Sentry Page Protection
Fertility
Fertility allows pregnancy to occur. An absence of pregnancy between a couple after a year or 2 of unprotected sex suggests a Fertility issue in either the male or female.
Infertility in Women may come from obstruction, excess of one of the Humors, or from Deficiency. It was long known that establishing a regular menstrual cycle is necessary for female fertility. When absent it must be promoted, when irregular or excessive, it must be regulated. In obstruction there may be pain, obstructed menstruation and other signs of obstruction. If the obstruction is from Phlegm, there will be clear discharge, pale and watery blood, poor blood flow, coldness and perhaps fluid retention or excess clear urine. When Bile obstructs, the blood is hot, there maybe excess menstrual bleeding, anger, irritability and a red face with a strong or fast pulse. Melancholy comes with a dull or dark complexion, excess worry or fear, dark colored and little blood and a weak pulse. If there is Blood stasis causing the obstruction, there is sharp pain, dark or clotted blood, perhaps with a dull complexion or cyanosis of the lips and nail beds. The pulse is usually choppy.
If the conditions comes of deficiency, there will be signs of weakness. A pale face, weak pulse and coldness can indicate blood deficiency. Lower back pain, excess urination are associated with Kidney deficiency. If there is marked Coldness in addition, the Kidney Yang is weak. In female deficiency type Infertility, often Blood and Qi tonics are combined with Kidney tonics.
Men may suffer Infertility from similar causes, although often there is deficiency, especially in men over 40. Herbs and formulas that nourish the Sperm while gently warming the Kidney Yang were most often prescribed in the West. However, if there is excess of the Humors, they should be cleansed beforehand.
Due to the modern knowledge of the sex hormones, often there is a reduction in sex hormones when there are fertility issues. A number of herbs traditionally used for Fertility issues have demonstrated effects on the sex hormones. It is worth noting that many of the formulas used for Fertility issues contained good nutrition, often in the form of Nuts and Seeds. This also illustrates the importance of good nutrition. It is also worth noting that hormone-containing animal medicines such as Brains, Testicles and the Uterus of various animals were used for Fertility issues, thereby being an early form of hormone therapy.
Traditional texts also often gave examples of tests for Fertility. Of course, these will be unreliable by modern standards but show methodologies used to try to ascertain Fertility issues.
To know whether the fault [Infertility] be in the man or woman when they have no Children.
'Take two small pots of earth and a little Brawn* in either pot, let him make water in the one and she in the other, and so let them stand ten or fourteen days, and the Urine that the fault is in will have worms in it and stinck exceedingly, if they be both clear, then by Gods grace the Medicine under-written may help to conception:
Take Nepp and seeth it in Wine, three days fasting let her drink it, and she shall conceive, the man doing his part.' (Natura exenterata, Philiatros, 1655)
* Brawn is a meat jelly prepared from the head of a pig. However, it possibly refers to Bran.
Infertility in Women may come from obstruction, excess of one of the Humors, or from Deficiency. It was long known that establishing a regular menstrual cycle is necessary for female fertility. When absent it must be promoted, when irregular or excessive, it must be regulated. In obstruction there may be pain, obstructed menstruation and other signs of obstruction. If the obstruction is from Phlegm, there will be clear discharge, pale and watery blood, poor blood flow, coldness and perhaps fluid retention or excess clear urine. When Bile obstructs, the blood is hot, there maybe excess menstrual bleeding, anger, irritability and a red face with a strong or fast pulse. Melancholy comes with a dull or dark complexion, excess worry or fear, dark colored and little blood and a weak pulse. If there is Blood stasis causing the obstruction, there is sharp pain, dark or clotted blood, perhaps with a dull complexion or cyanosis of the lips and nail beds. The pulse is usually choppy.
If the conditions comes of deficiency, there will be signs of weakness. A pale face, weak pulse and coldness can indicate blood deficiency. Lower back pain, excess urination are associated with Kidney deficiency. If there is marked Coldness in addition, the Kidney Yang is weak. In female deficiency type Infertility, often Blood and Qi tonics are combined with Kidney tonics.
Men may suffer Infertility from similar causes, although often there is deficiency, especially in men over 40. Herbs and formulas that nourish the Sperm while gently warming the Kidney Yang were most often prescribed in the West. However, if there is excess of the Humors, they should be cleansed beforehand.
Due to the modern knowledge of the sex hormones, often there is a reduction in sex hormones when there are fertility issues. A number of herbs traditionally used for Fertility issues have demonstrated effects on the sex hormones. It is worth noting that many of the formulas used for Fertility issues contained good nutrition, often in the form of Nuts and Seeds. This also illustrates the importance of good nutrition. It is also worth noting that hormone-containing animal medicines such as Brains, Testicles and the Uterus of various animals were used for Fertility issues, thereby being an early form of hormone therapy.
Traditional texts also often gave examples of tests for Fertility. Of course, these will be unreliable by modern standards but show methodologies used to try to ascertain Fertility issues.
To know whether the fault [Infertility] be in the man or woman when they have no Children.
