Cellular Composition of Blood Varies by Season

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“In the winter, the study found, your blood contains a denser blend of immune responders, while summer veins swim with fat-burning, body-building, water-retaining hormones.”

This sounds curiously similar to a passage from Suwen Chapter 13 describing a yearly rhythmic fluctuation in blood quality and immunity (camp & guard qi). “when heaven is warm and when the sun is bright, the blood is rich in liquid and the guard qi is at the surface. When heaven is cold and the sun is hidden, the blood congeals and the guard qi is in the depth”.

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Left Shoe, Right Shoe

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I feel somewhat like Mr. Rogers this morning. After a productive Spring at the farm it’s time to step out of my logger boots and into my clinical shoes. Left shoe, right shoe; agriculture and medicine. The study of ecosystems.

Though at first glance these may seem to be two separate fields of knowledge, they are in fact a singular abode whose system mechanics are governed by thermodynamics and the arbitration of time.

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Protective Effects of Ginseng on Neurological Disorders

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This is particularly important when discussing ginseng since it helps explain why previous studies have yielded contradictory or inconclusive results when studying the affects of ginseng on a study group. Not only does American ginseng itself vary significantly based on its genetic lineage and environmental rearing, but the study subjects themselves have variant microbiomes that produce different, sometimes opposite, results. Undoubtedly this process is it play in other herbs and medicines as well.

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Case History: A Year With Acupuncture 40 y/o Male, 30+ Year History of Autoimmune Disorder

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The patient presented with a complex array of symptoms that could easily overwhelm a practitioner or confuse the diagnosis. However, the presentation painted a clear picture of weakened Center Qi and an accumulation of dampness and heat in the Liver and Gallbladder systems. The tongue color confirmed the illness and the pulse its location. When treating the Liver one cannot address it solely or directly – restoring the Spleen is paramount. Akin to growing a garden this process takes time, the efficacy of which is clearly portrayed in the case history.

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Case History: 66 y/o Female, Elevated Pancreatic Enzymes, Candidate for Gall Bladder Surgery

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After 6 weeks of treatment amylase reduced from 197 to 165, lipase 156 to 83. Bowels are brown color, no mucus. As of 9/14/15 amylase at 136, lipase 65; both values considered normal depending on the lab range values utilized. CT scan of abdomen revealed no acute disease. Complete metabolic panel shows low sodium and chloride (danger of restricted salt intake). Gall bladder and biliary scan revealed normal gallbladder ejection fraction, gall bladder organ thin-walled, free of stones and sludge. Vitamin D in normal range (86), cholesterol in normal range. No abdominal pain or distress, bowels are well-formed with no abnormality.

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