huang bai

黄柏·Cortex Phellodendri

amur cork-tree bark

About huang bai

Huang Bai (黄柏) is the bark of the amur cork tree, recorded as Cortex Phellodendri. It is bitter in flavour and cold in temperature, entering the Kidney and Bladder channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that clear Heat and dry Dampness.

Names

Pinyinhuang bai
Chinese黄柏
Latin NameCortex Phellodendri·Cortex Phellodendri Chinensis
English Nameamur cork-tree bark·amur cork-tree bark; phellodendron bark·Phellodendron Bark
Japaneseobaku
Koreanhwangbaek

Classification

Channels
Bladder, Kidney
Flavour
Bitter
Temperature
Cold
Part used
Bark
Family
Rutaceae
Species
Phellodendron amurense
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Drains Damp-Heat, particularly from the Lower Jiao

  • Lower Jiao Damp-Heat
  • Vaginal discharge that is thick, yellow and foul-smelling
  • Diarrhea or dysentery with a foul odour
  • Jaundice from Damp-Heat
  • Acute urinary tract infection
  • Hot Leg Qi: knees, legs or feet that are red, hot, swollen and painful as Damp-Heat pours downward

Drains Kidney Fire from deficiency

  • Empty Fire flaring from deficient Kidney Yin: steaming bone, night sweats, afternoon fever with sweating, and at times nocturnal emissions or spermatorrhea

Drains Fire and resolves Fire toxicity

  • Toxic sores, abscesses and boils, used internally or applied topically
  • Damp, weeping skin lesions such as eczema

Combinations

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any 3-12g; Tincture: 2-4ml3-12 g2-4 ml

Cautions

Prepared forms (1)

huang bai Chuan

黄柏·Cortex Phellodendri

Huang Bai (Chuan) (黄柏) is the bark of phellodendron, recorded as Cortex Phellodendri. Beyond the names the record holds no category, channels or actions.

The catalogue records no separate actions, dose or cautions for this preparation. Unless noted above it follows huang bai.