Bai He (百合) is the lily bulb, recorded as Bulbus Lilii. It is sweet and slightly bitter in flavour, slightly cold, and enters the Heart and Lung channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that tonify Yin.

Pinyin

bai he·bai he - chuan

Chinese

百合·百合(川)

Latin Name

Bulbus Lilii

English Name

Lily Bulb

Japanese

byakugo

Korean

baekhap

Actions and indications

Nourishes Yin, moistens the Lungs, clears Heat and stops cough

Dry cough, sore throat or blood in the sputum when the Lungs are dry, hot or short of Yin
Long-standing consumptive cough from deficient Lung Qi and Yin: shortness of breath, scanty sputum that is hard to bring up or streaked with blood, night sweats and tidal fever

Clears Heat from the Heart and calms the Shen

Lingering low-grade fever after a febrile illness, with restlessness, irritability and sleep disturbed by dreams
Heart Fire
Palpitations from insufficient Qi and Yin
Bai He disease: unsettled mood and thinking, restlessness, a bitter taste, dark urine and a thin, slightly rapid pulse

Nourishes Stomach Yin and harmonises the Middle Jiao

Dull, nagging stomach pain from Stomach Yin deficiency

Combinations

sang bai pi + zi wan + bei mu

Phlegm-Heat obstructing the Lungs and damaging fluids, with cough and wheezing

jie geng + xing ren + kuan dong hua

Childhood cough with Phlegm congesting the chest and impaired throat function

sheng di huang + shu di huang + xuan shen

Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency with cough, blood-streaked sputum, night sweats and hot palms and soles

bai shao + zi wan + qian hu

Cough from Wind-Heat in pregnancy

kuan dong hua + bai bu

Lung Heat with chronic cough, often with blood-streaked sputum

mai men dong + xuan shen + chuan bei mu

Lung Yin Deficiency or consumption with chronic dry cough, sore throat and blood-streaked sputum

shu di huang

Lingering Heat with palpitations, irritability, insomnia and scanty dark urine

zhi mu

Yin Deficiency or lingering Heat late in a febrile disease, with irritability and mental confusion; dry cough, vexation and agitation following a warm disease; Lily disease

sheng di huang

Cools the Heart and harmonizes Ying and Wei by working on Qi and Blood together, following a warm febrile disease

kuan dong hua + sheng di huang + mai men dong + sha shen

Dry cough.

bai ji + bai bu + ge qiao

Bronchiectasis and hemoptysis.

zhi mu + sheng di huang

Aftermath of febrile disease with palpitations, insomnia, restlessness, poor concentration and dark urine

suan zao ren

Trouble both getting to sleep and staying asleep

hua shi

Dark urine. Dysuria.