Wu Bei Zi五倍子
Chinensis Galla · Chinese Gall · Gallnut of Chinese Sumac
Overview
Not a fruit but a gall: the hollow, horn-shaped growth an aphid provokes on the leaves of Chinese sumac, steamed to kill the insect and then dried. It is extraordinarily rich in tannin, and everything it does follows from that — sour, astringent and cold, it binds and holds wherever something is leaking out. Internally that means chronic cough, chronic diarrhoea, seminal loss, sweating and bleeding; externally, powdered onto weeping sores, ulcers and haemorrhoids, it dries the surface and draws the tissue together. Because it holds so firmly, timing matters more than with most herbs: it is for the drawn-out remnant of an illness, never its acute phase.
Nature & Flavor
Sour, astringent · ColdChannels
Lung · Large Intestine · KidneyTypical Dosage
3–9 g in decoctionActions
4 core actions
- Astringes the Lung, directs fire downwardLingering chronic cough and wheezing from Lung deficiency, and cough with blood-streaked sputum where heat has not fully cleared.
- Binds the intestines, stops diarrhoeaChronic diarrhoea and long-standing dysenteric disorders, and rectal prolapse from prolonged looseness.
- Secures essence, contains sweatSeminal emission, spontaneous and night sweating.
- Stops bleeding, dries damp soresBleeding haemorrhoids, blood in the stool, nosebleed; applied externally as a powder or wash to weeping eczema, ulcers, mouth sores and haemorrhoids.
In Formulas
Formulas containing Wu Bei Zi
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Chronic cough and wheezing of Lung deficiency
- Chronic diarrhoea, chronic dysenteric disorder, rectal prolapse
- Seminal emission, spontaneous or night sweating
- Bleeding haemorrhoids and blood in the stool
- Externally: weeping eczema, ulcers, mouth sores
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
Strongly astringent and cold: it is the wrong herb while an exterior pattern is still unresolved, during an acute cough from wind-cold or wind-heat, and in early damp-heat dysentery or food-stagnation diarrhoea — binding at that stage traps what should be expelled. Its tannin content is high enough to matter practically: it can bind other medicines, iron supplements and protein-containing preparations in the gut and reduce their absorption, so leave at least two hours around prescription drugs and tell your practitioner what you take. Prolonged internal use irritates the stomach and is not appropriate; keep to short courses at the prescribed dose. Bleeding from the bowel, and diarrhoea lasting more than a couple of weeks, need a conventional diagnosis before they are treated as a deficiency to be bound.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction — practitioner judgment applies; its binding, cold character makes it a poor choice for casual use during pregnancy.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
2. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
3. 《中药大辞典》.
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.