Zhi Ban Xia / Ban Xia - 制半夏 - Rhizoma Pinelliae Preparatum - Pinellia

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Rhizoma Pinelliae Preparatum
Common English:	Pinellia Rhizome Prepared Pinellia Corm

Category

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing (Antitussives): Warm Herbs that Transform Cold Phlegm

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid	Warm Toxic	Lung Spleen Stomach (Heart)	3-15g Tincture: 2-4ml 3-9g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm	Cold-Phlegm in the Lungs (cough with copious sputum) Especially effective for Damp-Phlegm of the Spleen (Cold-Damp Stagnation)
Descends Rebellious Qi and stops vomiting (harmonizes the Stomach)	Vomiting due to Phlegm-Damp in the Stomach (Tan Yin), Cold thin mucus, Stomach Deficiency, Stomach Heat or pregnancy
Dissipates nodules and reduces Stagnation (clumps)	Phlegm in the chest (nodules, pressure, distention, pain) Phlegm nodules in the neck (goiter, scrofula) Focal distension in the chest and epigastrium Obstruction caused by Phlegm anywhere in the body
Treats sores, skin ulcerations and carbuncles and reduces swelling (external)	Topically as a powder for sores, skin ulcerations and carbuncles

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Per. Citri Reticulatae Chen Pi	Hb. Asari Xi Xin Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang	Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu (Fr. Trichosanthis) (Gua Lou)
Epigastric and abdominal distention or pain due to disharmony of the Stomach Qi. Productive cough and a stifling sensation in the chest due to Phlegm-Damp Obstruction or Spleen Qi Deficiency.	Vomiting due to Cold with copious, frothy sputum with Cold signs and thin mucus in the Lungs.	Phlegm-Heat in the Lungs with yellow, viscous sputum, with other Heat signs and vomiting.
Rz. Gastrodiae Tian Ma Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu (Poria) (Fu Ling)	Fr. Trichosanthis Gua Lou Bul. Allii Macrostemi Xie Bai	Poria Fu Ling
Phlegm-Dampness rising upward and combining with uprising Internal Wind with symptoms of headache, dizziness, focal distention, a stifling sensation in the chest and diaphragm, a greasy white tongue and wiry and slippery pulse.	Chest Bi from Cold Phlegm clumping in the chest with pain, cough and shortness of breath.	Expels Phlegm and stops nausea and vomiting, hiccups, coughs with clear, profuse Phlegm and loose, watery stools. Treats Phlegm, thin mucus and turbid Dampness. Prevents turbid Phlegm and Dampness from disturbing the Heart with dizziness, palpitations and insomnia.
Sp. Prunellae Xia Ku Cao	Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang	Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang Fr. Evodiae Wu Zhu Yu Or Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang Fr. Evodiae Wu Zhu Yu
Phlegm-Heat induced insomnia.	Vomiting due to Cold, thin mucus. Helps eliminate toxins.	Vomiting with clear signs of Cold in the Middle Jiao.
Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen	Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian	Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Caul. Bambusae in Taeniam Zhu Ru
Vomiting due to Stomach Deficiency.	Epigastric distention and indigestion due to a simultaneous invasion of Hot and Cold pathogenic influences into the Stomach.	Vomiting from Stomach Heat.
Caul. Perillae Zi Su Geng Fr. Amomi Sha Ren	Hb. Pogostemonis/Agastaches Huo Xiang	Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Fr. Trichosanthis Gua Lou
Morning sickness.	Nausea with lethargy, anorexia, poor concentration and a swollen, a pale tongue with a greasy, white coat due to turbid Dampness in the Spleen and Stomach. Vomiting during the summer. Fever, vomiting, lethargy and diarrhea associated with Summerheat.	Phlegm-Heat clumping in the chest and epigastrium with a stifling, distended sensation in the epigastrium that is aggravated by pressure, coughing of viscous, yellow sputum, a greasy, yellow tongue coat and a slippery, rapid pulse.
Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis Hou Po	Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii Zhe Bei Mu	Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii Zhe Bei Mu Thallus Eckloniae Kun Bu Sargassum Hai Zao
Epigastric and abdominal distention, Phlegm-induced coughing, Vomiting. Treats Phlegm-Dampness with Qi Stagnation to open Phlegm and Qi Obstruction with a sensation of fullness in the chest with coughing and wheezing, nausea, vomiting and a sensation of distention in the hypochondrium. Plum-pit Qi Stagnation.	Scrofula or Phlegm-Dampness induced cough.	Goiter, scrofula or thyroid nodules.
Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin	Fr. Trichosanthis Gua Lou	Concretio Bambusae Silicea Tian Zhu Huang
Phlegm-Heat induced Rebellious Qi with cough, nausea, and vomiting.	Focal distention in the chest and diaphragm due to clumping of Phlegm and Heat leading to Qi Stagnation. Chest Bi due to clumping of sticky, thick and turbid Phlegm.	Clears Heat, dries Dampness, dislodges Phlegm and calms the Spirit for internal retention of Damp Heat with deep-seated, difficult-to-expectorate sputum, nausea, a stifling sensation in the chest and insomnia or restless sleep. Expels Wind and controls, palpitations and convulsions for children's febrile convulsions from Phlegm-Heat, seizures and Wind-Stroke with profuse Phlegm making speech difficult. Cough with profuse Phlegm and a stifling sensation in the chest. Phlegm-Heat affecting the Stomach with restless sleep.
Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang	Haematitum Dai Zhe Shi Flos Inulae Xuan Fu Hua Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao Fr. Trichosanthis Gua Lou Sm. Arecae Bing Lang Sm. Persicae Tao Ren	Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis Hou Po Fol. Perillae Zi Su Ye Poria Fu Ling
Nausea and vomiting due to Heat and Cold.	Chronic neurogenic vomiting.	Plum pit Qi Stagnation.

