Atlas of Chinese Tongue Diagnosis, Vol. 1 (Hardcover)

by Barbara Kirschbaum (Author), Dominique Hertzer (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Tongue diagnosis is a vital instrument used in Chinese medicine both for assessing the current health of a patient and providing a basis for prognosis. It also informs the practitioner about the underlying strength or weakness of the patient’s constitution.

This atlas contains over 320 color photographs of tongues seen in a Western clinic. The photographs provide a graphic representation of a wide variety of common disorders. Each photograph is accompanied by a description of the significant features of the tongue, the corresponding Chinese diagnosis for each such feature, accompanying symptoms, Western diagnosis, and pertinent background information.

The presentation of the tongues is organized according to the nature of the underlying disharmony: Lung, Spleen-Stomach, Kidney, Heart, Liver. Other chapters focus on particular aspects of the tongue, such as pale tongues, cracked tongues, special coating, as well as those associated with heat disorders and blood stasis. The text is interspersed with many full case histories that describe aspects that are not visible on the tongue alone.

A final chapter surveys several cases which reflect how the tongue changed over the course of treatment, with before and after photographs. This systematic presentation provides the student and practitioner of Chinese medicine with a much deeper appreciation for the methodology of tongue diagnosis in Chinese medicine.

An extensive and detailed index provides access to virtually every aspect of the hundreds of tongues presented in this atlas, and their interrelationships.

About the Author
Barbara Kirschbaum received her Bachelor of Acupuncture at the International College of Oriental Medicine (England) in 1980, where she taught for seven years, and has pursued additional studies at various TCM hospitals in China over the past two decades. She frequently lectures on acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in her native Germany and abroad. She has engaged in the private practice of Chinese medicine for over twenty years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: Eastland Press; 1 edition (July 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939616335
• ISBN-13: 978-0939616336
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #312,386 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent atlas of tongue diagnosis, July 18, 2003

By A Customer

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in Chinese tongue diagnosis. The book is divided into sections according to pattern (Kidney disharmonies, Stomach and Spleen disharmonies, etc). Each section contains approximately 30 full-color, well-photographed tongues representing the pattern. This makes it easy to see the range of tongue signs for each pattern. Also, the description of the tongue, the patient's symptoms, Western diagnosis and Chinese diagnosis are printed next to the photo of the tongue for easy reference. (You don't have to flip back and forth between the text pages and the color plates, as in Maciocia's Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine.) This book isn't cheap, but the quality of the photographs and the clear description of the tongues makes it a very worthwile investment.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Atlas of Chinese Tongue Diagnosis, January 9, 2007

By	Wendy S. Fogg "Misty Meadows Herbal Center" (NH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Absolutely fabulous! The best glossy photos of diagnostic tongues I've seen! Excellent case studies, too. Bravo! This book will be a treasure in my professional library.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Atlas of Chinese Tongue Diagnosis Volume 1, August 2, 2005

By	S. Miller - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a medical professional, I have an interest in what works to bring health to the system. At times, alternative medicines when appropriately applied, in the hands of the right people, ones trained in health care and disease, can offer stimulating results. But the question of how to obtain reliable material to diagnose and treat a disease remains a current issue. This book helps bridge the gap between Chinese diagnostics and the Western approach to disease. Atlas of Chinese Tongue Diagnosis provides visual illustrations of various ailments, mapped outwardly on the tongue, and includes written descriptions and symptoms. When applicable, it correlates the topography of the tongue to Western disease. However, the book is not all inclusive. It lacks treatment. I would suggest a companion, Radiant Health by Ron Teeguarden. Teeguarden's work covers portions of the ancient Chinese art of health and offers a treatment program designed to correct deficencies and disturbances in Qi. The two together provide a reliable source for a medical professional to understand and apply the basics in Chinese medicine. I highly rate this book when accompanied with Teeguarden's.