Learn About Chinese Herbs -Bai Zhi （Angelica Root）-
Bai Zhi (Angelica Root)
This product is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. The Shennong Materia Medica, listed as the top grade. Formerly known as Bai Zhu (Yin Chai).
Other Names： Fragrant Bai Zhi。 Angelica dahurica （fisch.） Benth. et Hook. var. formosana （Boiss.） Shan et Yuan.
Source： Umbrella family perennial herbs Angelica dahurica Benth et Hook. of dried roots. All are cultivated.
Plant morphology:
· Bai Zhi, perennial herb, 2~3m tall, less bifurcated roots, erect round, hollow, grooved on the surface, leaves alternate, lower leaves of the stem are three-out split, petioles are all sheath-like holding stems, irregular serrations on the edge of the leaves, green on the surface, gray-white to light green on the back, hairless on both sides. Only the leaf veins have short bristles. Inflorescences with compound umbels, apical, 5 white petals, bi-sangula oblong.
· Hang Bai Zhi is similar to Bai Zhi, but the plant is shorter. The stems and leaf sheaths are mostly yellow-green, the upper part of the root is nearly square, and the skin holes are large and prominent.
Origin： Hang Bai Zhi is produced in Jianqiao, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Chuan Bai Zhi, produced in Suining, Wenjiang and Chongqing, Sichuan Province. Yubaizhi is produced in Yu County, Changge and other places in Henan Province. Qi Baizhi is produced in Anguo County (Qi Prefecture), Hebei Province.
Trait identification
· Hang Bai Zhi: Conical with square flute, large head and thin tail, length 10~15cm, middle diameter 2~5cm, square round at the top, with stem marks. The skin holes are long and arranged in four rows (commonly known as pimple ding or toad clam skin). Solid quality. Cross-section white or off-white. Powdery. The cortex has brownish-yellow oil spots (secretory cavities), forming a brown ring and slightly square. Aromatic air, slightly bitter taste, better quality. It is best to have thick roots, square heads, powdery feet, and strong aroma.
· Chuan Bai Zhi: Conical, slightly square at the end, body length slightly like carob, almost no differences, length 10 ~ 20cm, diameter 2 ~ 5cm, stem marks slightly concave, skin gray-brown or tan, longitudinal fine wrinkles, also have most transverse long skin holes, but less than Hang Bai Zhi, smaller protrusions. Firm, white or yellowish in cross-section, powdery. The cortex has brown oil spots. It forms a laminar brown ring with an irregular square shape. The smell is fragrant, and the taste is slightly bitter. It is best to have a large and uniform root, hard, powdery foot, and strong aroma.
· Yu Bai Zhi, Qi Bai Zhi: The form is basically the same. It is conical, similar to carrot, a few divergences, 10~20cm long, 2~4cm in diameter, the stem mark is round and slightly concave, and the outer skin is yellow. The raised skin pores are very small, slightly foamy, and the cross-section is white and powdery. The formation layer appears brownish-gray and the ring is rounded. The smell is fragrant, and the taste is slightly bitter. It is best to have fat and even roots, fine skin, hard, smooth, powdery feet, strong aroma, and no wrinkling.
Main ingredients: Containing volatile oil, and containing bik-bachinogenin (C17H18O7), neo-bik-one, acetogenyl ether (C17H16O6) and acenogenol toxin.
Pharmacological action: Anti-epilepsy, wind dispelling, analgesia. Its role is,
Analgesia;
Excitatory center: Animal experiments have proved that a small amount of Bai Zhi toxin can stimulate the respiratory center and vasomotor center of the brain, so it can be seen that respiration is enhanced and blood pressure rises. It can be used as a brain stimulant and has a therapeutic effect on the central nervous system depression caused by snake venom after snake bites. The predecessors also have a certain understanding of the role of the excitement center of this product, and believe that "its qi is fragrant and can pass the nine orifices";
Antibacterial: Has inhibitory effect on dysentery bacillus, typhoid bacillus, etc. It can also inhibit gram-positive bacteria and has a significant inhibitory effect on Mycobacterium tuberculosis human.
Preparation： Slices for raw use.
Taste： Spicy and warm.
Meridian Attribution： Into the lungs and stomach meridians.
Function： Evaporates the surface and scattered wind. Reduce swelling and relieve pain.
Indications： Cold, headache, nasal congestion, nasal pain (sinusitis), pain in the eyebrows, carbuncle sores.
Clinical Application
It is often used to treat colds and headaches. It is especially good for forehead pain, and it can be used together with Qiang Huo and Fang Feng, which can enhance the effect. Women's prenatal and postpartum cold headache is also good, can be combined with Chuan Xiong.
