Discussion and consideration on special way of taking Chinese materia medica (I): Guiding herbs / 中草药

"Guiding herbs" is one of the characteristics of the special way of taking Chinese materia medica (CMM). However, some people have misunderstanding or lack of basic knowledge about how to choose the guiding herbs and its effect, leading to the poor clinical effect or even toxic effects because of improper decoction. This study attempts to analyze the action of the common guiding herbs in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition) from the perspective of reducing toxicity and increasing efficacy, returning drug to its channels, and put forward exploratory thinking on how to choose the guiding herbs to provide scientific evidence for promoting the rational use of drugs in clinic.