Book excerpt: This is a textbook on and compilation of 160 ready-made Chinese herbal medicines. Organized according to the same categories as Chinese formulas and prescriptions books, it discusses the ingredients, functions, indications, dosages, and contraindications of 160 medicines. These medicines and the companies that produce them have been selected not only for their clinical utility but also because they are free from heavy metals, pesticides, Western pharmaceuticals, or endangered species. The author also discusses how to combine these medicines to treat complex pattern presentations. There is an extensive symptom index and a formula index.