Hai Tong Pi (海桐皮) is the bark of erythrina, the coral bean tree, recorded as Cortex Erythrinae. It is bitter and acrid in flavour and neutral in temperature, entering the Liver, Spleen and Kidney channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that dispel Wind-Damp.

Pinyin

hai tong pi

Chinese

海桐皮

Latin Name

Cortex Erythrinae

English Name

coral-bean bark·Erythrina Bard·erythrina bark·erythrina bark; coral-bean bark

Japanese

kaitohi

Korean

haedongpi

Actions and indications

Dispels Wind-Damp and unblocks the channels and collaterals

Wind-Damp Bi where the knees and lumbar region ache and hurt
Painful spasms of the limbs and joints

Promotes urination and reduces edema

Superficial edema from Damp

Relieves itching and kills parasites

Scabies and other itchy skin lesions, applied externally

Relieves toothache from dental caries

Toothache from decayed teeth, used as a mouth rinse

Combinations

huai niu xi + qiang huo

Wind-Cold-Dampness with long-standing pain of the joints, the knees and lower back in particular

bei xie + mu tong

Downward-pouring Damp-Heat with hot, painful legs and knees

kuān jīn téng + gui zhi

Muscle pain, spasm and contraction from Wind-Cold-Dampness or trauma, used externally as a wash every day for a month or longer

gui zhi

Swollen, painful joints, taken internally or used as an external wash

she chuang zi + da huang

Scabies and other itchy skin lesions, applied as an oil

Age

Raw

Granule

Tincture

Concentrate

Frequency

Any

6-30 g

—

Cautions

contraindication Absence of Wind-Damp

contraindication Blood deficiency

contraindication Accumulated Fire

caution Toxicity and clinical data for Erythrina plants are sparse, so the lack of reported harm is not proof of safety

caution Different plants are sold under this name, so check the species of any batch

caution Erythrina alkaloids act on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in laboratory work, and extracts have shown neuromuscular blocking activity; treat it as a practitioner's herb, and tell the surgical team before an operation using neuromuscular blockers (theoretical)

pregnancy No specific prohibition is recorded; use in pregnancy is for a qualified practitioner to decide

hai tong pi

About hai tong pi

Names

Classification