Hopkins Technology's new CD-ROM, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology, took over 10,000 years to produce.

Countless generations contributed to this powerful multimedia title. The remedies took centuries to perfect. You benefit by being born into the late 20th century. Why? Because you can access all the previous wisdom at the touch of a key. For research, curiosity, or self-remedy, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology is one of the unique and timely software products on the market today.

Comprehensive look at Chinese traditional medicine in terms of its holistic-philosophical outlook.

Frequent comparisons between the methodology of modern Western medicine and science and that of traditional Chinese medicine.

As Eastern and Western herbal traditions converge, Hopkins Technology introduces its latest title in a series of CD-ROMs on holistic medicine - Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology.

The disc contains detailed and essential information as required for the construction of herbal prescriptions on the respective properties, tastes, therapeutic functions and the directions of action on specific channels and collaterals of 322 most commonly used medicinal herbs; some herbs have color illustrations.

Simple, intuitive Windows software allows full-text search, photo zoom, tracking capability, printing, copying, bookmarking and annotations. Search the subject "sleep", for example, and Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology takes you to dozens of topics ranging from "Herbs that Tranquilize the Mind" to "Anorexia." You'll find that Longgu or Dragon's Bone remedies "deficient qi of the heart and deficient blood in the heart or flaring up of fire in the heart." The symptoms are manifested as "restlessness, palpitations, anxiety, dreamdisturbed sleep, convulsions, epilepsy and manic psychotic disorders." From there you can look-up Dragon's Bone and find that it's the fossilized vertebrae and other bones of ancient large mammals such as Rhinoceros or Rechistaric reptiles which are collected and broken into pieces. Anorexia symptoms, you find, include lusterless complexion, emaciation, white or thin and greasy tongue coating and soft-floating and slow pulse. Hundreds of treatments and prescriptions accompany the various ailments and disorders. Literally hundreds of herbs, medications and treatments can be similarly accessed with ease.

Experimental prescriptions are also provided with empirical tips on how to combine two or more herbs to promote therapeutic effectiveness and minimize toxicity and how to avoid the neutralization of the curative effects or serious side effects of incompatible herbs. Included are voluminous text and diagrams on the interrelationship and clinical applications of the basic philosophical elements of traditional Chinese medicine such as yin and yang and the five elements.

As you pour over the details, notice the culturally unique language, such as the holistically charged reference, "disturbance of the spirit."