wu bei zi

Name: wu bei zi
Creator: Bencao Index

五倍子·Galla Chinensis

Gallnut Of Chinese Sumac

About wu bei zi

Wu Bei Zi (五倍子) is the gall of the Chinese sumac — a growth raised on the plant by an insect — recorded as Galla Chinensis. It is sour and salty in flavour and cold in temperature, entering the Lung, Kidney and Large Intestine channels.

Names

Pinyin	wu bei zi
Chinese	五倍子
Latin Name	Galla Chinensis
English Name	Gallnut Of Chinese Sumac
Japanese	gobaishi
Korean	obaeja

Classification

Channels: Lung, Large Intestine, Kidney
Flavour: Sour, Salty
Temperature: Cold
Family: Anacardiaceae
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Astringes the Lungs and stops cough

Long-standing cough from Lung Qi deficiency, often with thin or profuse sputum

Astringes the Intestines and stops diarrhea

Chronic diarrhea or dysentery
Blood in the stool of long standing
Rectal prolapse after prolonged loose stools

Astringes sweat and secures the Kidneys and Jing

Seminal emission and spermatorrhea when the Kidneys fail to hold
Spontaneous sweating, night sweats or excessive sweating

Clears Fire toxicity, dries Damp and reduces swelling (topical)

Applied as a powder or wash to sores, skin disease, toxic swellings and weeping, ulcerated skin
Scar tissue

Cools Deficiency Fire

Coughing of blood or blood-flecked phlegm over a long period, when Lung Yin is deficient and Deficiency Fire flares

Stops bleeding

Uterine bleeding, blood in the stool or urine, bleeding gums and nosebleed
Blood coughed up or vomited

Combinations

wu wei zi + ying su ke
Chronic Lung Deficiency cough.
gua lou + huang qin + bei mu
Lung Heat with a severe cough
he zi
Long-standing diarrhea with abdominal pain and blood in the stool; as an external wash or steam bath, sores and rectal or uterine prolapse
rou dou kou + dang shen
Chronic diarrhea.
fu ling + long gu
Spermatorrhea from consumptive Deficiency, taken on an empty stomach with a little salt
long gu + mu li
Yin and Blood Deficiency with abnormal sweating
huang qi + sheng ma
Rectal prolapse.
di yu + huai hua mi
Hemafecia and bleeding hemorrhoids.
bai zhu + huang qi + hai piao xiao
Spleen Qi Deficiency with heavy periods or uterine bleeding
ming fan
Rectal prolapse, used as an external wash
wu gong
Scars, applied topically as a salve
hemostatics
Massive uterine hemorrhage.
wu wei zi
Yin Deficiency Fire flaring up to irritate the Lungs, with cough at dusk; spontaneous and night sweats, prolapse of the uterus or rectum, chronic dysentery or diarrhea, vaginal discharge, metrorrhagia and spermatorrhea; Lung Qi Deficiency with wheezing and cough
da huang + huang bai
Early sores that have not yet come to a head, with the powder mixed in fresh water and applied around the margin of the sore
wu wei zi + tian men dong + xuan shen
Chronic cough.
rice soup
Summer dysentery and chronic diarrhea, fried with vinegar and ground to powder
ming fan + he zi + hai piao xiao
Uterine bleeding; bleeding after miscarriage

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 1.5-7g; Tincture: 0.5-3ml	1.5-7 g	—	0.5-3 ml	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Cough from an external Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat invasion, especially early on, since astringing can trap the pathogen
contraindication Heat in the Lungs
contraindication Diarrhea or dysentery from Damp-Heat or acute Excess

Interactions

Drug interactions

Any oral medicine, and mineral supplements such as iron: the herb's high tannin content can bind them in the gut and lower absorption, so take them at least two hours apart

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