Pharmaceutical Name:

Cortex Phellodendron

Botanical Name:

Phellodendron amurense Rupr
Phellodendron chinese Schneid

Common Name:

Phellodendron bark

Source of Earliest Record:

Shennong Bencao Jing

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations:

The bark should be gathered during Pure Brightness (fifth solar term).  After the coarse bark is peeled off, it is dried in the sun and cut into slices.  The raw bark is used, or it can be fried with salt.

Properties and Taste:

Bitter and cold

Meridian:

Kidney, urinary bladder and large intestines

Functions:

To clear heat and dry dampness
To reduce fire and release toxins

Indications and Combinations:

1.     Damp-heat syndrome:

a)       Damp-heat accumulated in the intestines manifested as diarrhea and dysentery.
*Use with Pulsatilla root (Baitouweng), Coptis root (Huanglian) and Scutellaria root (Huangqin).

b)       Pulsatilla root (Baitouweng), Coptis root (Huanglian) and Scutellaria root (Huangqin).
*Use with Capejasmine (Zhizi) and Oriental wormwood (Yinchenhao).

c)       Boils caused by dampness in the lower pert of the body.
*Use with Atractylodes rhizome (Cangzhu).

2.      General boils, carbuncles, furuncles and eczema.
*Use with Scutellaria root (Huangqin) and Capejasmine (Zhizi).  For external use, Phellodendron bark (Huangbai) is pounded into powder mixed with Talc (Huashi) .

3.     Deficiency of yin with heat manifested as nocturnal emissions and night sweating.
*Used with Anemarrhena rhizome (Zhimu) and Fresh rehmannia root (Shengdihuang).

Dosage:

3-10 g

Cautions:

This herb is contraindicated in cases with weakness and cold in the spleen and stomach.