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Xie Bai

Xie Bai
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Xie Bai2
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Naming

Xie Bai (Bulbus Allii Macrostemi)——Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Shen Nong’s Herbal)

  1. Bulbus Allii Macrostemi
  2. 薤白
  3. 薤白头
  4. Xie Bai Tou
  5. 薤白頭
  6. Longstamen Onion Bulb

The Processing of Xie Bai

Origin

The bulb of Allium macrostemon Bge or Allium chinensis G. Don. of family Liliaceae.

Location

Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in China.

Harvest

Collected in summer and autumn.

The true smell and taste

Garlic smell, slightly spicy.

Best quality

Dry, heavy, big, full, translucent without scape.

Processing

Unprocessed.

The Effect of Xie Bai

Property

Pungent, bitter, warm; lung, heart, stomach and large intestine meridians entered.

Actions

Activate yang and dissipate nodulation, move qi and relieve stagnation.

Indications

A. Chest impediment

It is the essential herb of chest impediment for its actions of dispersing congealing cold and activating yang. For chest pain and fullness due to cold-phlegm accumulation and chest yang deficiency, it is usually combined with the herbs of moving qi and soothing chest, resolving phlegm and dissipating nodulation, warming and activating heart-yang. For instance it is combined with Gua Lou, Ban Xia, Zhi Shi and Gui Zhi in Gua Lou Xie Bai Bai Jiu Tang, Gua Lou Xie Bai Ban Xia Tang and Zhi Shi Xie Bai Gui Zhi Tang from Jin Kui Yao Lue. For chest impediment due to phlegm accumulation and blood stasis, it should be combined with the qi-moving and chest-soothing, blood-activating and stasis-resolving herbs such as Gua Lou, Dan Shen and Chuan Xiong.

B. Chest and abdominal distension, diarrhea and dysentery with tenesmus

It has the actions of regulating gastrointestinal qi, relieving distension and alleviating pain. For gastroabdominal stuffiness, distension and pain caused by stomach cold and qi stagnation, it is usually combined with the middle-energizer-warming and qi-moving herbs such as Gao Liang Jiang, Mu Xiang and Sha Ren. For diarrhea and dysentery with tenesmus due to damp-heat accumulation and qi stagnation in stomach and intestines, it is combined with herbs of clearing heat and drying dampness, moving qi and regulating middle energizer such as Huang Lian, Huang Bai, Mu Xiang and Zhi Shi.

Dosage and Administrations

Decoct 5~10 g.