Notes

1. It is frequently combined with Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii Zhe Bei Mu or Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae Chuan Bei Mu.
2. Of the two, Bul. Fritillariae Bei Mu is better at clearing Phlegm-Heat and transforming Phlegm in the Lungs.
3. Zhi Ban Xia, on the other hand, is better at clearing Phlegm-Damp and transforming Phlegm in the Stomach.
4. Toxicity is highest in the unprepared herb, lower when it is prepared with ginger, and lowest when it is prepared with alumen.
5. Signs of toxicity are burning and numbness of the lips and throat, a queasy stomach with nausea, and a sense of pressure in the chest. Raw ginger taken orally serves as an antidote.
6. It ranks among the most important herbs for digestive disturbance and Phlegm conditions.
7. Although it is said to be prohibited in pregnancy, in practice it is used, particularly for morning sickness, and always together with a substantial amount of ginger.
8. It is reputed to reduce distention and disperse Stagnation.
9. It inhibits cancer cell growth.
10. Used internally or topically, it resolves lumps and swellings and treats goiter and carbuncles.
11. According to one source, it cures sores, paralysis of the throat, regurgitation, vomiting, masses and goiter.
12. For symptoms of tongue cancer (double tongue, a swollen and rigid tongue), decoct this herb in vinegar and use it as a gargle.
13. For carbuncle and cellulitis of the back and for breast furuncle, grind this herb to a powder, mix it with egg white and apply it to the skin.
14. For aphasia, aphonia from pain in the Shao Yin channel and sore throat, crush seven pieces of this herb and pack them into an egg with the yolk removed, top the egg up with wine and boil it briefly over a charcoal fire. Strain off the dregs and sip slowly. Repeat as needed.
15. Zhi Ban Xia and Poria Fu Ling both expel Phlegm-Dampness. Fu Ling strengthens the Spleen, expels Dampness and transforms Phlegm, whereas Zhi Ban Xia dries and transforms Phlegm.
16. Zhi Ban Xia and Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang both harmonize the Stomach, settle nausea and relieve cough. Zhi Ban Xia dries Dampness and disperses Phlegm and thin mucus to settle nausea, and dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm to treat cough. Sheng Jiang warms the Stomach and awakens the Spleen to harmonize the Stomach and settle nausea, and warms the Lungs and transforms thin mucus to stop cough. The pair is used for Cold-Dampness injuring the Stomach and for Cold-Phlegm cough with copious mucus. Substituting Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang makes the action even stronger.
17. Zhi Ban Xia and Rz. Arisaematis Preparatum Zhi Tian Nan Xing both dry Dampness, transform Phlegm and treat Phlegm-Dampness of the Spleen and Stomach. Zhi Ban Xia targets Spleen and Stomach Phlegm-Dampness specifically, relieves nausea and reduces focal distention; it is acrid yet conserving. Zhi Tian Nan Xing is much more dispersing, enters mainly the Liver channel, and excels at treating Wind-Phlegm in the channels and collaterals, dispersing Blood and reducing swelling; it is acrid, not conserving, and intensely drying. When they are combined, Zhi Ban Xia should lead if the target is Phlegm-Dampness, and Zhi Tian Nan Xing should lead if the target is Wind-Phlegm.
