Ten Key Formula Families in Chinese Medicine provides a practical path to a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese herbal formulas. Dr. Huang discusses the core aspects of the ten most important families of formulas in the classical formula tradition in a way that is both profound and accessible. By introducing the concept of constitutions and the attendant vulnerabilities of those constitutions to certain types of disorders, he hands the reader a very useful key to understanding how and when to use these formulas in the clinic. 

The ten families of formulas are grouped around the following herbs:

• Cinnamon - Cinnamomi Ramulus (guì zhï)
• Ephedra - Ephedrae Herba (má huáng)
• Bupleurum - Bupleuri Radix (chái hú)
• Gypsum - Gypsum fibrosum (shí gäo)
• Rhubarb - Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (dà huáng)
• Coptis - Coptidis Rhizoma (huáng lián)
• Aconite accessory root - Aconiti Radix lateralis preparata (zhì fù zî)
• Dried ginger - Zingiberis Rhizoma (gän jiäng)
• Astragalus - Astragali Radix (huáng qí)
• Pinellia - Pinelliae Rhizoma preparatum (zhì bàn xià)

For each family of formulas, Dr. Huang describes the associated presentation and constitutional aspects common to all members of the family, then turns to the individual formulas that are especially useful for treating particular aspects of that presentation. The discussion is embellished with case histories and relevant clinical research.