Facts About T.B. Chew’s Famous Chinese Herbs Pamphlet

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Facts About T.B. Chew’s Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

This week we feature a pamphlet on Chinese Herbal remedies to kick off our Collections Highlights for 2023. The bright orange cover and its well-wishes of good health and long life are perfect to start off a (non-lunar) New Year. While serving as an advertising tool, the literature doubles as an information brochure that tries to educate the reader about the historical background of herbs and how bodily functions and ailments are diagnosed in traditional Chinese medicine.

T.B. Chew’s Famous Chinese Herbs was an establishment located within Los Angeles County, with two store locations on 4150 S Figueroa St. and 911 Santa Monica Blvd., and his stores first appeared in Los Angeles’ telephone directory in 1937. Based on the pamphlet description, T.B. Chew is a descendant of a family of herb specialists and moved to San Francisco from China in the early 1900s before finally settling in Santa Monica in 1924.

An Introduction to Chinese Herbal Medication

Chew’s pamphlet begins with an introduction to the history of Chinese herbal medicine and how its use is as old as Chinese civilization. It goes on to credit Shin Nong (i.e., Shennong or Yandi) as the pre-dynastic Chinese emperor who established the basis for herbological studies through his catalog of medicinal plants and establishing a stable agricultural society in China. The introduction section continues with drawings and descriptions of plants and their relation to the different “elements” of nature and how they relate to the human body. Particular emphasis is placed on inflammation in addition to the stomach and spleen organs.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, cover back and pg. 1. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 2-3. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 4-5. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 6-7. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Common Ailments and Customer Testimonials

Following the introductory pages, the pamphlet begins describing common ailments of the body and how T.B. Chew would be able to assist in curing them. Problems such as Arthritis, Colds, “Female Trouble”, and Children are categorized and described here in alphabetical order. Interestingly, after the descriptions of each ailment, there would be several customer testimonials included about T.B. Chew’s effective treatment of the aforementioned affliction, with both their name and addresses printed for all to see. Another interesting feature of this section is the inclusion of quotes in the footnotes area of each page, with certain ones accredited to famous texts or individuals.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 8-9. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 10-11. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 14-15. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 12-13. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 18-19. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 16-17. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 22-23. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 20-21. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 24-25. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 26-27. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 28-29. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 30-31. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 32-33. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 34-35. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Closing pages

The closing pages summarize the basic science behind Chinese Herbal Medicine in addition to an excerpt from the L.A. Evening News describing the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines to treat war wounds of soldiers in combat in China. The article is most likely referencing either the Chinese Civil War or the Second Sino-Japanese War, depending on the exact publication dates.

On the cover page, T.B. Chew offers free advice regarding the potential negative impacts of drinking cold beverages and welcomes a visit for a free consultation.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, pgs 36-37. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.

Facts About T.B. Chew's Famous Chinese Herbs Pamplet, back cover. Courtesy of Roy Delbyck, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Collection.