Nature: bitter, sweet, astringent, slightly cold

Enters: Lung, Liver, Stomach

Actions: Relieves swelling; promotes tissue regeneration; stops bleeding by astringing.

• Mainly used for bleeding from the Lungs or stomach: hemoptysis, hematemesis, epistaxis.
• Heat and toxicity: carbuncles, cracks on hands and feet; also sores, ulcers, chapped skin. Reduces the swelling of sores, helps speed resolution of ulcers. Especially useful for chronic, non-healing ulcers. For these indications, and for bleeding from traumatic injury, it is usually applied topically.
• Pulmonary tuberculosis: in 60 chronic cases which had not responded to normal therapy, 42 were clinically cured and 13 were significantly improved after taking Bai ji for three months. Also successful in bronchiectasis.
• Useful as a powder for stopping bleeding in surgery.
• Bleeding ulcers, carefully selected cases of gastric or duodenal perforation: Stopped bleeding in all 69 cases of bleeding ulcers in one study. Successful in 23 of 29 cases of perforated ulcers in another study. Contraindicated for patients who (1) do not have a definite diagnosis; (2) have recently eaten; (3) the physical exam reveals marked abdominal distention, reduced bowel sounds, or a painful rectal examination; or (4) are in unstable condition for any reason. Some clinicians feel Bai ji should not be used for perforation for the following reasons: (1) the powdered herb can increase peristalsis and therefore enlarge the perforation; (2) the above, together with an increase in nausea and vomiting, can increase leakage into the abdominal cavity; and (3) because powdered Bai ji is adhesive, it can cause a serious problem if it enters the abdominal cavity.
• Topical, as a sterile ointment: for burns.
MLT: In powder with sesame oil for chapped, bleeding hands and feet, wind/sunburn.
• Not for Lung/stomach bleeding when there are true excess heat signs, external pathogens, or with Lung abscess.
DY: With San qi, the two herbs act to mutually reinforce one another, and together they effectively dispel stasis, stop bleeding, promote granulation and engender muscle (flesh) without producing blood stasis. For such indications as hemoptysis, hematemesis, and bleeding caused by trauma. For internal use, take 3-6g of each herb, powdered, 2-3 times per day. Most bleeding can be stopped within two days. For gastric hemorrhages, it is advised to mix this powder with cool water in order to increase its vasoconstricting mechanism within the stomach.

Dose: 3-15g