Bai Ji Li (白薺藜) is the fruit of tribulus, recorded as Fructus Tribuli. It is acrid and bitter in flavour and neutral in temperature, entering the Liver channel alone. The catalogue files it among the substances that extinguish Wind and stop tremors.

Pinyin

bai ji li

Chinese

白蒺藜·刺蒺藜·白芨

Latin Name

Fructus Tribuli

English Name

Caltrop Fruit·caltrop fruit; puncture-vine fruit; tribulus·puncture-vine fruit·tribulus

Japanese

byakushitsuri

Korean

paekchillyeo

Actions and indications

Calms the Liver and anchors Yang

Rising Liver Yang or Liver Fire with headache, dizziness or vertigo, blurred vision and a bitter taste
Hypertension

Spreads Liver Qi and disperses stagnation and clumping

Constrained Liver Qi with fullness, distension and pain in the chest and flanks, irregular periods, or too little breast milk

Dispels Wind-Heat and brightens the eyes

Red, swollen, painful or itchy eyes
Excessive tearing and sensitivity to light
Superficial obstruction of vision

Dispels Wind and stops itching

Strongly itching skin lesions of any kind, such as hives, eczema or neurodermatitis, including itch from Wind with Blood deficiency
Vitiligo, for which it may be used on its own

Extinguishes Liver Wind

Liver Wind

Combinations

lǜ dòu yī + bai shao + ju hua

Liver Yang Rising with dizziness and blurred vision

gou teng + zhen zhu mu + huai niu xi

Liver Yang Rising in hypertension, with headache, dizziness and vertigo

chai hu + xiang fu + qing pi

Distention and pain of the chest and hypochondrium

xiao hui xiang + ru xiang + mo yao

Running piglet disorder; bulging disorders; movable masses in the abdomen

chuan shan jia + wang bu liu xing

Painful, swollen masses in the breast

xiang fu + qing pi

Poor lactation, or swelling and pain in the flanks and chest, from Liver Qi Stagnation

jue ming zi + ju hua + gan cao

Wind-Heat invading the Liver channel with red, swollen, painful eyes and heavy tearing; hypertension

mu zei + ju hua + chan tui

Corneal opacities.

tian men dong + shu di huang + shi hu

Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency with visual disturbance

chan tui + fang feng

Wind-Heat with itchy skin

bai xian pi + ma chi xian

Eczema, used as an external wash

dang gui + zhi he shou wu + fang feng

Intense itching from Blood Deficiency and ascending Liver Yang

sha yuan zi

Numerous eye disorders: nourishes the eyes by tonifying Liver and Kidneys, anchors Liver Yang and expels Wind-Heat; particularly Liver and Kidney Deficiency combined either with Liver Qi Stagnation and rising Liver Yang, or with external Wind-Heat reaching the eyes

gou teng + mu li + tian ma + huai niu xi

Hypertension with vertigo.

chai hu + zhi ke + xiang fu + yu jin + chuan lian zi + yan hu suo

Chest and hypochondriac pain.

zao jiao ci + jiang huang + bai hua she she cao

Hepatitis with hypochondriac pain

bie jia + dan shen + mu li + zao jiao ci + hong hua + tao ren

Liver Qi Stagnation with palpable masses

jue ming zi + zhi zi + mu zei + sang ye + ju hua + shi jue ming + mi meng hua