and feet (an adrenalin-induced sweat).   The person has
warm, radiant heat and often a strong body scent.  Mosquitoes love them, and
cold-bodied lovers covet them in the winter.
••HERBS TO COOL are either sedative to skin nerves or decrease liver
excitability.   Skin/mucosa excess is usually dependent on reproductive, liver and
kidney excess and hard to effect directly.

MUSCLE/SKELETAL SYSTEM:

MUSCLE/SKELETAL DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS are subtle
except for joint aches and sense of weakness in the shoulder or legs. A telling sign is
very pronounced lethargy after eating.  This is sometimes found in adrenalcortical
stress, usually found in thyroid stress, seldom found in adrenalin stress. Those with
very excessive liver and GI functions usually show deficiency in muscle-skeletal
energy; those with muscle skeletal excess usually have deficiencies in liver, kidney
and reproductive energy. Much chronic joint and muscle pain seems to have little
constitutional implication and needs to be treated separately.
••HERBS TO STIMULATE are sympathetic and motor nerve tonics or help to
increase blood flow to the muscles and joints.  Frankly, other deficiencies are
usually more pronounced, and this deficiency is often dealt with better by treating
the stronger imbalances first.
MUSCLE/SKELETAL EXCESS SYMPTOMS are tight muscles
and tendons in the neck, back and legs.  The person often needs massage, hot tubs
and body work, since the skeletal muscles are both overstimulated when used and
hypertonic and taut at rest.  The most pronounced excess is in the muscles most
effected by adrenalin, those of the neck, shoulders, intercostals, lower back, and
legs.
Other muscle excesses are caused by emotional guarding, with the brain and
spinal cord defensively overstimulating some muscles that protect parts of the body
that are "dangerous".  This may show up as abdominal hypertonicity (guarding
reproductive functions), arms and shoulder hypertonicity (guarding the head or
chest), upper back hypertonicity (from a protective or submissive slump or overlarge breasts) and so forth.  These are hard to treat with herbs and need therapies
like rolfing or chiropractic.
••HERBS TO COOL oppose adrenergic stress, disperse blood to the viscera or act
as simple muscle relaxers.

FINAL WORDS ON THE ORGAN SYSTEMS:
Remember, in organ system constitutional evaluations, the herbs need to be tonic.
 If the herbs cause distress they are wrong, unless there is a clear healing crisis inworsening of the disease and not beneficial.
Any formula that induces a new problem is WRONG. 
Don't try to treat imbalances that are barely evident.
Don't try to use an herb for EVERYTHING (the best herbs help several systems at
once). 
Conversely, if the primary problem is aggravated by herbs meant to strengthen
everything else, you ARE on the right track, just lower the dosage or substitute less
potent ones.
Remember to differentiate between constitutional tendencies and pathologies.