Bai He - 百合 - Bulbus Lilii - Lily Bulb
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Bulbus Lilii |
| Common English: | Brown's Lily Bulb Lilium Lily Bulb |
Category
Herbs that Tonify the YinProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sweet Slightly Bitter (Bland) | Slightly Cold (Cool) | Heart Lung | 9-30g Tincture: 2-5ml |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Clears Heat, Moistens the Lungs, Nourishes Yin, Stops coughing | Dry coughs or sore throat, hemoptysis, due to Lung Yin Deficiency, dry Lungs or Lung Heat Especially useful for Lung Yin Deficiency |
Clears Heat from the Heart and calms the Spirit | Intractable low-grade fever, insomnia with much dreaming, restlessness and irritability in the aftermath of febrile disease Heart Fire Palpitations due to insufficiency of Qi and Yin |
Nourishes Stomach Yin and harmonizes the Middle Jiao | Pain associated with Stomach Yin Deficiency |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
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Major Combinations
| Cx. Mori | Rx. Platycodi | Rx. Rehmanniae |
Phlegm-Heat Clogging the Lungs and injuring the Fluids leading to coughing and wheezing. | Coughs in children marked by Phlegm Clogging the chest and dysfunction of the throat. | Coughing with Blood-streaked sputum, hot palms and soles and night sweats from Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency. |
| Rx. Paeoniae Alba | Flos Farfarae | Tub. Ophiopogonis |
Wind-Heat coughing during pregnancy. | Chronic coughing due to Lung Heat, usually with blood-streaked sputum. | Chronic dry cough and sore throat with Blood streaked sputum due to Lung Yin Deficiency or consumption. |
| Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata | Rz. Anemarrhenae | Rx. Rehmanniae |
Palpitations, irritability, insomnia, and dark, scanty urine due to lingering Heat. | Irritability and mental disorientation due to Yin Deficiency or lingering Heat in the late stages of febrile disease. Dry cough, vexation and agitation after a warm disease. Lily disease. | Cools the Heart and treats both Qi and Blood to restore harmony to the Ying and Wei after a warm febrile disease. |
Flos Farfarae | Rz. Bletillae | Rz. Anemarrhenae |
Dry cough. | Bronchiectasis and hemoptysis. | Palpitations, insomnia, restlessness, dark urine and inability to concentrate in the aftermath of a febrile disease. |
Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae | Talcum | Haematitum |
Difficulty falling and staying asleep. | Dark urine. Dysuria. | Vomiting. Hiccups. |
Rx. Paeoniae Alba | Rx. Linderae (9g) | |
Atrophic gastritis due to Stomach Yin Deficiency. | With 30g Bai He for chronic Stomach pain from unknown causes. |
Notes
- According to some sources, this herb acts as a diuretic.
- It appears frequently in formulas for a dry, hacking cough.
- It is used for febrile stress in the chest brought on by a dry, hacking cough, palpitations and restlessness.
- One source states that it nourishes Heart Yin.
- Although Sweet and Cold, it moistens without being slimy.
- It may be applied externally for swellings and ulcers (as is true of many Yin tonics in the Lily family).
- For sores that have not ulcerated, crush the fresh herb and apply it topically as a paste.
- It is also said to tonify Qi and Blood.
- For Lung abscess, this herb can be used alone.
- It is also reported to inhibit cancer cell growth.
- It is commonly eaten as a food, cooked with porridge to nourish Lung Yin.
- It is used for mental disorientation, palpitations, insomnia and a feeling of constraint caused by Yin Deficiency or by Disharmony of the Ying and Wei after an externally contracted disease.
- This herb is said to supplement the Spleen so as to keep the Lungs pure, stop coughing and promote diuresis.
- Bai He and Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae Sha Shen both nourish Yin, clear the Lungs, moisten Dryness and stop coughing, and are used to treat dry coughs. Sha Shen is better at augmenting the Stomach, generating fluids and stopping thirst, while also clearing the Lungs and expelling Phlegm. Bai He moistens the Lungs, stops hemoptysis, clears the Heart and quiets the Spirit.
- Honey-prepared Lily Bulb Mi Zhi Bai He moistens the Lungs, stops coughs and tonifies Lung Qi more strongly. It is used for chronic coughs caused by Lung Deficiency.
- Lily Root Bai He Gen is the preferred form for easing apprehension and anxiety. It also treats dysuria and edema.
- By tradition, drinking Lily Flower Tea or eating the petals is said to help a person overcome worry and sorrow.
- Bai He is also effective for many psychological and cardiac imbalances linked to Heart Yin Deficiency, including palpitations, deep cardiac pain with a sense of emptiness in the cardiac region, insomnia, profuse dreams, vexation, agitation and neurasthenia.
- Where dry cough predominates, honey mix-fried Bai He should be used.
- Where vexation and agitation or insomnia predominate, uncooked Bai He should be prescribed.
- It is used for Lily Bulb disorder (百合症), as described in the Golden Cabinet.
From Class
- Bai He (lily bulb) + Zhi Mu: Lily bulb nourishes lung fluids and qi and lifts deep sadness; with Zhi Mu (clears heat) it treats the Jin Gui Yao Lue 'Bai He syndrome' of rumination. (Yuen)