'Take two small pots of earth and a little Brawn* in either pot, let him make water in the one and she in the other, and so let them stand ten or fourteen days, and the Urine that the fault is in will have worms in it and stinck exceedingly, if they be both clear, then by Gods grace the Medicine under-written may help to conception:
Take Nepp and seeth it in Wine, three days fasting let her drink it, and she shall conceive, the man doing his part.' (Natura exenterata, Philiatros, 1655)
* Brawn is a meat jelly prepared from the head of a pig. However, it possibly refers to Bran.
Special Formulas:
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POTION FOR IMPREGNATION
Mandrake root bark Peony seed Agnus Castus Red Rose Long Pepper Cassia Lignea ½ oz. Boil in red wine 3 lbs. to half, strain, then take 3 oz., dissolve in it 1 dram of Tryphera magna; take every second morning beginning the 14th day after menstruation. (Dispensatorium medicum, Renou, 1615) DECOCTION FOR CONCEPTION Rams testicles, prepared with wine Hares womb Mace Cinnamon Clove Ginger Ameos 2 drams ea. Saffron 1.5 drams Walnut Hazel nut Pistachio 6 drams ea. Macerate in 2 lbs. Wine, and boil until third part has gone. ELECTUARY CONTRA STERILITATEM EXPERTA Agnus Castus seed Peony root 1 oz. Coriander prepared 2 oz. Myrtle berries 1 ½ oz. Old Conserve of Roses 3 oz. Julep of Rose qs Form an Electuary. (Dispensatorium medicum, Renou, 1615) |
ELECTUARIUM CONTRA STERILITATEM
Egg Yolk 6 Fresh Butter Sevi Capra 1 quart Bull Pizzle Satyrion Zedoary Ginger condited Mint Roosters testicles Fox testicles Ram testicles Boars Testicles 1 oz. Sparrows Brains 2 oz. Indian Nut Pine nut Pistachio 1 ½ oz. Fistic nut Sweet Almond Dates Hazel nut 1 ½ oz. Mallow seed Mercury seed Rocket seed Clove Ginger Long Pepper White Pepper Black Pepper Ash tree keys Cinnamon 2 oz. Boil in Sheep or Cow milk, and strongly force through a sieve; add: Skink ½ oz. Honey 2 lbs. Pane Sugar 7 lbs. Form an Electuary. (Arnold Villanova) |
Case History
1. A woman in her mid's 30's came to visit to help lose weight. She was sluggish, low in energy, obese and holding on to fluid. Her pulse was low, her tongue pale with a whitish coating. She was also heavy in the chest, expectorated whitish mucus, and suffered from Asthma. I viewed her as a classic 'Phlegm' constitution and began treatment with Er Chen Tang (with Atractylodeds Bai Zhu added), a primary formula in TCM for the treatment of Phlegm and Damp diseases. Less than a month later she came in, tears in her eyes, saying she was pregnant. She hadn't told me but her main motivation for coming to see me was that she had been trying to conceive for over 2 years without success. She knew she had to lose weight, she wanted help with that, and then planned to ask about treatmen for Fertility if she wasn't successful once she lost weight. This illustrates that correct Humoral treatment can resolve conditions without even being aware of or treating them.
2. A 42 year old nurse came for treatment. She had had 5 lots of IVF in the past years, all unsuccessful. When she came, her system was very depleted. Pale face and tongue, small pulse, low energy and Kidney deficiency as shown in the pulse. She began taking herbs to nourish Qi and Blood and strengthen the Kidneys (including Bai Zhu, Dang Gui, Bai Shao, Gan Cao, Xu Duan, Xian Mao, Tu Si Zi). Within a month her strength, pulse and energy had increased and within 3 months she conceived. This illustrates that Traditional Medicine can be effective even when IVF has failed.
3. Another woman in her 30's had been trying to conceive for a couple of years. She went for a medical assessment and was told to try IVF. She came seeking help from Traditional Medicine instead of IVF. Her pulse and general symptoms showed no real deficiency, nor excess Heat or Phlegm. She took herbs (similar to the above) and conceived within a few months. This shows that sometimes even when no real pathology is blatantly obvious, supporting nature with the use of tonic medicines can achieve successful results.
2. A 42 year old nurse came for treatment. She had had 5 lots of IVF in the past years, all unsuccessful. When she came, her system was very depleted. Pale face and tongue, small pulse, low energy and Kidney deficiency as shown in the pulse. She began taking herbs to nourish Qi and Blood and strengthen the Kidneys (including Bai Zhu, Dang Gui, Bai Shao, Gan Cao, Xu Duan, Xian Mao, Tu Si Zi). Within a month her strength, pulse and energy had increased and within 3 months she conceived. This illustrates that Traditional Medicine can be effective even when IVF has failed.
3. Another woman in her 30's had been trying to conceive for a couple of years. She went for a medical assessment and was told to try IVF. She came seeking help from Traditional Medicine instead of IVF. Her pulse and general symptoms showed no real deficiency, nor excess Heat or Phlegm. She took herbs (similar to the above) and conceived within a few months. This shows that sometimes even when no real pathology is blatantly obvious, supporting nature with the use of tonic medicines can achieve successful results.