18. Zhi Ban Xia and Flos Inulae Xuan Fu Hua both disperse clumped Phlegm, settle the Stomach and stop vomiting. Zhi Ban Xia works mainly by drying Dampness to transform Phlegm and is best for copious, thin, clear Phlegm that is easily coughed up. Xuan Fu Hua descends rebellious Qi, breaks up clumped accumulation and promotes the movement of pathogenic water; it is better suited to thick, sticky Phlegm that is hard to expectorate, to flank pain with distention and fullness in the chest and abdomen from accumulated water and thin mucus, or to Middle Jiao Qi Deficiency in which water and Dampness collect in the Spleen and Stomach and cause nausea.
19. Zhi Ban Xia and Pi Pa Ye Fol. Eriobotryae both treat conditions of the Lung and Stomach. Pi Pa Ye cools the Lungs to stop cough and transform Phlegm. Being cool and moistening, it is used for Phlegm-Heat and for cough from Lung Dryness. By cooling Stomach Heat, it keeps Stomach Qi from being carried upward by Excess Yang, and it allows Zhi Ban Xia to move Phlegm more easily. Zhi Ban Xia transforms Dampness and Phlegm and is better for cough with copious Phlegm from Phlegm-Dampness. By transforming Phlegm and Dampness, it frees Stomach Qi to descend properly and so prevents nausea. It is warm and parching, and its main action is to parch Dampness and transform Phlegm. Together the pair represents Moistness and Dryness as well as Cold and Heat, and their combined ability to descend Qi is considerably stronger. They are often used together for cough and wheezing and to calm the Stomach and relieve nausea.
20. Rz. Pinelliae (Unprepared Pinellia) Sheng Ban Xia is too toxic to be taken internally. It can be applied externally, or inhaled as a powder, for coma, fainting, childhood convulsions, or painful swollen obstruction of the throat. In modern use it is applied to eliminate boils and goiter, relieve pain and treat skin diseases.
21. Ginger Pinellia Jiang Ban Xia is less toxic; it is warm and drying, and it dries Dampness, transforms Phlegm, descends Qi and relieves nausea. It works best for Phlegm and thin mucus from Spleen Deficiency, or for Cold-Phlegm producing cough and rebellious Qi.
22. Standard Pinellia Fa Ban Xia has a milder drying action and is commonly used for Spleen Deficiency with Dampness, Phlegm and thin mucus. It is suitable for both Deficiency Cold and Damp-Heat.
23. Clear Water Pinellia Qing Shui Ban Xia is less acrid and less drying, which makes it appropriate for weak patients with copious Phlegm and fairly mild Cold-Dampness.
24. Pinellia Rhizome Fermented Mass Ban Xia Qu is bitter, pungent and neutral; it enters the Lung, Large Intestine and Spleen channels, and it resolves Phlegm, relieves cough and promotes digestion. It is used for cough and diarrhea at a dosage of 6-9g.
25. Purified Pinellia (Qing Xia). This form is soaked, boiled or salted in a solution of Alumen Ming Fan , which removes the side effect of throat tingling and lowers the toxicity. It is used mainly to dry dampness and transform Phlegm, and it is slightly acrid.
26. It shows promise for type IV sensitivity reactions such as contact dermatitis and tubercular lesions, and for autoimmune disorders generally.
27. Ban Xia, a member of the Araceae family, treats Phlegm at the Organ level, whereas Tian Nan Xing treats Phlegm in the channels.
28. Jiang Ban Xia is made by soaking and rinsing the herb, boiling it with fresh ginger and alum until cooked through, then drying, moistening and slicing it.
29. Fa Ban Xia is made by soaking and rinsing the herb, then soaking it in a decoction of Gan Cao and lime until the center turns yellow and horn-like or semitransparent.
30. The unprocessed herb is toxic at 0.1-2.4g, and an overdose of the prepared herb can also produce toxic reactions.