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Nature: Neutral. Flavor: Acrid (Pungent). Toxicity: Non-toxic. Indications: Mainly treats vexatious heat in Shanghan (Cold Damage syndrome), strangury with lingering pathogenic qi, hernia and mass accumulation, throat obstruction (sore throat with swelling and blockage), difficulty in lactation, metal wounds, and wind-induced spasms.
(Preparation: Remove the heart, stir-fry with glutinous rice.)

Beimu (Fritillariae Bulbus) has a neutral nature, inheriting the metallic Qi of autumn's equilibrium, entering the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Its acrid flavor and non-toxic property derive from the metallic flavor of the West, entering the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian of Dry Metal. Its descending quality exceeds its ascending quality, belonging to Yin. It treats vexatious heat in Shanghan because Shanghan encompasses five types: wind-cold, wind-damp, damp-heat, warm disease, and summerheat. Wind and heat are conditions of Yang excess; thus, Yang excess causes vexatious heat. Beimu’s neutral nature clears heat, and its acrid flavor moistens and disperses, thereby treating this condition. Strangury arises from heat in the Bladder. Pathogenic qi refers to the Qi of pathogenic heat. The Bladder’s function relies on Qi transformation. Beimu’s acrid flavor moistens the Lung, which is the organ governing Qi. When Lung Qi harmonizes and moistens, fluids reach the Zhoudou (Bladder), allowing urination to flow freely without strangury. It treats hernia and mass accumulation because when Lung Qi is not regulated, it fails to diffuse and descend water passages to transport fluids downward to the Bladder, causing damp-heat pathogens to gather and form hernias and masses. Beimu’s neutral nature regulates water passages, and its acrid flavor dissipates heat knots. The Large Intestine meridian normally ascends along the throat; if fire flares at the Biao (exterior/terminal aspect), throat obstruction occurs. "Bi" means obstruction. Beimu treats this because its acrid flavor and neutral nature resolve heat knots in the Large Intestine. The Lung is the reservoir of fluid and moisture. It treats difficulty in lactation because Beimu’s acrid flavor moistens; when moistened, milk flows naturally. The Lung governs skin and hair. Beimu’s acrid flavor and neutral nature moisten the Lung and tighten the skin pores, healing metal wounds. Wind-induced spasms occur when wind-dampness flows into joints, preventing blood from nourishing tendons, leading to tendon tension and spasm. Beimu’s acrid flavor disperses wind-dampness and moistens blood. Furthermore, as Beimu enters the Lung, Lung moistening ensures unobstructed water passages and sufficient fluids, driving out wind-dampness and relaxing sinews and vessels.

Prescription Applications:
Beimu pills made with ginger juice treat melancholy with stagnant Qi. Combined with Houpo Wan (Magnolia Bark Pill), it resolves phlegm and directs Qi downward. Combined with Zhi Mu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma) and Muli (Ostreae Concha) powder, taken with pig trotter soup, it treats insufficient lactation. Used alone as powder, it treats hematemesis and epistaxis (nosebleed); blown into the nose, it treats painful mastitis. Combined with Zhi Mu, Qianhu (Peucedani Radix), Maidong (Ophiopogonis Tuber), Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix), and Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), it treats vexatious heat in Shanghan. Combined with Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium), Qianhu, Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum), Zhi Mu, Maidong, and Zhuxi (Bambusae Succus), it treats phlegmatic malaria. Combined with Baizhi (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix) and Baji Li (Tribuli Fructus), it treats depression syndromes and mastitis.