Xie Bai San, Drain the White Powder from the Wondrous Lantern, is Sang Bai Pi, Di Gu Pi, Zhi Gan Cao, Geng Mi, Ren Shen, Fu Ling, Zhi Mu and Huang Qin. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that clear Heat from the organs.

Herb

Amount

30 g

30 g

3 g

15 g

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Actions and indications

Drains smouldering Heat from the Lungs

Hidden Heat lodged in the Lungs, often lingering after an exterior illness or arising within
Liver Fire scorching the Lungs
Cough from Yin deficiency brought on by Lung Heat
Skin hot to the touch with a steaming feeling, and fever that rises in the afternoon or evening, usually low-grade rather than high; possibly flushed cheeks
Dry mouth and throat, dry bitter taste, and scant sputum that is hard to bring up, or yellow sputum
Burning pain in the chest and ribs, or a full, oppressed chest
Blood in the sputum or nosebleeds
Irritability and impatience, dizziness, red eyes, no sweating, and possibly constipation
Children whose condition swings between excess and deficiency
Tongue red with a thin yellow coat; pulse thin and rapid, possibly wiry

Calms wheezing, stops cough and eases breathing

High, clear-sounding cough with wheezing
Hurried or laboured breathing

Modern uses

Upper respiratory tract infection
Common cold
Acute bronchitis
Tracheitis
Pneumonia
Pneumonia in children
Whooping cough
Early-stage pulmonary tuberculosis
Pleurisy
Measles, early stage or in infants, including measles pneumonitis
Asthma, including bronchial asthma and mild asthmatic cough
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Bronchiectasis
Loffler's syndrome
Tropical eosinophilia
Lung cancer
Cough
Dyspnoea
Bleeding from the upper respiratory tract
Haemoptysis
Epistaxis
Nosebleed during menstruation (inverted menses)
Acute and chronic tonsillitis
Herpes simplex
Rosacea
Acne vulgaris
Urticaria
Conjunctivitis
Red eyes
Tongue pain
Hypertension
Constipation
Dizziness
Fever
Epstein-Barr virus syndrome
Myalgic encephalomyelitis

Modifications

Severe Heat: + huang qin, + zhi mu

Dry cough: + gua lou pi, + chuan bei mu, + sha shen, + xing ren

Severe thirst and irritability: + zhi mu, + sha shen, + tian hua fen

Obstruction due to Phlegm: + ting li zi, + bai qian

Mild Phlegm, and to guard the Spleen and Stomach: + fu ling, − geng mi

Cough and wheezing from Heat with weak Lung Qi: + ren shen, + fu ling, + zhi mu, + huang qin

Early Lung abscess, dark green or blood-streaked sputum, worse in the morning: + sang bai pi, + zhe bei mu, + jie geng, + gua lou ren, + sheng jiang, − chao sang bai pi, − geng mi

Alternating chills and fever: + chai hu, + bai shao

Thirst with irritability: + mai men dong, + wu wei zi

Cough and wheezing: + xing ren, + jie geng

Qi Deficiency: + ren shen, + huang qi

Lung abscess: + zhe bei mu, + zi wan, + jie geng, + dang gui, + gua lou ren

Show all 39 modifications

Stronger Lung Heat: + zhi mu, + huang qin, + yu xing cao, + shi gao
Severe cough: + gua lou pi, + chuan bei mu
Afternoon fevers from deficiency Heat: + qing hao, + bie jia, + yin chai hu
Irritability: + zhi zi, + zhu ye (dan)
Irritability, alternative additions: + qing hao, + bie jia, + sheng di huang
Dry stool: + da huang, + zhi shi
Hemoptysis: + mu dan pi, + di gu pi, + gan cao
Breathless child with a lingering cough: + zi su zi, + kuan dong hua
Chronic cough in children, much Phlegm (combined with Shi Hui San): + zhi ban xia
Chronic cough in children, poor appetite: + shan zha
Constipated child with a lingering cough: + dong gua zi
Pneumonia in children: + sha shen, + mai men dong, + huang qin, + xing ren, + tao ren, + bai bu, + chuan bei mu, + bai qian, + zhi ban xia, + shan ci gu, − geng mi
Nosebleed from Yin deficiency and Lung Dryness: + sha shen, + yu zhu, + mai men dong, + sang ye
Nosebleed from Lung Heat: + sheng di huang
Nosebleed from Stomach Fire: + da huang, + huang lian
Nosebleed from deficient Qi and Yin: + xi yang shen, + sheng di huang
Coughing blood (combined with Dai Ge San): + huang qin, + ge qiao fen, + chao pu huang, + bai mao gen, + ou jie, + qian cao gen
Coughing blood, heavy bleeding (combined with Dai Ge San): + huang qin, + ge qiao fen, + chao pu huang, + bai mao gen, + ou jie, + qian cao gen
Coughing blood, marked Liver Heat (combined with Yunnan Bai Yao and Dai Ge San): + huang qin, + ge qiao fen, + chao pu huang, + bai mao gen, + ou jie, + qian cao gen, + long dan cao, + dai zhe shi
Coughing blood, marked Liver Heat, alternative additions: + san qi fen
Tongue pain: + shi gao, + huang qin
Tongue pain, dry cough: + shi gao, + huang qin, + chuan bei mu, + xuan shen
Tongue pain, yellow Phlegm: + shi gao, + huang qin, + zhu ru, + gua lou
Tongue pain, chest pain: + shi gao, + huang qin, + bai shao, + zhi ke
Tongue pain, nosebleed: + shi gao, + huang qin, + bai mao gen
Wheezing from stronger Phlegm-Heat: + di long, + chuan bei mu, + sang ye
Heat that has also damaged Lung Yin and fluids, with dry cough and dry mouth: + mai men dong, + sha shen

Cautions

contraindication Not for wheezing or cough caused by Wind-Cold, Wind-Heat or Damp-Phlegm; an exterior cough without smouldering Heat is treated at the exterior first

contraindication Cough from Qi deficiency of the Lungs or Spleen, or from Cold-Phlegm with thin, clear or white sputum, which needs warming rather than draining

caution Its two main herbs are cold; where digestion is weak or stools are loose, adjust the formula to protect the Spleen and Stomach

Pinyin

xie bai san

English Name

Drain the white powder from the wondrous Lantern

xie bai san

About xie bai san

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Drains smouldering Heat from the Lungs

Calms wheezing, stops cough and eases breathing

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification

Support