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“Medical Records of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine” · Bai Shao Explanation
Bai Shao (White Peony) has a bitter and slightly sour taste, is cool in nature, and is rich in liquid (when boiled alone, its juice is very thick). It is good at nourishing Yin and blood, clearing heat and alleviating restlessness, and can draw down the floating heat of the upper jiao (upper burner) to be expelled through urination, making it a key herb for those with Yin deficiency and heat causing difficulty in urination. Due to its sour taste, it can enter the liver to generate liver blood; because of its bitter taste, it can enter the gallbladder and benefit bile; its sour and bitter nature, combined with its coolness, also helps to drain heat from the liver and gallbladder, alleviating post-dysentery heaviness (post-dysentery heaviness is often due to the fire of the liver and gallbladder pressing down). It treats eye diseases with swelling and pain (the liver opens to the eyes). When used with Dang Gui (Angelica Sinensis) and Di Huang (Rehmannia), it generates new blood; with Tao Ren (Peach Kernel) and Hong Hua (Safflower), it resolves blood stasis; with Gan Cao (Licorice), it harmonizes Qi and blood, effectively treating abdominal pain; with Zhu Ru (Bamboo Shavings), it effectively stops vomiting and nosebleeds; and with Fu Zi (Aconite), it gathers the original Yang back to its residence. Its strength is gentle and moderate, and it must be used in larger quantities to achieve its effects.
Bai Shao originally comes in two varieties: white and red, with the white variety being preferred, hence it is more commonly used in formulas. For resolving blood stasis, the red variety is superior, thus it is often used for treating sores and ulcers, as it can transform toxic heat and blood stasis without causing pus to form. Bai Shao is produced in the southern regions, with the best quality coming from Hangzhou, characterized by a white color with a slight red hue, and its skin is reddish and slightly heavy. Its unique color combination of red and white gives it exceptional harmonizing power for Qi and blood. The red variety comes from the northeastern provinces of China, where it grows in various mountains, with a reddish flesh and rough skin, resembling the roots of wild grasses. Zhang Yinan and Chen Xiuyuan both doubted its authenticity as Bai Shao. I also had my doubts until I witnessed it myself, dispelling my doubts. Its flowers and leaves are small, and the flowers are either pink or purple, but regardless of color, the root color remains the same.
Medical CaseIn Fengtian, at the Daxiguan area, there lived a man named Chen, over forty years old. Since mid-January, he felt a heat sensation in his heart and a lack of appetite, which worsened by late spring. His heat intensified, often accompanied by abdominal pain and occasional diarrhea. His pulse was exceptionally taut and hard on the right side, and upon palpation, it felt very solid, with a slightly yellow tongue coating. It was determined that he was suffering from an external pathogenic factor, as spring was awakening, which had entered the stomach and transformed into heat over time, while the liver wood was overpowering the stomach earth due to the seasonal excess, leading to abdominal pain and diarrhea. The pulse was not a strong flood pulse but presented a taut and hard appearance, indicating that the stomach earth was being insulted, also due to the transformation of liver wood. To relieve this, a formula was prescribed consisting of Sheng Hang Shao (Fresh Hangzhou Bai Shao), Sheng Huai Shan (Fresh Chinese Yam), Hua Shi (Talc), and Xuan Shen (Scrophularia) each at one liang (30 grams), with Gan Cao (Licorice) and Lian Qiao (Forsythia) each at three qian (9 grams), decocted into a dose. Both the heat and abdominal pain improved significantly, allowing him to eat. After self-administering the medicine, he still had two bowel movements, and upon diagnosis, his pulse had nearly returned to normal, so the Bai Shao, Hua Shi, and Xuan Shen were each reduced by half, and he took another dose, achieving full recovery.
