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Xie Bai (薤白), the bulb of the Chinese chive, unblocks the chest yang and moves qi to disperse cold and phlegm from the chest; the principal herb for chest painful obstruction (angina-type chest pain).
Latin / Pharmaceutical Name
Allium macrostemon (Bulbus Allii Macrostemonis)
Common English Name
Chinese chive bulb
Taste
Acrid, bitter
Temperature
Warm
Channels Entered
Lung, Stomach, Large Intestine
Actions & Functions
- Unblocks the chest yang and disperses cold and phlegm (chest painful obstruction)
- Promotes the movement of qi and directs it downward (dysentery with tenesmus)
Indications
Chest painful obstruction with stifling chest pain radiating to the back; and qi stagnation with diarrhoea or dysentery and tenesmus.
Dosage
4.5-9 g in decoction.
Common Combinations
With Gua Lou and Ban Xia (Gua Lou Xie Bai Ban Xia Tang) for chest painful obstruction.
Cautions & Contraindications
Use with caution in qi deficiency without stagnation and in yin deficiency with heat.