It is used to treat brow pain and tenderness caused by wind and heat (that is, bone pain in the corners of the eyes and orbits, often caused by colds and upper respiratory tract inflammation), together with astragalus.
It is used to treat head swelling and pain caused by nasal abyss (sinusitis), as an auxiliary drug, with Xin Yi and Cang Er Zi.
For the treatment of poisonous snakes (such as golden ring snakes and other poisonous snakes containing nerve poison), Bai Zhi is often added to Chinese herbal snake formulas (for snake bites), which may be due to its excitation center.
In addition, it is also used to treat toothache (toothache caused by wind and fire, with plaster and other antipyretic drugs). The swelling and pain of furuncle (with dandelion, silver flower and other antipyretic and antidotes), it has analgesic effect, and may also play a role in bacteriostasis. Pain after a head contusion or concussion, and relieving symptoms with Bai Zhi also has a certain effect.
It is generally believed that Bai Zhi is dry and divergent, so headaches caused by blood deficiency one should not use Bai Zhi.
Dosage： 3~9g.
Examples of prescriptions:
· Qu Feng Shang Qing San ("Examining Yao Han"): Huang Qin 6g Bai Zhi 4.5g Qiang Huo 3g Fang Feng 3g Chai Hu 3g Chuan Xiong 3.6g Jing Jie 2.4g Gan Cao 1.5g ground into fine powder, 12g per serving, cooked in water, taken after food, for eyebrow pain caused by wind and heat.
Case study: Lyme disease
Patient: Barbara, female, age 50
Date of first visit: Feb. 27, 2015
Chief complaints: joint pain in the whole body, muscle spasms, ataxia, severe fatigue. Patient was diagnosed with Lyme disease three years ago.
TCM diagnosis: spleen pulse weak, liver pulse choppy, tongue pale and dim, coating thin and white.
TCM syndrome differentiation: liver qi stagnation, dampness and spleen deficiency.
TCM treatment principle: soothing liver and regulating qi, strengthening spleen and clear dampness.
TCM prescription: Chai Hu10g, Wu Zhua Mao Tao 30g, Ci Diao Gen 10g, Bai Hua Shi Mu Tou Gen 10g, Bai Zhi 10g, Zi Su Ye 10g, Gui Zhi 10g, Qian Jin Ba 10g, Sang Zhi 20g, Fu Ling 30g, Zhi Ban Xia 6g, Shen Qu 10g, Chao Bai Zhu 30g, Chen Pi 10g, Hou Pu 10g, Huo Xiang 10g, Gan Cao 6g, to make a decoction, one dose every 2 days for 14 consecutive doses.
Tui Na treatment: Hua Tuo Jia Ji Xue C2, T1,2,3,7. One hour each time, two times per week, for 8 times total.
Dr. Wu’s note: The initial diagnosis of this case requires two hours, one hour for pulse diagnosis and other TCM syndrome differentiation treatment and TCM psychological counseling, and one hour for Tui Na treatment. The fourth follow-up visit four weeks later, the patient’s clinical symptoms basically disappeared, the patient recovered to the physical condition of 20 years ago, the quality of life is completely normal. I generally encourages the patient to live in the present, let go of labels (remove the original Western medicine diagnosis effect) . Living in the moment is powerful.
The conventional Western medicine treatment for Lyme disease is antibiotics. Patients with severe case can take oral antibiotics for up to two years. Those to whom the treatment is not effective are then diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease (Western medicine considers diseases that Western treatment is ineffective as incurable diseases). They do not give patients any hope. This is why I work with the patient to remove the Western medicine labels, because these labels are like a curse that kills the patient.
For patients with cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, or any other serious and chronic diseases, the doctor and patient must be in the present to remove the labels during the first appointment. Chinese medicine calls this “same treatment for different diseases”. The curative effect of doctors and patients working together requires the credibility and personal brand established by the doctors in the community.
When working with hospitals and any Chinese and Western medicine groups, Chinese medicine experts should retain their personal brand and adhere to the principles of Tao and nature. Every day when doing consultation and treatment, a doctor should always live in the state of meditation. I conducted an experiment with a Western medicine expert. When I walked into the consultation room, an electrocardiogram was performed on me. One can see the obvious changes in the electrocardiogram. When I entered the room, I entered a state of deep meditation. This also explains why this Lyme disease patient trusted me after only two hours at our first appointment. These patients are more sensitive to energy and can immediately feel the positive energy when they are in contact with you. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon said, “When there is sufficient vital qi inside, pathogenic factors have no way to invade the body”.