A Window into the Mysteries of Botanicals & the Body
A Window into the Mysteries of Botanicals and the Body
An Exploration into Tissue States and Botanical Medicine
There is a layer of understanding within traditional western botanical medicine that has appeared to have been lost, very much worthy of rediscovering. Traditional western herbalism is relatively young in comparison to its counterparts, including Ayurvedic, Chinese, Greek, etc. These ancient medicines have developed energetic classifications, which have been integral in understanding both states of disease and herbal interactions with the body. It was not until the early 1900s that J.M Thurston developed a model comprising of six basic tissue states, which correspond to six qualities, helping western doctors to better understand the intelligence of herbs and disease states.
The information presented here is only possible due to study of many nineteenth century botanical doctors, including J.M Thurston, John M Scudder, Samuel Thomson, as well as through the compilation of their work, by Matthew Wood, in his invaluable account of The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism.
The six tissue states are represented through the terms excitation (irritation), constriction (tension), atrophy, relaxation, torpor and depression. The qualities that correspond to these states include heat, wind/dry, damp flowing, damp stagnation, and cold.
The first tissue state, excitation, is relatively common in today’s society. Thurston described this state as an “exaggeration of normal tissue states”. Excess heat in the tissues is represented by an inherent over-activity of the tissues. This over-activity is easily understood in correspondence to the mind and overly sympathetic nervous systems. There may be nervous excitement, restlessness, and cyclical thoughts. The heat component is seen in the red, full, and tender tissues characteristic of this state. This state tends to have a picture of increased sensitivity, both to pain and fragility of capillaries and mucosa. The fragile tissue leads to disease within the respiratory system, GI system, venous system, and may lead to congestion within the kidneys. Some give-away physical signs include an elongated flame shaped tongue, as well as a bounding and rapid pulse.
When we think about states of disease in correspondence to their tissue states, we can begin to help balance qualities, such as heat, to help the body come back to equilibrium. Further, it is understood that there are certain tastes that match these tissue states, which can be used to find the right medicine. For a state of excitation, we draw upon the sour herbs, which have actions as refrigerants and sedatives (cooling and calming). Many plants of the Rosaceae family are sour refrigerants, including Rosa canina, Frangaria (Strawberry), and Crataegus. Sedative sour plants, such as Melissa officinalis, Passiflora, and Hibiscus also serve as helpful medicine to quench heat and decrease states of excitation.
The second tissue state, constriction, is a state that we have all experienced in one degree or another. This is a pattern of psychological or physiological tension. Thurston describes this state as an “abnormal contraction of the neuromuscular system”. Similarly to the wind, symptoms of this state are often fleeting, intermittent, alternating, and sudden. Matthew Wood describes characteristic symptoms of alternating diarrhea/constipation, pain with freedom from pain, chills/fever, muscle spams, and distress of the mind. Organ systems primarily affected include the GI, Gallbladder/Liver, and nervous system/mind. One may see signs of a wiry and tense pulse. Relaxant and anti-spasmodic herbs typically work well with tissue state. The principal herbal remedies for this state often taste acrid or bitter. Some classic examples include Lobelia, Matricaria (chamomile), Valerian, Nepeta (Catnip), and Humulus opolus (hops). A complexity arises in understanding that other tissue states may to lead to a constriction pattern.
Atrophy, the third tissue state, is one of undernourishment. This is a weak, withered system with suboptimal energy and function. When the nervous system is weak , one may not have the reserves to recover from mental or physical exhaustion. The skin, mucosa, and synovial tissues will have a dry quality. The attributes of the tongue will be helpful to assess this state, which will be dry, with a narrow, thin, withered appearance in advanced states. Paleness of the tongue due to lack of nutrition may be prominent, or redness due to the presence of heat (compensatory response to lack of fluids). The dry quality of this state prevents nutrition from reaching the tissues, as well as preventing toxins from being removed, which may require a combination of remedies to balance. This will include nutritive tonics, plants with fixed oils, mucilaginous, salty herbs, sweet nourishing, meaty and bitter herbs. Mucilaginous herbs, such as Ulmus and Althea, will moisten the tissues and help to draw toxins out of the cells. Salty herbs, such as Verbascum (mullein) and Medicago (alfalfa), will increase the activity of dry tissues due to water’s attraction to salt. Sweet tonifying herbs, such as Glycyrrhiza and Astragalus, which will also help the body to hold onto water due to the presence of sugars and starches,. Herbs with fixed oils will provoke the gallbladder to increase secretions, optimizing the nutrition from the foods and herbs ingested. Oenothera and Linum are two classic examples of these, which lubricate from the inside out. Meaty herbs, such as Nettles and mushrooms, will help enliven deep connective tissue and provide minerals required for proper function. Lastly, bitter and alterative herbs, like Arctium lappa and Berberis, will enhance secretions and moisture throughout the body.
