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Lily Bulb Metal-Securing Decoction
百合固金汤 〔百合固金湯〕bǎi hé gù jīn tāng
Source: Yī Fāng Jí Jiě 医方集解
Alternate Chinese names:
Ingredients:
- Bǎi hé (百合 Lilii Bulbus, lily bulb) 15g
- Shēng dì huáng (生地黄 Rehmanniae Radix Exsiccata seu Recens, dried/fresh rehmannia [root]) 12g
- Shú dì huáng (熟地黄 Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, cooked rehmannia [root]) 9g
- Mài dōng (麦冬 Ophiopogonis Radix, ophiopogon [root]) 15g
- Xuán shēn (玄参 Scrophulariae Radix, scrophularia [root]) 9g
- Bèi mǔ (贝母 Fritillariae Bulbus, fritillaria [bulb]) 9g
- Jié gěng (桔梗 Platycodonis Radix, platycodon [root]) 6g
- Dāng guī (当归 Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Chinese angelica) 9g
- Sháo yào (芍药 Paeoniae Radix, peony [root]) 9g
- Shēng gān cǎo (生甘草 Glycyrrhizae Radix Cruda, raw licorice [root]) 3g
Action: Nourishes yīn and clears heat; moistens the lung and transforms phlegm.
Indication: Lung-kidney yīn vacuity with vacuity fire flaming upward, characterized by signs such as sore throat, cough, panting, phlegm flecked with blood, dry mouth, and
Category: Dryness-relieving formulas / Internal dryness formulas
Method: Decoct with water.
Rationale: The lung is the upper source of water, so that lung yīn vacuity is often accompanied by kidney yīn vacuity. When kidney yīn is insufficient, water fails to nourish wood, which then forms fire, which in turn overcomes lung-metal. This formula treats lung-kidney yīn vacuity with wood fire tormenting metal. The main agent is cool sweet Bǎi hé, which moistens the lung and relieves cough. Cold sweet Mài dōng combined with Bèi mǔ and Jié gěng enter the lung to help the Bǎi hé moisten and clear the lung, transform phlegm, and relieve cough. The two forms of Dì huáng, Xuán shēn, Dāng guī, and Sháo yào enter the kidney and enrich yīn, and also enter the liver and nourish the blood, thus quelling the wood fire that torments metal.
Variations:
- Copious thick yellow phlegm: Add Guā lóu (瓜蒌 Trichosanthis Fructus, trichosanthes [fruit]) and Zhú rú (竹茹 Bambusae Caulis in Taenia, bamboo shavings).
- Expectoration of phlegm flecked with blood or
coughing of blood : Add Bái máo gēn (白茅根 Imperatae Rhizoma, imperata [rhizome]) and Xiān hè cǎo (仙鹤草 Agrimoniae Herba, agrimony). - Pulmonary tuberculosis: Add Bǎi bù (百部 Stemonae Radix, stemona [root]),
lucao , and Yú xīng cǎo (鱼腥草 Houttuyniae Herba, houttuynia). - Sore
dry throat : Add Pàng dà hǎi (胖大海 Sterculiae Lychnophorae Semen, sterculia) and Tiān huā fěn (天花粉 Trichosanthis Radix, trichosanthes root).