Empirical Health Herbs

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Empirical Health Herbs Wholesale company of the highest quality Chinese Herbs, extensively tested for safety and efficacy.

Driven by a passion for seeing better results for his patients, Founder and Director, Dr Simon J Feeney, spent the last ten years scaling the planet in search of top quality herbs. He found that in too many cases the incorrect herb or very low quality herbs were made available to most practitioners in Australia. He didn't stop this search until he found Andrew Ellis from Spring Wind in the United States.

Turn a piece over and a different set of details comes into view.A textured outer surface, pale inner fibres and a disti...
12/10/2026

Turn a piece over and a different set of details comes into view.

A textured outer surface, pale inner fibres and a distinctive aroma…there’s plenty to notice in this familiar ingredient.

Can you name it before the reveal? Swipe for identifying clues and a few things to look for when assessing quality.

The name of a herb doesn’t always tell you the whole story.In Chinese herbal medicine, Pao Zhi 炮制 refers to the traditio...
08/10/2026

The name of a herb doesn’t always tell you the whole story.

In Chinese herbal medicine, Pao Zhi 炮制 refers to the traditional methods used to prepare medicinal substances before use. These methods can form an important part of how a herb is understood and applied.

We’re starting a new series exploring some of these classical preparation methods, beginning with Chao 炒, or stir-frying.

From lightly stir-fried through to scorched or charred, the endpoint isn’t simply a matter of how long the herb has been heated. Each represents an intentionally different preparation.

Swipe through for a closer look at Chao and why those small distinctions in a herb’s name can matter.

Questions? Ask away by commenting on this post.

Bookings are now open for our 2027 China Study Tours 🇨🇳Following the success of our 2026 tour, Dr Simon Feeney, Zoey Xin...
29/09/2026

Bookings are now open for our 2027 China Study Tours 🇨🇳

Following the success of our 2026 tour, Dr Simon Feeney, Zoey Xinyi Gong, RD. and the Empirical Health team are returning to China with two distinctly different 10-day educational journeys.

Choose between Shanghai’s journey from source to clinic and Yunnan’s immersive exploration of medicine, nature and culture.

Swipe to discover both tours and find the experience that speaks to you.

SHANGHAI: FROM SOURCE TO CLINIC
14 to 23 April 2027

Follow Chinese medicinal materials from cultivation and trade through processing, pharmacy practice and clinical application.

Travelling through Shanghai, Hangzhou and Bozhou, participants will experience Chinese medicine hospitals, traditional pharmacies, renowned herbal markets, medicinal plant farms and herbal processing and manufacturing facilities.

This is an opportunity to experience Chinese medicine in practice and gain professional insight rarely accessible to international visitors.

View the complete itinerary and secure your place through the link in our bio.

SHANGHAI: FROM SOURCE TO CLINIC
14 to 23 April 2027

Follow Chinese medicinal materials from cultivation and trade through processing, pharmacy practice and clinical application.

Travelling through Shanghai, Hangzhou and Bozhou, participants will experience Chinese medicine hospitals, traditional pharmacies, renowned herbal markets, medicinal plant farms and herbal processing and manufacturing facilities.

This is an opportunity to experience Chinese medicine in practice and gain professional insight rarely accessible to international visitors.

View the complete itinerary and secure your place through the link in our bio.

YUNNAN: MEDICINE, NATURE AND CULTURE
16 to 25 August 2027

Travel through Kunming, Chuxiong and Dali during Yunnan’s wild mushroom season.

Participants will visit Chinese medicine hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, medicinal plant farms and local markets, while taking part in guided mushroom and medicinal-herb foraging.

The journey also offers a deeper connection with Yunnan’s landscapes, regional food and the living cultural traditions of the Bai and Yi communities.

View the co

Knowing a herb’s name is one thing. Knowing what to look for takes a closer look.This small botanical offers plenty to n...
28/09/2026

Knowing a herb’s name is one thing. Knowing what to look for takes a closer look.

This small botanical offers plenty to notice…from the structure of its flower head to its characteristic aroma.

Swipe to explore a few identifying features and quality considerations, then meet the herb behind them. 🌼

24/09/2026

Meet Michael Brown, scholar-practitioner of Chinese medicine and founder of the Academy of Source-Based Medicine.

In this live Empirical Co:Lab webinar, Michael will explore Xiaoyao San beyond its familiar modern indications, examining its composition, historical development, major modifications and clinical application.

Wednesday 14 October 2026
7:00–8:30 pm AEDT
Live online webinar and Q&A
$59 AUD
Recording access included

This is the first of many practitioner education webinars being presented through Empirical Co:Lab.

Book your place through the link in our bio.

The pulse is more than a diagnostic toolit is a reflection of movement.It tells you:- whether a condition is on the surf...
21/09/2026

The pulse is more than a diagnostic tool
it is a reflection of movement.