(One liang = 30 grams, one qian = 3 grams)
Text Version
Hello friends, today we will discuss how Zhang Xichun used Bai Shao. We know that Bai Shao flowers are particularly beautiful, but we may not know that the root of Bai Shao can also treat diseases. Bai Shao is divided into Bai Shao (White Peony) and Chi Shao (Red Peony), and we are discussing Bai Shao, which is good at nourishing Yin and blood, and can clear heat and alleviate restlessness. Zhang Xichun believed that Bai Shao could draw down the floating heat of the upper jiao, allowing it to be expelled through urination. This is the function of Bai Shao. Think about it, Bai Shao can guide the floating heat of the upper jiao downwards, allowing it to be expelled through urination. We generally believe that Bai Shao can promote urination, but Zhang Xichun believed it could guide the floating heat of the upper jiao downwards, ultimately being expelled through urination. Therefore, it is a key herb for those with Yin deficiency and heat causing difficulty in urination, where urination is scant. Bai Shao is the main herb. Because Bai Shao has a sour taste, we say that the properties of herbs correspond to their tastes, and since it is sour, it can enter the liver channel to generate liver blood. In other words, Bai Shao can nourish liver blood. In common terms, Bai Shao can soften the liver; when the liver has blood, it becomes gentle and will not rebel or cause wind. If there is no blood, problems arise, and the liver wood can harm the spleen earth. Thus, Bai Shao can soften the liver, which is a concept in TCM. Bai Shao has a bitter taste and can also “enter the gallbladder and benefit bile,” according to his explanation. Bai Shao’s medicinal taste is sour, and its nature is cool, and Zhang Xichun believed that Bai Shao could drain heat from the liver and gallbladder, alleviating the heaviness and pain associated with dysentery. Zhang Xichun’s application of Bai Shao is very flexible, and today we will discuss a case. In Fengtian, which is my hometown Shenyang, there lived a man named Chen, over forty years old. Since mid-January, he felt a sensation of heat in his body, which Zhang Xichun often described as a heat sensation in the heart, meaning he felt hot and had a lack of appetite. This continued until late spring, when the heat became more severe, and he often experienced abdominal pain and diarrhea.“He often had diarrhea, which was very uncomfortable. At this time, he sought treatment from Zhang Xichun at the Lida Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, one of the earliest TCM hospitals established by Zhang Xichun. Upon diagnosis, Zhang Xichun found that the pulse on the right side was exceptionally taut and hard. Why was the right side taut and hard? The left pulse corresponds to the heart, liver, and kidneys, while the right pulse corresponds to the lungs, spleen, and life. If the liver wood is rebelling against the spleen earth, the pulse at the spleen position on the right side will become taut and hard. Zhang Xichun knew from the taut pulse that this was likely due to the liver wood rebelling against the spleen earth. Upon further examination, the pulse was solid, and the tongue coating was slightly yellow. Zhang Xichun understood that this person was suffering from “external pathogenic factors, due to the awakening of spring,” meaning that the usual pathogenic factors had not manifested but were hidden inside, referred to as latent pathogens. When spring arrived, the Qi mechanism rose, and the latent pathogens emerged, which is a traditional TCM concept. “Latent pathogens cause disease” is a theory indicating that pathogenic factors can hide within. When spring arrives, they “enter the stomach and intestines,” affecting the stomach channel and beginning to transform into heat. At this time, spring corresponds to wood and the liver. If a person’s liver blood and liver Yin are insufficient in spring, it can lead to internal wind movement, causing the liver wood to rebel against the spleen earth, thus bullying the spleen and stomach, resulting in abdominal pain and diarrhea. Moreover, the taut pulse on the right hand at the spleen position indicates that the liver wood is rebelling against the spleen earth. Zhang Xichun determined that he should soften the liver and tonify the spleen and stomach. Zhang Xichun prescribed a formula. The first herb was Sheng Bai Shao (Fresh White Peony), referred to as Sheng Hang Shao, which is authentic Bai Shao, at one liang (30 grams), along with Sheng Huai Shan (Fresh Chinese Yam) at one liang (30 grams). Bai Shao is used to soften and draw in the liver, while Huai Shan strengthens the spleen and stomach, balancing the effects of wood and earth. This method combines the two. Hua Shi (Talc) and Xuan Shen (Scrophularia) were each added at one liang (30 grams), as they clear heat and guide it downwards, while Gan Cao (Licorice) and Lian Qiao (Forsythia) were each added at three qian (9 grams), with Gan Cao harmonizing the effects of all herbs and having detoxifying properties, while Lian Qiao is also detoxifying. This is the formula. The main combination in the formula is Bai Shao and Huai Shan, one for drawing in liver Qi, softening the liver, and nourishing liver blood, while the other tonifies the Qi of the spleen and stomach. Balancing these two, along with some heat-clearing herbs, is quite simple. After taking this formula, what was the outcome? After decocting and taking one dose, “the heat and abdominal pain improved significantly,” and he could eat. After self-administering the medicine, he had two more bowel movements.“ Zhang Xichun said to continue taking it. The pulse had stabilized, and there were no issues, so he continued taking it, reducing the Bai Shao, Hua Shi, and Xuan Shen by half, and after taking another dose, the patient fully recovered. This treatment was very effective, as the formula targeted the root cause. The main feature of this formula is the use of Bai Shao to draw in the liver and the use of Huai Shan to tonify the spleen, balancing the relationship between these two organs. When the spleen earth is not oppressed by the liver wood, it will naturally return to normal, alleviating pain and diarrhea. This is one of Zhang Xichun’s methods. Regarding the constrictive nature of Bai Shao, in the coming days, we will continue to discuss how Zhang Xichun utilized Bai Shao’s constrictive properties. That concludes today’s discussion; tomorrow we will share more about how Zhang Xichun used Bai Shao. Thank you all, goodbye.
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Every disease can be categorized into cold and heat, for example, nosebleeds… | Zhang Xichun Audio Series (← Click to read)
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