 Traditional Chinese herbal remedies are conveniently available from grocery stores in most Chinese neighborhoods; some of these items may contain toxic ingredients, are imported into the U.S. illegally, and are associated with claims of therapeutic benefit without evidence.For most compounds, efficacy and toxicity testing are based on traditional knowledge rather than laboratory analysis.The toxicity in some cases could be confirmed by modern research (i.e., in scorpion); in some cases it could not (i.e., in "Curculigo").