It tells you:

- whether a condition is on the surface or deeper within
- whether it is driven by heat or cold
- whether the body is strong or struggling

But more importantly, it shows how the body is responding in real time.

While symptoms describe the condition, the pulse reveals its behaviour.

Used well, it helps confirm direction and refine treatment, not just label a pattern.

Introducing Empirical Co:Lab, our newly launched practitioner education and community platform.For our first live webina...
16/09/2026

Introducing Empirical Co:Lab, our newly launched practitioner education and community platform.

For our first live webinar, scholar-practitioner Michael Brown will present:

Exploring Xiaoyao San 逍遙散
History, composition and clinical application

Xiaoyao San is one of the most widely recognised formulas in Chinese medicine, yet its clinical application extends well beyond its familiar modern indications.

Drawing on historical sources, medical commentaries and clinical case studies, Michael will explore the reasoning behind the formula’s composition, how its individual herbs work together, its major modifications and how historical perspectives can inform clinical decision-making.

📅 Wednesday 14 October 2026
🕖 7:00–8:30 pm AEDT
💻 Live online webinar and Q&A
🎥 Recording access included
🎟 AUD $59

Bookings are now open. Visit the link in our bio to learn more and reserve your place.

Formula Breakdown: Liu Wei Di Huang Wan 六味地黄丸Liu Wei Di Huang Wan is often introduced simply as a formula associated wit...
14/09/2026

Formula Breakdown: Liu Wei Di Huang Wan 六味地黄丸

Liu Wei Di Huang Wan is often introduced simply as a formula associated with Kidney Yin deficiency.

But clinically, that description barely scratches the surface.

What makes this formula particularly valuable to study is its architecture.

Three herbs nourish. Three herbs regulate.

Shu Di Huang sits at the centre of the nourishing strategy, supported by Shan Zhu Yu and Shan Yao. Ze Xie, Mu Dan Pi and Fu Ling then provide an important counterbalance, preventing the prescription from functioning as an indiscriminately rich tonic.

Even the traditional proportions tell us something:

8 : 4 : 4 : 3 : 3 : 3

The hierarchy is built into the dosage. The formula tells us where its emphasis lies before we even begin analysing individual herb actions.

Its history adds another layer. Liu Wei Di Huang Wan is traditionally understood as an adaptation of the earlier Shen Qi Wan, with Gui Zhi and Fu Zi removed. Taking away those two warming herbs fundamentally shifts the emphasis of the prescription.

And that six-herb architecture became influential in its own right, forming the foundation for later variations including Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan, Qi Ju Di Huang Wan and Mai Wei Di Huang Wan.

For practitioners, perhaps the most useful lesson is this:

Recognising Kidney Yin deficiency is not the end of the clinical reasoning.

The complete presentation still matters. Deficiency Heat, Dampness, the strength of the Middle, and signs of Yang or Qi deficiency can all change how we understand the pattern and whether this particular formula architecture is appropriate.

When studying classical formulas, it can be useful to move beyond:

“What does each herb do?”

and start asking:

“Why does this herb need to be here?”

That question often tells us far more about how a formula was designed.

This post is intended for practitioner education and discusses Liu Wei Di Huang Wan within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine theory.

Setting up a herbal dispensary is an important investment in your practice, but deciding what to stock, how much to inve...
07/09/2026

Setting up a herbal dispensary is an important investment in your practice, but deciding what to stock, how much to invest and where to begin can feel overwhelming.

Our Clinic Setup Assistance Program supports qualified practitioners establishing their first dispensary, opening a new clinic or significantly expanding an existing range.

Approved applicants receive practical setup guidance, optional assistance planning their opening range and 90 days to pay their qualifying herb order of $1,000 or more, excluding GST and delivery. The full invoice is due 90 days after the order is placed.

Learn more and apply through the link in our bio or by sending us a DM.

Know a practitioner preparing to open or expand their clinic? Share this post with them.

Applications are individually reviewed. Standard wholesale eligibility requirements apply.

SIX STAGES (EARLY STAGES)Not all heat is the same.Not all exterior conditions are treated the same way.Tai Yang and Yang...
03/09/2026

SIX STAGES (EARLY STAGES)

Not all heat is the same.
Not all exterior conditions are treated the same way.

Tai Yang and Yang Ming are both Yang stages, but they require very different approaches.

Tai Yang is at the surface. The strategy is to release the exterior.

Yang Ming is internal excess heat. The strategy is to clear and drain.

Misidentifying this distinction can delay recovery or worsen the condition.

Location matters.
Depth matters.
Strategy follows both.

Address

35 Merrigal Road
Port Macquarie, NSW
2444

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+611300884809

Website

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