[A theory on Chinese drugs and their system structure]

Chinese drugs constitute a unique medicinal system that features the following three subsystems: subsystem of medicinal substances consisting of traditional theories such as "four properties and five tastes of drugs" and "the principal, adjuvant, auxiliary and conduct ingredients in a prescription' , etc; subsystem of pharmacological actions comprising the theory of "ascending, descending, floating and sinking", etc; Subsystem of human body's functions incorporating the theory of "drugs to act on the channels". In this paper a discussion has been held on the above three-element structure of traditional Chinese drugs.