Library

Bai Mu (i.e., Huang Bo)

Taste: Bitter. Nature: Cold. Toxicity: Non-toxic. Indications: Primarily treats accumulated heat in the five zang organs and intestines/stomach, jaundice, intestinal hemorrhoids, stops diarrhea and dysentery, treats leukorrhea (red and white vaginal discharge) in women, erosive sores caused by injury to the yin region, and conditions where "jing qi" (startling/evil qi) is trapped between the skin, causing skin heat, redness, and eruptions, red and painful eyes, and mouth ulcers. Long-term consumption promotes spiritual clarity.

Root: Also known as Tan Huan. Treats various diseases of the heart and abdomen, calms the hun and po spirits, and alleviates hunger and thirst. Long-term consumption lightens the body, prolongs life, and promotes spiritual clarity. Grows in the valleys of Han Zhong and Yong Chang. (Incompatible with Gan Qi / Dry Lacquer.)

Tao Hongjing states: The Huang Bo produced in Shao Ling is superior if it is thin/light and dark-colored. The Huang Bo from Dong Shan is thick but pale in color; its root is classified under "Mu Zhi" (Wood Fungus) in Daoist materia medica, though people nowadays do not know to harvest and consume it. There is also a small tree resembling a pomegranate tree, with yellow and bitter bark, commonly called "Zi Bai," which also treats mouth ulcers. Another small tree, thorny with yellow bark, also treats mouth ulcers. The *Tang Ben Cao* annotation notes: "Zi Bai," also named "Shan Shi Liu," has fruits resembling Ligustrum lucidum seeds, white non-yellow bark, and is also called "Xiao Bai," found everywhere. The claim that the bark is yellow is likely erroneous. According to current custom, "Zi Bai" refers to thorny small trees named "Ci Bai" (Juniper), not "Xiao Bai." Referencing Chen Cangqi's *Ben Cao*: Bai Pi (Cortex Platycladi) treats heat sores, insect-bite sores, bloody dysentery, kills parasites, and when decocted, treats Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst syndrome). Ministers Yu Xi et al. respectfully note according to *Shu Ben Tu Jing*: Huang Bo trees are several zhang high, leaves resemble Evodia rutaecarpa (Wu Zhu Yu) or Purple Toona, bark is yellow, roots resemble Poria cocos growing under pine trees in nodular masses, and are found everywhere today.

Bark (Huang Bo): As a medicinal material, nature is neutral. Treats male impotence, treats hematochezia resembling chicken or duck liver slices, and sores on the penis. Apply as a fine powder externally. Ri Huazi states: Calms the heart, removes fatigue, treats bone-steaming tidal fever, cleanses the liver to improve vision, treats excessive tearing, dry mouth, and heart heat, kills pinworms, treats heart pain, tinea, and scabies; honey-fried treatment for epistaxis, wind-intestinal bleeding, acute heat and swelling in the anal region; its efficacy is slightly weaker than the root.

*TU JING* states: Bai Mu is Huang Bo. Grows in the valleys of Han Zhong and Yong Chang, now found everywhere, with those from Shu (Sichuan) being the best. Trees are several zhang high, leaves resemble Evodia, Toona, and Catalpa leaves, evergreen. Outer bark is white, inner bark is deep yellow. Roots form nodular masses like Poria cocos under pine trees. Harvest bark in May and June, remove rough outer layer, sun-dry for use. The root is named Tan Huan. *Huainan Wanbi Shu* states: Bai Mu beautifies the face; take 3 cun of Bai Mu, 3 Tugua (Melon), 7 large dates, mix into a paste with soup to wash the face, then apply medicine; within four or five days, the complexion will become lustrous. Tang Dynasty Wei Zhou's *Du Xing Fang* treats sudden onset Xiao Ke with polyuria. Huang Bo 1 jin, water 1 sheng, boil for three to five boils, drink when thirsty, freely, symptoms cease in a few days. Another variety, thorny, small, with fine leaves, is named Ci Bai, not used medicinally. Additionally, lower-grade category lists "Xiao Bai," tree like pomegranate, yellow bark, red fruit like Goji berries, pointed at both ends, chopped by people to dye yellow, rarely used by physicians today.

Lei Gong says: When processing, shave off the coarse outer bark with a knife, soak in raw honey water for half a day, drain and sun-dry, coat with honey, roast over mild to strong fire until honey is fully absorbed. For every 5 liang processed, use 3 liang honey. *Waitai Miyao*: For mouth and tongue ulcers/erosions, crush Huang Bo and hold in mouth. *Qianjin Fang*: Treats infant double tongue. Soak Huang Bo in bitter bamboo sap, drip onto tongue. *Zhoubao Fang*: Sudden throat swelling, inability to eat/drink. Crush Huang Bo and apply to swelling, replace when cool; mixing with vinegar is better. Another prescription: For Shanghan seasonal warm disease, toxic attack causing hand/foot swelling, severe pain, or toxic attack causing genital swelling. Finely chop Huang Bo 5 jin, soak in 3 sheng water. *Shanghan Leiyao* agrees. Ge Shi Fang: Male genital ulcers/erosion, wash with water-decocted Huang Bo, apply white honey. Another prescription: Sudden throat obstruction (Hou Bi). Take sliced Huang Bo and hold in mouth. Another prescription: Huang Bo 1 jin chopped, wine 1 dou, boil three times, remove dregs, drink freely for cure. Another prescription: Poisoning from eating dead livestock. Take one cun cube of Huang Bo powder orally, repeat if ineffective. Jingyan Fang treats hematemesis. Select good Huang Bo, coat with honey, dry, grind to powder, mix with cooked Ophiopogon japonicus water, take 2 qian bi, immediate recovery. Mei Shi Fang: Treats carbuncles/back abscesses or breast abscesses, initially slightly red; if not treated urgently, fatal. Roast slowly until charred, grind to powder. Take 2 qian per dose, mixed with warm glutinous rice drink. *Shiquan Bosiu*: Treats infant heat-diarrhea. Peel Huang Bo, bake, grind to powder, make pills the size of millet seeds using thin rice gruel. Take 10 pills with rice drink. *Shen Shi Fang*: Treats mouth ulcers due to Shanghan febrile disease. Scrape off coarse outer bark of Huang Bo, thinly slice inner good part, soak in cliff honey overnight, ensure concentration, hold juice in mouth for a long time then spit out, repeat. If chest heat or sores present, drinking 3-5 he is especially good.

*Yanyi* states: Bai Mu, currently uses the bark, evenly roasted with honey, mixed with equal parts Qing Dai (Indigo Naturalis), ground to powder, add one zi of raw Long Nao (Borneol), grind uniformly, treats Heart-Spleen heat. For tongue/cheek ulcers, sprinkle on sores, expectorate saliva. Furthermore, Zhang Zhongjing's Bai Pi Tang is invariably effective, already recorded in *Shanghan Lun*.