Clinical mulch

Rectifying Counterflow in Metal Season On Treating Cough

About this time a couple of years ago, I published what turned out to be one of my more popular posts in terms of views. Still not sure why, lol. I’m seeing a lot of respiratory stuff lately, as one would figure in metal season, so it’s good to revisit.

clinicalmulch.substack.com/p/rectifying...

What AI doesn’t know: we could be creating a global ‘knowledge collapse’ | Deepak Varuvel Dennison The long read: As GenAI becomes the primary way to find information, local and traditional wisdom is being lost. And we are only beginning to realise what we’re missing

Good piece on how GenAI reinforces colonialist hierarchies and accelerates the loss of traditional and indigenous knowledge.
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...

Fibromyalgia finally gets a genetic fingerprint - Medical Republic A massive global study links the chronic pain condition to 26 genes associated with brain signalling, marking a turning point in understanding its biological roots.

"The results paint a picture of fibromyalgia as a brain-based disorder characterised by dysregulated neural communication rather than inflammation or peripheral tissue damage."

www.medicalrepublic.com.au/fibromyalgia...

Hurricane Melissa a ‘real-time case study’ of colonialism’s legacies Destruction in Jamaica shows why climate justice cannot be separated from reparatory justice, campaigners say

“The storm hit rural Jamaica hardest – people who are poorest, least protected, and historically marginalised. The same communities shaped by slavery, colonial extraction, and racialised policies are now on the frontline of climate disaster."

www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...

My family easily spent $250 a week at Publix. Now we go elsewhere.

Tatsuya Nakadai, Japanese actor of Ran, Yojimbo and Harakiri, dies aged 92 Star of Japan’s cinematic golden age, who collaborated with Kurosawa and played the lead in Kobayashi’s Human Condition trilogy, died from pneumonia

Farewell to a master.
www.theguardian.com/film/2025/no...

Qì Cannot Return to the Source On Shā Rén

A couple of years ago around this time, I wrote about Fructus Amomi Villosi, better known to us as shārén, and questions of its channel entry.
clinicalmulch.substack.com/p/qi-cannot-...

The Essence of Five Woods Ghost Herbs 5

Happy Hallowe'en! Here is some mulch from a couple years back, on the #ghostherbs series and the ghost-ridden lore of the peach tree, including its seed, táorén, and its flower, táohuā.

clinicalmulch.substack.com/p/the-essenc...

"We don't like feeling shame. We want to avoid it. It's very uncomfortable," ... And if the source of shame is from the clinician, the patient may ask, "'Why would I go back?' In some cases, that patient may generalize that to the whole health care system."

Jack DeJohnette, versatile jazz drummer known for Miles Davis fusion recordings, dies aged 83 Drummer played on Bitches Brew and other landmark recordings, as well as making numerous albums as a bandleader

RIP JDJ. Saw his band on a double bill with Dave Holland's quintet 40 years ago, so great. Spent many hours listening to recordings featuring his powerful, technically flawless and endlessly inventive drumming. Thanks for all the amazing music, maestro.
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...

whiskey tango foxtrot

Mighty Spiritual Immortal On Wēilíngxiān

The treatment of pain with Chinese herbs has been an ongoing theme in our publication. In that vein, I’ve been doing some research on wēilíngxiān [Radix Clematidis, Clematis root]. Here are a few perspectives on the herb from the mid- to late-imperial eras.
clinicalmulch.substack.com/p/mighty-spi...

The deceptive phrase behind Trump's Medicaid purge How the idea of “able-bodied” is abused

“This tendency to fantasize — when times change and things aren’t what they were — that the poorest and most vulnerable are actually some sort of malicious freeloading class is a very old one”
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

YouTube video by hallandoatesVEVO Daryl Hall & John Oates - Rich Girl (Official Audio)

High and dry, out of the rain
It's so easy to hurt others when you can't feel pain

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmHE...

THE RETREAT OF ESSENCE Fear and anxiety are on the rise. With an estimated prevalence of 4% of the global population and an increase of as much as 25% after the pandemic, anxiety disorders are bound to present in the clinic...

My article for the latest issue of The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine Journal is now up on Academia.The preview on the website looks off but it seems as if the PDF download button will produce a proper copy.

www.academia.edu/143988477/TH...

Transform Phlegm and Dispel Wind On Bàn Xià Bái Zhú Tiān Má Tāng

On this day 2 years ago, I posted a piece about Bàn Xià Bái Zhú Tiān Má Tāng (Pinellia, Atractylodes Macrocephalae, and Gastrodia Decoction), with one of my formula infographics.

clinicalmulch.substack.com/p/transform-...

Photo of a white flat-capped mushroom on a fallen log

underside of a mushroom, showing the stem and gills

Hey, can anyone help me identify this mushroom? I found it in my yard while weed-whacking. Growing on a fallen palm trunk in a shady area. Southeast Florida, just north of Miami. Thanks in advance.
#mushrooms #mycology

My son's latest dub

Hidden Spirit On Poria

A little poria post.

clinicalmulch.substack.com/p/hidden-spi...

had that as a kid. listened to it so. many. times. friends used to make fun of my musical tastes. and then, at some point, Morricone became cool with the cool kids. ha!

The American varieties are less problematic in terms of toxicity, but have similar therapeutic properties according to Bensky et al. (2004). So maybe better to cultivate for use here.

Is that Acorus tatarinowii?

I wonder if there's any relation to Tommy Peoples, the great fiddler from Donegal.

A titan... en paz descanse

Genesis' The Return of the Giant Hogweed has a similar theme

Laser-emitting peacocks are the kind of thing I needed to see this morning. Thanks, Wired!

Does the study demonstrate how well machines are able to differentiate TCM diagnostics and therapeutics or does it perhaps reveal how machine-like TCM diagnostics and therapeutics have become?

Graphic of the Chinese character "kong", meaning "fear", on a gray circular gradient background. The title of the piece at the top is "About to be Seized: Acupuncture treatment of fear" and at the bottom is the blog address clinicalmulch.substack.com. A faint watermark says "Graphic by Clinical mulch 2025".

New on Clinical mulch: Fear is increasing globally. How can we as acupuncturists help our patients and ourselves through the dark times? Some thoughts from prominent late imperial era physicians, and a few of our own.
clinicalmulch.substack.com/p/about-to-b...

Summer Rains and Damp Earth Wáng Xùgāo’s Treatment of Summerheat

Doing yard work at 8 AM because it's too hot by 10. I'm reminded of this piece I did 2 years ago. Keep cool!
clinicalmulch.substack.com/p/summer-rai...