The therapeutic approach of medicinal herbs in oriental medicine studies the relationship with the internal organs of the human body through the characteristics of five tastes such as sour, bitter, sweet, spicy and salty.1 These five tastes are based on the theory of the five elements of the traditional Oriental philosophy of nature at the right picture as shown. The Western approach, on the other hand, has its origins in the four-humors which has its origins in four-element theory developed by Aristotle at left pictures as shown.2
If the classification of the five flavors and the characteristics of the four elements are connected and interpreted, it is possible to cross-interpret the traditional medicine developed between the East and the West. Wet, Hot, Dry and cold of 5 tastes can be classified and correlated to understand their effect on internal organ and 4 humors like Blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm.
