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Neijing
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Knowledge baseHerbs

Bai Jie Zi白芥子

Semen SinapisWhite Mustard Seed

Also known asBrassica Seed

Category
Warm Herbs that Transform Cold Phlegm
Nature
warm
Taste
pungent
Channels entered
Lung
Secondary channels
Stomach
Dosage
3–15 g

Actions & indications

Warms the Lungs, regulates Qi and expels Phlegm
Accumulation of Cold-Phlegm with cough and asthma with copious thin sputum, chest distention, tightness and pain and rib pain especially in chronic disorders
Promotes Qi movement, dissipates nodules, unblocks the collaterals and alleviates pain
  • Phlegm-Dampness Accumulating in the Channels with numbness in the limbs
  • Yin flat abscess, tuberculosis of the bones
  • Spreading sores
  • Phlegm nodules (scrofula)

Contraindications

  • Not to be used for chronic cough caused by Lung Deficiency.
  • Not to be used for Yin Deficiency with signs of Heat.
  • Not to be used for Blazing Stomach Fire.
  • Excessive dosage readily causes diarrhea.
  • Applied topically it can irritate the skin, provoking allergic reactions or blistering, and must be kept away from the eyes.

Combinations

  • Cough producing copious, clear, frothy sputum, with chest pain, fullness and distention, from fluid accumulating in the chest and diaphragm or Cold-Phlegm obstructing the chest and flanks.

  • Phlegm both above and below the diaphragm causing sudden, severe pain in the chest, neck and lower back, accompanied by cough, wheezing, a greasy tongue coating and a wiry, slippery pulse.

  • Joint pain and deep-rooted Yin-type boils caused by Phlegm-Dampness obstructing the channels.

  • Numbness and pain of the shoulders and upper arms, or back pain and stiffness, from Phlegm obstructing the channels and collaterals.

  • Frees the flow of Qi and resolves Phlegm for cough and wheezing, especially when the chest and diaphragm feel congested with Phlegm — particularly Cold-Phlegm — and Lung Qi fails to descend.

  • Yin-type sores.

Notes

  • According to some sources, this herb reduces swelling, warms the Middle, and disperses Cold.
  • It excels at reaching Phlegm lodged in the subcostal region and between the skin and membranes — areas otherwise inaccessible.
  • It breaks up Cold-Phlegm clumps that cause joint pain or Yin-type flat abscesses, and can penetrate to the Interior to ease epigastric and abdominal pain.
  • One source notes its usefulness for Phlegm Obstructing the Heart Orifices.
  • Bai Jie Zi and Sm. Raphani Lai Fu Zi are both strong at resolving Phlegm for cough and wheezing, yet they differ in character: Lai Fu Zi is mild and neutral, working within the internal organs to regulate Lung, Spleen and Large Intestine Qi, relieving fullness and clearing Food Stagnation, and it suits both Hot and intestinal disorders. Bai Jie Zi, by contrast, is warm and intensely acrid, acting at the level of the channels and collaterals to move Qi and clear Phlegm from between the skin and membranes; its warm nature restricts its use to Cold-Phlegm only.
  • Bai Jie Zi and Fr. Perillae Zi Su Zi are both used for cough and dyspnea from Cold-Phlegm. Zi Su Zi is particularly effective at bringing down rebellious Qi, calming wheezing and dispersing Phlegm, addressing cough and acute wheezing from Cold-Phlegm. Bai Jie Zi, strongly drying by nature, works through the channels and collaterals and is better suited to moving Qi and drying Phlegm.
  • Bai Jie Zi and Arisaema cum Bile Dan Nan Xing both work through the channels to clear Phlegm. Bai Jie Zi moves Qi and relieves joint pain, restricted movement and Yin-type flat abscesses caused by Cold-Phlegm, whereas Dan Nan Xing extinguishes Wind and eliminates Phlegm, making it more suitable for spasms, cramps or hemiplegia due to Wind-Phlegm.
  • Bai Jie Zi and Fr. Trichosanthis Gua Lou both move chest Qi and clear away Phlegm, treating turbid Phlegm that obstructs Qi and produces chest pain and oppression. Gua Lou, being moist and cold, fits cases where Heat and Phlegm have clumped in the chest, while Bai Jie Zi, warm, drying and forceful, is better suited to Cold-Phlegm accumulating there.
  • Raw White Mustard Seed Sheng Bai Jie Zi irritates the Stomach considerably and is seldom given internally; externally it serves to relieve pain. Crushed, it can be applied for Wind, Cold, Dampness, early toxic swellings, or Qi and Blood Stagnation in the channels and collaterals, and as a vinegar paste it treats lumps and masses from Wind, Dampness and Phlegm.
  • Dry-fried White Mustard Seed Chao Bai Jie Zi, typically taken in decoction, has milder acrid, dispersing action; it warms the Middle to scatter Cold, expel Phlegm and promote the flow of Qi.

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