Aidus & E-Fong Herbal Solution
Herbal Medicine for Clearing Heat and Drying Dampness- Huang Bo
            
       
                  Huang Bo (or Bai)
                                                 (HBF044)                                      
                                          Phellodendron Bark
               

This herb is the bark of the deciduous tree, Phellodendra amurense Rupr. and P. chinense Schneid; The herbal part is cork tree
bark. The former is produced in the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Hubei, and the latter, in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, and
Yunnan Provinces of China. It is harvested in early April. The bark is stripped off, dried in the sunlight, flattened and soaked
thoroughly, then sliced or cut into shreds. It is used raw or stir baked with saline.
Properties:
Bitterness in flavour, coldness in nature, it acts on the kidney, bladder, and large intestine channels. The bitter and cold
properties purges the heat. It is capable of clearing away the damp-heat in the lower jiao and purging a- way the ministrial fire.
It is indicated for the syndromes of jaundice, dysentery and diarrhea due to damp-heat, and the diseases caused by deficiency
of kidney yin and hyperactivity of the ministrial fire.
Effects:
Clearing heat, dampness and fire, and detoxicating.
Indications:
1. For treating the diseases of fever, night sweating, spermatorrhea caused by deficiency of kidney-\ yin, and hyperactivity of
ministrial fire, it is used in combination with anemarrhena rhizome, rehmannia root to nourish Yin and relieve fire, known as
Zhi Bai Dihuang Wan (Bolus of Anemarrhena and Phellodendron)
2. For treating jaundice due to damp-heat, it is used in combination with coptis root, capejasmine fruit to normalize the
function of the gallbladder and clear the jaundice. In cases of diarrhea due to dampness heat in the large intestine, it is used in
combination with coptis root, pulsatilla root to clear heat, and damp- ness, eliminate heat from the blood and stop diarrhea. For
treating the diseases of stranguria, profuse leukorrhea, pruritus vulvae and arthritis caused by the damp- heat in the lower-jiao,
it is used in combination with atractylodes rhizome known as Er Miao San (Powder of Two Wonderful Drugs) to remove the
damp-heat in the lower jiao.
3. For treating suppurative infections on the body surface, such as boils, sores, eczema caused by noxious heat, it is used in
combination with the drugs for clearing away heat, detoxicating, removing dampness and relieving itching, such as coptis root,
flavescent sophora root.
Dosage and Administration: 5~10g. Use the salt water-baked preparation for treating the hyperactivity of fire due to Yin
deficiency.
Modern Researches:
The antibacterial spectrum of phellodendron bark is similar to that of coptis root. Many of the pathogenic bacteria, such as
Shigella dys- enteriae, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureaus, etc., are inhibited in vitro by the herb. It is also effective
against dermatophytes though its potency is less than that of the scutellaria root. It arises the protective effect on blood
platelets.
When used externally, it enhances the absorption of subcutaneous purpure. Besides, the herb is cholagogic, diuretic,
hypotensive and antipyretic though less potent than the coptis root. (Aidus & E-fong Herbal Solution)