Chuan Bei Mu - 川贝母 - Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae |
| Common English: | Fritillaria Bulb / Sichuan fritillaria bulb |
Category
Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing: Herbs that Cool and Transform Phlegm-HeatProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Bitter Sweet | Slightly Cold (Cool) | Heart Lung | 3-12g Powder: 1-1.5g Tincture: 1-4ml 3-9g, 1-1.5g (powder) (Secondary source) |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Clears Heat, Nourishes and moistens the Lungs, Stops coughing, Transforms Phlegm | Chronic cough especially due to Yin Deficiency with Empty Fire Rising with chronic cough, slight sputum, difficult to expectorate, Blood streaked sputum Cough with Qi Stagnation with reduced appetite and a stifling sensation in the chest and abdomen |
Clears Heat and dissipates nodules | Phlegm-Fire nodules (Chuang Yung sores, swellings, scrofula, Lung or breast abscesses) |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
|
| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Rz. Anemarrhenae | Sm. Armeniacae | Fol. Eriobotryae |
Clears Qi and nourishes Yin. Coughing with scanty, difficult to expectorate sputum due to Yin Deficiency Fire burning the Lungs. | Coughing and wheezing with copious sputum. Wheezing and coughing from externally contracted Lung disorders. Non-productive cough from Lung Deficiency disorders. Coughing of thick, yellow sputum due to Phlegm-Fire. | Chronic cough with fatigue, irritability, excessive or bloody sputum, a stifling sensation and distention in the chest with palpitations and insomnia. |
| Rx. Polygalae | Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii | Rz. Coptidis |
Painful obstruction of the chest with palpitations and insomnia. | Scrofula and abscesses. | Directs Phlegm-Fire downward. |
| Rx. Ginseng | Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | Fr. Forsythiae |
Tonifies without accumulation. | Harmonizes the Ying Qi. | Releases constrained toxins. Treats goiter. |
Sm. Armeniacae | Sm. Trichosanthis | Snake Bile |
Chronic cough with Lung Deficiency, dry cough with little sputum or cough with Blood-streaked sputum. | Cough with Phlegm and Dryness in the Lungs. | Cough with Excess Phlegm and Heat. |
Sm. Armeniacae | ||
Wind-Cold cough. |
Notes
- Its greatest effectiveness is for cough with Qi Stagnation, which shows up as reduced appetite and a stifling feeling in the chest and upper abdomen.
- Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae Chuan Bei Mu nourishes and moistens the Lung and is often used for chronic conditions such as tuberculosis, whereas Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii Zhe Bei Mu is stronger and more often used for acute cough and asthma with thick Phlegm.
- It counters the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
- It has been used as a galactagogue.
- According to some sources, it supplements Lung Qi and relieves melancholy.
- It can disperse constrained Qi in the Heart and chest, treating people who experience uneasiness in the Heart, anxiety and constraint.
- By directing Heart Fire downward, it effectively treats Lin Syndrome.
- Because it is costly, it is generally taken as a powder or pill rather than in decoction.
- It is effective for swollen lymph glands.
- Research has shown that it has an anti-cancer effect.
- It is described as an astringent and detoxicant that protects the Heart and reinforces the viscera, and it is said to cure furuncles, swelling and tumors.
- It is also reported to eliminate toxins, relieve Stagnation and invigorate the Blood for consumptive diseases of the Lung, pulmonary abscess, goiter, subcutaneous nodules, cellulitis and many other kinds of infection.
- Other reported uses include Lung Deficiency, chronic asthma, a dry throat with scanty Phlegm, scrofula, and breast and Lung carbuncles.
From Class
- Hot-phlegm herb groups: Fritillaria, Trichosanthes, bamboo, seaweed: Hot-phlegm herbs: Chuan Bei Mu nourishes yin (Zhe Bei Mu doesn't), Gua Lou unbinds the chest, bamboos quiet the heart, seaweeds soften phlegm masses (goiter, scrofula). (Yuen)