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Xi He Liu西河柳

Tamaricis Cacumen · Chinese Tamarisk Twig · Tamarisk

Herbs that Release the Exterior 解表药

Overview

· Disperse Wind-Cold. Xi He Liu — also called — is the fine leafy twig of Tamarix chinensis, a salt-tolerant shrub of riverbanks and alkaline flats. Sweet, acrid and neutral, it is the chapter's specialist for a measles rash that is out but not out fully: it lifts the eruption to the surface without the heat of a strongly warming herb. Its second use is for wind-damp painful obstruction, where it is applied as much externally as taken internally.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet, acrid · Neutral

Channels

Lung · Stomach · Heart

Typical Dosage

3–6 g in decoction. External use: an appropriate amount decocted and used to bathe or steam the skin.
西河柳Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

2 core actions

  • Vents rashes, releases the exteriorThe herb of choice when measles is slow to erupt or the rash retreats inward, particularly with a lingering exterior pattern. Being neutral rather than hot, it suits cases where a warmer herb would be too much.
  • Dispels wind and dampWind-damp painful obstruction with aching joints and limbs; often used as an external wash alongside internal treatment.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Xi He Liu

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Measles with an incomplete eruption, or a rash that sinks back in
    - Wind-cold exterior patterns accompanying a rash
    - Wind-damp painful obstruction of the joints and limbs

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

MeaslesRheumatic joint painSkin eruption

Contraindications

Cautions

Not used once the rash has fully erupted. Keep to the stated range: doses well above it have been reported to cause restlessness, nausea and vomiting, so this is not an herb to increase informally. Avoid in patients who are weak with profuse spontaneous sweating, since it disperses at the surface.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Not a classical pregnancy contraindication, but it is a surface-dispersing herb with a narrow useful range — use in pregnancy only on a practitioner's decision, and not at raised doses.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Ben Cao Gang Mu《本草纲目》(Ming dynasty, public domain).
    2. 《中华人民共和国药典》— Tamaricis Cacumen.
    3. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.

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.