☯ TCM Properties
Drains Damp-Heat especially from the Lower Jiao; Drains Kidney Fire (False Heat, Deficiency Heat); Drains Fire and relieves Fire toxicity
Traditional Chinese Uses
Huang Bai is the dried bark of Phellodendron chinense (or P. amurense, Rutaceae), a classic bitter, cold heat-clearing/Damp-Heat-drying herb entering the Kidney, Bladder and Large Intestine channels. Its hallmark is draining Damp-Heat from the Lower Jiao: thick yellow vaginal discharge, damp genital itching and sores, Damp-Heat diarrhea and dysentery, turbid painful urination, and hot, swollen, weak knees and legs (as in Er Miao San with Cang Zhu). It drains Kidney Fire and Deficiency-Heat with steaming bones, night sweats and nocturnal emission, classically paired with Zhi Mu and Yin tonics in Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan.
It also drains Fire and relieves Fire-toxicity in hot sores, abscesses and eczema, applied internally or topically. Being cold and bitter, it is used cautiously in Spleen/Stomach deficiency and Cold patterns.
Western Herbalism Properties
Used In Formulas (3)
Botanical Description
Huang Bai is the dried inner bark of Phellodendron chinense C.K.Schneid. or Phellodendron amurense Rupr. (Rutaceae), commonly called Chinese or Amur cork tree. The parent tree is a medium to large deciduous tree 10-25 m tall, with a broad rounded crown and a distinctive thick, deeply furrowed, soft and corky outer bark whose inner layer is brilliant yellow due to high berberine content. Opposite, odd-pinnately compound leaves bear 5-13 ovate-lanceolate leaflets, 5-10 cm long, finely toothed, and emit a pungent citrus-like odor when crushed. Dioecious panicles of small greenish-yellow flowers yield clusters of pea-sized black drupes that persist into winter. The harvested inner bark is intensely bitter and yellow, and supplies the major TCM herb for clearing damp-heat from the lower jiao, used in jaundice, leukorrhea, dysentery, and inflammatory skin conditions. Phellodendron amurense is now listed as endangered in parts of its range.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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