Prepared Lily Bulb … Classic Formulas
Zhi Bai He · Bulbus Lilii Praeparata
Primary Actions
- Nourishes Lung Yin and moistens dryness ... Zhi Bai He is especially valued for chronic dry cough, scanty sputum, dry throat, and lingering cough after heat or long illness has consumed fluids.
- Stops cough gently without trapping pathogens ... it is favored when the clinical picture is deficiency-dryness rather than thick phlegm or acute exterior invasion.
- Clears residual vexation and calms the spirit ... the Lily Bulb family is classically used for insomnia, restlessness, post-febrile agitation, and the Bai He Bing pattern in which Yin injury and lingering heat disturb the Shen.
- Supports recovery after illness ... the prepared form keeps Bai He's food-medicine character while making it feel somewhat denser, softer, and more directly focused on moistening and soothing.
Classic Formulas
- Bai He Gu Jin Tang (百合固金汤) ... signature Lung-Yin formula pairing Bai He with Sheng Di Huang, Shu Di Huang, Mai Men Dong, and Chuan Bei Mu for chronic dry cough and dry sore throat.
- Bai He Di Huang Tang (百合地黄汤) ... from Jin Gui Yao Lue, using Bai He to address Bai He Bing with restlessness, emotional instability, and lingering heat after febrile disease.
- Bai He Zhi Mu Tang (百合知母汤) ... classical combination where Bai He nourishes Yin while Zhi Mu clears residual deficiency heat and vexation.
- Dietary congee and soup applications ... medicinal Bai He is often used in food-style recovery preparations when dryness, weakness, and irritability overlap.
Classical Text References
- Traditional references describe Bai He as entering the Heart and Lung, nourishing Yin, moistening the Lung, and calming the spirit in post-illness and dry-cough patterns.
- Later clinical teaching often distinguishes raw Bai He from processed Bai He by emphasis rather than by creating a new therapeutic family ... raw for more heat and vexation, processed for more moistening cough support.
- PREPARATION NOTE: Zhi Bai He is the clinically prepared form of medicinal lily bulb, not a separate lily species and not simply a dessert ingredient.