Dampness is a quality that is double folded in relation to tissue states. Dampness will be present in both states of torpor and relaxation. The former being stagnant and stuck dampness, while the latter is a relaxed flowing dampness. While there are similarities in the quality, the states call for different classifications of herbs to achieve balance.
Torpor is a tissue state more unfamiliar to many. It corresponds to a stagnant dampness, where excess water collects inside the tissues, acting as a barrier to nutrition, metabolism, and elimination. The term “thickening of humors” was used by older herbalists to describe the buildup of impurities within the blood in this state. Swollen, flabby, apathetic, and weak tissues are present. In modern terms, one may see signs of hypothyroidism, low metabolism, slow immune system, hangover- like symptoms, swollen lymphatic’s, weak peripheral circulation and wound healing, as well as rheumatic pains. When assessing pulse, you may find that the beat is obscured, seemingly due to the thickness within the system. Blood purifying and alterative herbs are of the upmost help here, increasing metabolism and endocrine functions, as well as improving detoxification/elimination pathways. Bitter herbs, including Hydrastis and Taraxacum, may be complimented by alteratives, including Trifolium pratense and Urtica (nettles) to transform this state.
Relaxation is a tissue state represented by sagging tissues with little tone, leading to the free secretion of fluids. Unlike torpor, the fluids are not trapped inside the tissues, but excessively discharging throughout the system. While the mucous of stagnant dampness is heavy, thick, and green, the mucous within a relaxed system are primarily thin, clear and copious. This mucous disposition can be seen as excess secretions of the sweat, urine, and stool. Swollen glands may also be apparent, becoming calcified over time. The musculoskeletal system may be profoundly affected, displaying weak bones and teeth, unhealthy bone marrow, and weak tendons. At first, you will see relaxed muscles, which will become increasingly twitchy with time, as the calcium required to assist magnesium is lost. With poor communication from the bone marrow, renal anemia may ensue, leading to low levels of red blood cells and low oxygenated blood. Venous congestion may be dominant, with blue veins becoming prominently visible through pale skin, high blood pressure, hemorrohoids, varicose veins, etc. Astringent herbs, such as Rubus spp, Hammamelis, and Quercus, come to the rescue in this state. Dr. Edward Shook remarks that “nearly all astringents coagulate albumin, tone up relaxed or debilitated condition of muscular fiber, contract both arterioles and capillaries, restrain peristalsis, contract gland ducts, and repress excessive secretions.”
Finally, the last tissue state, depression, is underlying many of the most serious illness of our time, including cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases. Matthew Wood describes the cold quality to be one of “deep cold within the organism from the dying down of the innate heat of life”. The tissue is both under-stimulated and incapable of stimulation, leading to an overall tissue deterioration, low function, and buildup of toxins. This state may be due to, or lead to, invasion of bacteria, parasites, toxins, poisons, and heavy metals within the body, further suppressing cellular life. In doing so, characteristic symptoms may be high white blood cells and signs of deep infection, poor peripheral circulation due to toxin congested thick blood, and cold-dry-inactive skin. With poor peripheral circulation, rashes may “recede to the interior, inflicting themselves on the nerves and viscera rather than coming out through the skin”, according to Matthew Wood. The tongue will show signs of a depressed system through its dark blue-purple complexion. The pulse may initially be deep, weak, and slow, progressing to rapid, weak, and feeble as putrefaction progresses. This debilitating state primarily affects the colon, liver, pancreas, lymphatic/immune system, blood and cardiovascular system. Fragrant, warm, stimulating herbs are called for, to remove the depressive dead energy, re-enlivening and energizing the system. Pungent and spicy stimulant herbs such as Capscium, Zingiber off, and the Brassica spp. will be of great help. Fragrant bitters, such as Juglans nigra and Artemesia annua, will help to cleanse the internal environment.
While these tissue states, qualities, and herbal representations are incredibly helpful in understanding what is required for balance within the organism, we must remember that there is further complexity within the interactions of different tissue states. Often a patient will have a combination of a couple of tissue states present, which may require an herb that covers both of these imbalances, or which covers the deepest level of malfunction. It is important to remember that one imbalance in a tissue state may lead to an imbalance in another. The body is not a rigid reductionist system, but complex and ever changing. I trust that, with utilizing an understanding of tissue states and there relationships to herbs, choosing the best-fit botanicals will come more naturally.