Individual Herbs Notebook

白芷 Bai Zhi

Translation: White Angelica

Pharmaceutical: Radix Angelicae dahuricae
Taxonomy: Angelica dahurica

Other names: Dahurian Angelica Root

Category: Herbs that Release the Exterior


Properties: Pungent and warm

Meridans Entered:
Primary: Lung, Stomach and Large Intestine
Sinews: Yangming
Extraordinary Vessels: Yang Qiao

Traditional Actions/Indications:
  1. Expels Wind, eliminates Dampness, unblocks the nasal passages, dispels Cold and alleviates pain
    External Wind-Cold patterns, especially with headache
    Supra orbital pain, nasal congestion and toothache, arthritis
    Any External Wind invasion of the Yangming channels of the head with a frontal headache
  2. Reduces swelling, eliminates toxins and expels pus
    Early-stage superficial sores, boils and carbuncles, pruritis
  3. Expels Dampness, alleviates discharge and treats leukorrhea and diarrhoea
    Vaginal discharge due to Cold-Dampness in the Lower Jiao
  4. Releases the Exterior and Drives Out Snakes
    Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
    One of the chief herbs for treating Gu Syndrome, along with Bo He and Zi Su Ye, classed as "open the exterior with snake killing herbs" (Fruehauf, 1998).
    Also used topically for fungal infections which may explain some of its anti-Gu actions.

Suggested Daily Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.

Cautions: It should be used with cautions for Blood Heat induced by Yin deficiency because of its pungent, fragrant, warm, dry property.

Notes:

Zhang Cong-Zheng (1150-1228), categorized Bai Zhi as being used to combat negative external influences such as heat, clamminess, dryness and cold on the skin (China Health Resource, 2010, Health Benefits of the Dahurian Angelica Root, accessed 27/5/2019).

Shen Yuan (1786) recorded in his Collections of Strange Conditions a case of a man who had a had a snake under his skin that caused unbearable pain and would have sex while he slept. Internal herbs were ineffective, so to cure he stabbed the snake's head, followed by the tail. The blood came out like ink, which he mixed with Bai Zhi powder and reapplied to the skin. After three or four treatments he improved (Wilcox, 2024). This may be a reference to Bai Zhi as a "snake killing herb" for Gu disorders. These often present as strange diseases which are unresponsive to normal treatments.

Appears in 55 formulae listed on this site: (click to display)
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