Bai Zi Ren - 柏子仁 - Semen Platycladi

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Semen Biotae Semen Platycladi Semen Thujae
Common English:	Arborvitae Seed Biota Seed Chinese Arborvitae Seed Oriental Arborvitae Seed Platycladus Seed

Category

Substances that Calm the Spirit

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet (Acrid) (Bitter)	Neutral	Heart Kidney Large Intestine (Spleen) (Liver)	3-18g 3-9g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Nourishes the Heart and calms the Spirit	Heart Blood and Yin Deficiency with palpitations and anxiety Night terrors in children (can be used alone)
Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels	Constipation in the elderly, debilitated or postpartum women due to Blood and Yin Deficiency
Astringes Yin Deficiency sweat	Night sweats due to Yin Deficiency

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Rx. Polygalae Yuan Zhi Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren	Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui Poria Pararadicis Fu Shen	Rx. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang Rz. Acori Tatarinowii Shi Chang Pu
Insomnia and palpitations due to Heart Blood Deficiency.	Insomnia and palpitations due to Heart Blood Deficiency.	Irritability, poor sleep, palpitations and nocturnal emissions from Lack of Communication between the Heart and Kidneys.
Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu	Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren Sm. Juglandis Hu Tao Ren	Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi Concha Ostreae Mu Li
Heart Blood Deficiency leading to loss of nourishment to the Heart with severe palpitations, irritability, vertigo, forgetfulness and insomnia.	Constipation in the elderly or postpartum women due to Blood Deficiency.	Night sweats due to Yin Deficiency.
Rx. Ephedrae Ma Huang Gen Concha Ostreae Mu Li	Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren	Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui
Night sweats due to Yin Deficiency.	Strongly quiets the Spirit, calms the emotions, enriches Yin and Blood, stops night sweats and treats palpitations, irritability and insomnia due to Yin and Blood Deficiency failing to nourish the Heart and Liver. Effective for patients with concurrent constipation.	Ground into a powder and made into pills with honey for hair growth
Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi Poria Pararadicis Fu Shen Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui	Sm. Persicae Tao Ren Sm. Armeniacae Xing Ren Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren Sm. Trichosanthis Gua Lou Ren
Insomnia, palpitations dizziness and forgetfulness.	Constipation or dry stools.

Notes

1. According to some sources, this herb nourishes the Kidneys.
2. According to some sources, this herb purges Heart Fire.
3. Certain sources state that this herb resolves Phlegm and disperses tumors.
4. Its usual use is for Heart Deficiency that gives rise to insomnia, restlessness and apprehension.
5. It has been used to aid hair growth, especially where this is linked to Blood Deficiency and exhaustion of Jing.
6. Bai Zi Ren, Rx. Polygalae Yuan Zhi, and Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren each enter the Heart channel and calm the Spirit, treating fright, palpitations and insomnia. Suan Zao Ren and Bai Zi Ren are neutral and sweet, nourish Liver Blood and Heart Yin, and are best suited to insomnia and irritability from Deficiency. Bai Zi Ren works mainly on the Heart and also moistens and lubricates the Intestines to treat dry constipation, whereas Suan Zao Ren works mainly on the Liver. It restrains and inhibits, astringing sweat and generating Fluids, so it treats profuse sweating from Deficiency and thirst from injured Fluids. Yuan Zhi is warm and unblocking, acrid and dispersing, bitter and draining; it assists Heart Yang and augments Heart Qi to restore harmonious communication between the Heart and Kidneys, calm the Spirit and strengthen resolve. It is better suited to palpitations and insomnia arising from loss of communication between the Heart and the Kidneys, with forgetfulness, poor concentration and confusion. It disperses Stagnation, expels Phlegm, reduces swellings and disperses sores, and it can be used for cough from Cold-Phlegm and for Cold Obstructing the Qi so that Phlegm and Dampness enter the collaterals and produce toxic swollen sores.
7. Dry-fried Biota Seeds Chao Bai Zi Ren moisten less and do not provoke nausea.
8. De-fatted Biota Seeds Bai Zi Ren Shuang cause neither nausea nor loose stools, and are used most often for insomnia or disturbance of the Heart and Spirit in patients who have Spleen Deficiency.
9. The leaf, Ce Bai Ye, cools the Blood and stops bleeding.
10. The leaf, Ce Bai Ye, also stops cough and expels Phlegm.
11. The leaf, Ce Bai Ye, may be used for hair loss.