Bai Jie Zi - 白芥子 - Semen Sinapis

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Semen Sinapis
Common English:	Brassica Seed White Mustard Seed

Category

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing: Warm Herbs that Transform Cold Phlegm

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid	Warm	Lung (Stomach)	3-15g Do not decoct for a long time 3-9g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Warms the Lungs, regulates Qi and expels Phlegm	Accumulation of Cold-Phlegm with cough and asthma with copious thin sputum, chest distention, tightness and pain and rib pain especially in chronic disorders
Alleviates pain, Dissipates nodules, Promotes Qi movement, Unblocks the collaterals	Phlegm-Dampness Accumulating in the Channels with numbness in the limbs Yin flat abscess, tuberculosis of the bones Spreading sores Phlegm nodules (scrofula)

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Fr. Perillae Zi Su Zi Sm. Raphani Lai Fu Zi	Rx. Kansui Gan Sui Rx. Knoxiae/Euphorbiae Hong/Jing Da Ji	Cx. Cinnamomi Rou Gui Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang
Cough with copious, clear, bubbly sputum, and pain, fullness, and distention of the chest due to water accumulation in the chest and diaphragm or Cold-Phlegm Obstructs the chest and flanks.	Phlegm above and below the diaphragm with sudden excruciating pain in the thorax, neck and lower back, with cough, wheezing, a greasy tongue coat and a wiry, slippery pulse.	Joint pain and Yin-type deep-rooted boils due to Phlegm-Dampness Obstructing the channels.
Sm. Momordicae Mu Bie Zi Myrrh Mo Yao Cx. Cinnamomi Rou Gui Or Myrrh Mo Yao Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi Rx. Aucklandiae Mu Xiang	Sm. Raphani Lai Fu Zi	Cornu Cervi Degelatinatum Lu Jiao Jiao Cx. Cinnamomi Rou Gui Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum Pao Jiang Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang
Phlegm obstructing the channels and collaterals with numbness and pain in the shoulders and upper arms and/or back pain and stiffness.	Restores the smooth flow of Qi and reduces Phlegm to treat coughing and wheezing especially when the chest and diaphragm feel full of Phlegm, particularly Cold-Phlegm and when the descent of Lung Qi is impaired.	Yin sores.

Notes

1. According to some sources, this herb reduces swelling, warms the Middle and disperses Cold.
2. It excels at reaching Phlegm in the subcostal region and between the skin and membranes, places that are otherwise out of reach.
3. It disperses clumps of Cold-Phlegm that cause joint pain or Yin flat abscesses, and it can reach the Interior to relieve epigastric and abdominal pain.
4. One source states that it is beneficial for Phlegm Blocking the Heart Orifices.
5. Bai Jie Zi and Sm. Raphani Lai Fu Zi are both excellent at reducing Phlegm to treat cough and wheezing. Lai Fu Zi is gentle and neutral, works within the organs and regulates Lung, Spleen and Large Intestine Qi to dispel fullness and eliminate Food Stagnation. It may be used for Hot or Cold disorders. Bai Jie Zi is warm and extremely drying, and it promotes Qi at the level of the channels and collaterals to dispel Phlegm lying between the skin and the membranes. Because of its warm nature, it should be used only for Cold-Phlegm.
6. Bai Jie Zi and Fr. Perillae Zi Su Zi both treat cough and dyspnea from Cold-Phlegm. Zi Su Zi is best at descending rebellious Qi, settling wheezing and dispersing Phlegm, and treats cough and acute wheezing caused by Cold-Phlegm. Bai Jie Zi is intensely drying, mobilizes the channels and collaterals and is best at promoting the flow of Qi and drying Phlegm.
7. Bai Jie Zi and Arisaema cum Bile Dan Nan Xing both mobilize the channels to eliminate Phlegm. Bai Jie Zi promotes the flow of Qi and relieves joint pain linked to Cold-Phlegm, restricted movement and Yin flat abscesses. Dan Nan Xing extinguishes Wind and eradicates Phlegm, making it better suited to spasms and cramps or hemiplegia from Wind-Phlegm.
8. Bai Jie Zi and Fr. Trichosanthis Gua Lou both move Qi in the chest, scour Phlegm and treat turbid Phlegm Obstructing the Qi, which causes pain and a stifling sensation in the chest. Gua Lou is moist and cold and better suited to conditions where Heat and Phlegm have clumped together in the chest. Bai Jie Zi is warm, drying and powerful and better suited to Cold-Phlegm accumulating in the chest.
9. Raw White Mustard Seed Sheng Bai Jie Zi is highly irritating to the Stomach and is seldom prescribed internally. Externally, it is used to stop pain. Crushed, it can be applied for Wind, Cold, Dampness, early-stage toxic swellings or Qi and Blood Stagnation in the channels and collaterals. It may also be powdered and mixed with vinegar for application to lumps and masses associated with Wind, Dampness and Phlegm.
10. Dry-fried White Mustard Seed Chao Bai Jie Zi is generally used in decoction. Its acrid, dispersing actions are reduced, and it warms the Middle to disperse Cold, expels Phlegm and eases the flow of Qi.