The vast amount of Chinese herbal knowledge used today was accumulated in writing for thousands of years. That means that the practitioner draws on ancient herbal formulas that have been helping sick people get well for a very long time. Those formulas work as well in America today as they did in China ages ago. Herb formulas are used in specific combinations that correspond to the diagnosis in terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They are selected, among other things, by the meridian they affect. The Eastern practice of making a tea from raw unprocessed herbs is still used in many parts of the world. However, these herbs are now available to be recommended by the practitioner in either a liquid tincture or pill form, that are manufactured using U.S. quality standards.