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Bai Jie Zi白芥子

Sinapis Semen · White Mustard Seed

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing 化痰止咳平喘药《新修本草》

Overview

The mustard seed of the materia medica: acrid, warm and penetrating, it reaches cold phlegm that has settled where other herbs do not go — beneath the diaphragm, between the ribs, in the channels and under the skin. It is the herb for a full, oppressed chest with copious thin white sputum, and for phlegm nodules and limb pain along the collaterals. Dry-frying softens its irritancy and makes it easier on the stomach; the raw seed is stronger and is mostly used in plasters.

Nature & Flavor

Acrid · Warm

Channels

Lung · Stomach

Typical Dosage

3–6 g in decoction
白芥子Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Warms the Lung, expels phlegmCold, thin, copious sputum with chest oppression and wheezing; fluid lodged below the diaphragm.
  • Unblocks the collaterals, relieves painAching, wandering limb and joint pain where cold phlegm blocks the channels.
  • Disperses phlegm nodulesSoft subcutaneous nodules and swellings; also the mainstay of warming plasters applied at the hottest days of summer.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Bai Jie Zi

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Chest fullness with copious thin white sputum
    - Wheezing and cough from cold phlegm
    - Cold, aching limb and joint pain along the channels
    - Soft phlegm nodules under the skin

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Chronic bronchitisPleural effusionAsthmaJoint pain

Contraindications

Cautions

Strongly irritating. Applied to the skin it can redden and blister — keep contact time short, never use it over broken skin, and remove a plaster at once if burning or stinging begins. Taken internally in more than the prescribed dose it irritates the stomach. Avoid in yin-deficient cough with heat signs, in dry hacking cough, and in anyone with sensitive or inflamed skin. Some people react to mustard on contact; stop at the first sign of a rash.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Use with caution in pregnancy, and only on a practitioner's prescription.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    2. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
    3. 《中华本草》.

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.