Sho-Saiko-To: Scientific Evaluation and Clinical Applications

Kampo medicine is a traditional medicine that originated from China over two thousand years ago. It was adopted by the Japanese and remained there for many years until modern times. Kampo medicine is now becoming increasingly recognized as an important therapeutic method alongside Western practice. In Japan itself, every principal hospital uses Kampo formulae as a means of treatment. This volume uses Sho-Saiko-To, made from a combination of seven natural medicinal drugs and an important example of the Kampo formulae, to illustrate how these traditional medicines can be utilized in a variety of medical practices with the correct expert guidance. Sho-Saiko-To provides a comprehensive review of this medicinal formulae: from its historical use, cultivation of the constituent materials, production, chemistry and pharmacology, quality assurance and clinical testing of safety, and its use as a biological response modifier for the prevention and treatment of a variety of liver diseases. It serves as a reference for researchers and practitioners who wish to gain a scientific understanding of Sho-Saiko-To and discover how this and other Kampo medicines may be effectively integrated into Western medicine.