Classic formula · Treat dryness
Bai He Gu Jin Tang
百合固金汤 Lily Bulb Decoction to Preserve the Metal
For the long dry cough of Lung and Kidney yin deficiency with heat: a dry sore throat, sticky or blood-streaked phlegm, wheezing, hot palms and soles, and night sweats. Metal is the Lung. The formula preserves it by refilling the Kidney that waters it.
Metal, the Lung, is kept bright by water, the Kidney. When the water runs low the metal rusts: a scratchy throat, a dry cough, a fleck of blood. The formula refills the water and polishes the metal.
Also sold as: Bai He Gu Jin Wan · Lily Preserve Metal Pill
Who Bai He Gu Jin Tang is for
This formula is chosen for 2 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Chronic dry cough with sticky, scant phlegm
- Blood-streaked sputum
- Dry, sore throat, hoarse voice
- Wheezing in a dry, thin person
- Hot palms and soles, night sweats, afternoon warmth
- Chronic bronchitis or recovery after a lung illness with dryness
- Tongue
- Red with little coat.
- Pulse
- Thin and rapid.
What is in Bai He Gu Jin Tang
Amounts are the classic decoction range in grams. Patent pills use the same herbs in the same proportion, so read the box for these names.
| Herb | Amount | Role | Job in the formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bai He Lily Bulb | 12 g | Chief | Lily bulb moistens the Lung, stops the cough, and calms the mind. |
| Sheng Di Huang Fresh Rehmannia Root | 9 g | Chief | Raw rehmannia cools the blood and nourishes yin. |
| Shu Di Huang Prepared Rehmannia Root Use caution | 9 g | Chief | Prepared rehmannia fills Kidney yin. |
| Mai Dong Mai Dong Ophiopogon Root Tuber | 9 g | Deputy | Ophiopogon moistens the Lung and throat. |
| Xuan Shen Figwort Root Use caution | 3 g | Deputy | Scrophularia cools the throat and clears empty heat. |
| Chuan Bei Mu Sichuan Fritillary Bulb | 6 g | Assistant | Fritillary bulb moistens and loosens the sticky phlegm. |
| Dang Gui Root of Chinese Angelica Use caution | 9 g | Assistant | Angelica nourishes blood and moistens. |
| Bai Shao White Peony Root | 9 g | Assistant | White peony nourishes yin and blood. |
| Jie Geng Platycodon Root | 6 g | Envoy | Platycodon opens the Lung and carries the formula to the throat. |
| Gan Cao Raw Licorice Root Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Licorice soothes the throat and harmonizes. |
How Bai He Gu Jin Tang works
Lily bulb, ophiopogon, and the two rehmannias wet the Lung and refill the Kidney behind it. Scrophularia cools the throat. Fritillary loosens the glue-like phlegm that dryness leaves behind. Platycodon lifts the whole formula into the chest and throat where the trouble is.
Actions in classic terms
- Nourishes yin and moistens the Lung
- Transforms phlegm and stops cough
- Clears empty heat from the throat
Common changes to Bai He Gu Jin Tang
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- More blood in the sputum add Bai Ji, Ou Jie Herbs that stop bleeding from the Lung.
- Heavy night sweats add Fu Xiao Mai, Mu Li Light wheat and oyster shell.
- A loud, persistent cough add Kuan Dong Hua, Zi Wan Coltsfoot and aster to settle the cough.
Cautions with Bai He Gu Jin Tang
- Moist and cool. Not for a fresh cough with chills, or a wet cough with thick white or yellow phlegm.
- Not for a weak Spleen with loose stools.
- A cough with blood needs a cause found. The formula treats the dryness; it does not diagnose.
- Pregnancy: use only under a qualified practitioner.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, granules, decoction.
- Teapills
- 8 pills, three times a day, the usual label dose
- Decoction
- One bag a day in two doses, with the amounts above
- Course
- Two to six weeks for a dry cough; longer for chronic lung weakness.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Bai He Gu Jin Tang
The box reads Bai He Gu Jin Tang or Wan with the characters 百合固金. Ten ingredients beginning with Lily bulb and the two Rehmannias.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Bai He Gu Jin Tang
- Mai Wei Di Huang Wan 麦味地黄丸 More Kidney, less Lung. Choose it when the sore back and ringing ears sit under the cough.
- Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang 沙参麦冬汤 Lighter and cooler, for a short dry cough after a fever or in dry weather, with no Kidney tonic inside.
- Yang Yin Qing Fei Tang 养阴清肺汤 For a dry, burning sore throat with heat, where the throat rather than the cough is the complaint.
Conditions where Bai He Gu Jin Tang comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and cautions.
Important Note
Formula pages describe classic use so you can read a label, ask a better question, and find the right monographs. They are education, not a prescription. A formula that fits the wrong pattern can make things worse, so match the picture first.