The Year of the Horse and Chinese Medicine

The Year of the Horse and Chinese Medicine

Changzhen Gong

2014 is the year of Ma, the horse. I was inspired to write this article not only because horses are one of my favorite animals, but also to share the Chinese view of horses and their place in Chinese culture. Civilizations from the dawn of time to the present have valued the qualities and abilities of horses, and have often given mythological or spiritual significance to those qualities. Every culture has used horses for transportation and agricultural labor. Most cultures have used horses for warfare. In China, horses are valued above other domestic animals as having an inherently noble nature, especially because of their endurance and competitive response to challenges. Some of the qualities which horses embody are strength, perseverance, freedom, passion and leadership.

In Chinese art and literature, different-colored horses came to represent specific roles: a red horse is the spiritual emblem of the Mongolian steppes; a purple horse is the combatant of the battlefields; black horses are human allies through difficult circumstances; a blue horse symbolizes the harmony between humans and nature; and just as in the west, young girls expect to see their true love arrive on a white horse. One of the most notable characteristics of horses in Chinese culture is as a symbol of immediate success.

In the profession of Chinese medicine, patients generally expect immediate relief, and doctors want to provide that for their patients. This situation is summed up in the phrase “Li Ma Jian Xiao (It is effective when the horse stands up.)” A related phrase is: “Ma Dao Cheng Gong (You will succeed when the horse arrives.)” In the Chinese medicine materia medica, a number of herbs start with “Ma” (in the sense of “horse”). When used correctly, “Ma” herbs can serve the practitioner’s purpose of immediate success.

Most of the following Ma/Horse herbs are leaves, barks, roots and seeds which have a cooling property and can bring about dramatic improvement in patients with heat conditions. These “Ma” herbs are gifts from nature. Ma Bian Cao (Verbenae Herba) is used to invigorate blood, dispel stasis, cool the blood, and facilitate urination.  Ma Bo (Lasiosphaera) is used to stop bleeding, alleviate cough, and treat throat disorders.  Ma Chi Xian (Portulacae Herba) is used to clear heat, resolve toxicity, soothe the intestines, reduce inflammation, and cool blood.  Ma Dou Ling (Aristolochiae Fructus) is used to cool lung heat, direct lung qi downward, transform phlegm, and alleviate cough. Ma Lan Gen (Baphicacanthis cusiae Rhizoma) is used to drain heat, resolve fire toxicity, cool the blood, and benefit the throat.  Ma Lan Ye (Baphicacanthis Folium) is used to clear heat, resolve fire toxicity and cool the blood. Ma Qian Zi (Strychni Semen) is used to unblock the collaterals, stop pain, and reduce swelling. Ma Ying Hua (Albiziae Flos) is used to relieve constraint, calm the spirit, regulate qi and invigorate the collaterals.

The following common Chinese phrases illustrate how the various concepts of “Ma” have enriched Chinese culture: “Yi Ma Dang Xian (Take the lead./Assume leadership./Act now).” “Ma Shou Shi Zhan (Taking the head of the general’s horse as your guide, be a good follower.)”  “Yi Ma Ping Chuan (The horse runs on an endless plain, thrusting forward without obstacles.)”  “Lao Ma Shi Tu (An old horse knows the road./Take others’ experience seriously.)” “Lao Ji Fu Li, Zhi Zai Qian Li (The old horse stays by his trough, but his ambition extends to a thousand miles.)”

Western culture also has a special place for the horse, especially as a symbol of nobility, endurance and freedom. Warriors and adventurers from Alexander the Great to Don Quixote to the Lone Ranger are firmly associated with their horse companions. Medieval knights and cowboys could not have existed without their horses. Western practitioners of Chinese medicine might be inspired by the Year of the Horse to combine the Western ideal of freedom with the Chinese ideal of immediate success and take their practices to new levels. In this land of innovation and experiment, we have the opportunity to learn the treasures and insights of traditional Chinese medicine and practice them in bold, untraditional ways.