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Cura x Cura

Sang Bai Pi桑白皮

Mori Cortex · White Mulberry Root Bark

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing 化痰止咳平喘药《神农本草经》

Overview

The root bark of the white mulberry, lifted in late autumn and scraped clean of its brown corky outer layer before drying. Sweet and cold, it enters the Lung alone and works downward in two related ways: it drains heat and fullness out of the Lung so that coughing and wheezing settle, and it opens the water passages so that puffiness drains away through the urine. Raw is the form for Lung heat and for swelling; honey-preparing turns it moistening and gentler, which is what is wanted for a dry, weak cough; plain dry-frying simply blunts the coldness for a delicate stomach.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet · Cold

Channels

Lung

Typical Dosage

5–15 g in decoction
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Actions

3 core actions

  • Drains the Lung and calms wheezingCough and wheeze with thick yellow phlegm, a full or oppressed chest, thirst and sometimes low fever — the picture of heat crowding the Lung rather than a cold on the surface.
  • Promotes urination and reduces swellingPuffy face and eyelids, swollen limbs and scanty urine, particularly where the swelling begins in the upper body and comes with breathlessness.
  • Honey-prepared, it moistens the LungThe honey-cured bark keeps the descending action but adds moisture and loses much of the cold, so it suits a lingering dry cough or a cough in someone already weak. The dry-fried form sits between the two.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Sang Bai Pi

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Cough and wheezing from heat in the Lung, with thick phlegm
    - Facial and limb oedema with scanty urine
    - Chest fullness and breathlessness accompanying either of the above
    - Lingering dry cough (honey-prepared form)

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

BronchitisAsthmaOedemaProductive cough

Contraindications

Cautions

Sweet, cold and draining downward: it is the wrong herb for a cough from wind-cold with chills and clear watery phlegm, and for the weak, cold cough of Lung yang deficiency, where it will make matters worse. Swelling of the legs or face with breathlessness can signal heart or kidney disease and needs a medical assessment alongside any herbal treatment; do not treat it with a diuretic herb alone. Our dispensary data flags no toxicity and no allergy risk for this herb.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction — practitioner judgment applies

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

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.