Xie Bai San泻白散

Drain the White Powder

Clearing Heat 清热剂Clear Organ Heat 清脏腑热

Ingredients3 herbs

HerbDosageRoleWhat it does in this formula

地Di Gu Pi地骨皮Lycii Cortex30g臣 DeputyCools the heat that steams out of the flesh and, being moist, spares the Lung's yin 桑Sang Bai Pi桑白皮炒Mori Cortex30g君 ChiefSweet and cold, it drains Lung fire and directs Lung qi down so the wheeze settles 甘Zhi Gan Cao甘草炙Glycyrrhizae Radix Praeparata3g佐使 Assistant–EnvoyAugments qi, harmonizes and softens the cough

Indications

Drains lingering heat from the LungStops cough and calms wheezingProtects the Stomach while cooling

Lung heat with cough and wheeze— specifically heat that has settled in and is already consuming the Lung's yin, which is why the pulse is thin rather than flooding. The strategy is to drain gently and keep moistening, not to attack with bitter cold.

Clinical Manifestations

Cough and wheeze from Lung heat, worse in the late afternoon
A sensation of heat steaming out through the skin
Dry hacking cough with little sputum after a febrile illness
Paediatric cough with a low afternoon fever
Chronic bronchitis with heat signs and a thin rapid pulse

TongueRed with a yellow coating

PulseThin and rapid

Health Categories

Respiratory HealthCold & Flu Relief

Modern Applications

Cough Bronchitis Wheezing Paediatric cough Low-grade fever

Common adjustments

Copious yellow phlegm — add Gua Lou 瓜蒌 and Huang Qin 黄芩
Dry Lung, dry throat, no sputum at all — add Mai Men Dong 麦门冬 and E Jiao 阿胶
Wheezing prominent — add Ting Li Zi 葶苈子 to direct Lung qi downward
Residual exterior wind-heat — add Bo He 薄荷 or Niu Bang Zi 牛蒡子

Contraindications

Not for a cough of wind-cold or of cold phlegm, where the sputum is white and copious and the person is chilled — the formula would suppress the very qi that needs to be released. Not suitable where an exterior pattern is still unresolved.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.

Pregnancy

Generally compatible in pregnancy under practitioner supervision — it is a mild cooling formula with no herb conventionally withheld in pregnancy, but a persistent cough in pregnancy should be assessed rather than self-treated.

Related Formulas

Ting Li Da Zao Xie Fei Tang葶苈大枣泻肺汤

References

Source Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue 《小儿药证直诀》 · Northern Song

「治小儿肺盛，气急喘嗽。」
— 《小儿药证直诀》(classical source, public domain)

Classical source (public domain), cited in the source-quote section.
2. Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. — composition & dosage cross-checked.
3. 《方剂学》（全国中医药行业高等教育规划教材）— pattern analysis cross-checked.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.