Gua Lou Pi栝蔞皮
Pericarpium TrichosanthisTrichosanthis Peel
Also known asTrichosanthis Husk
- Category
- Herbs that Cool and Transform Phlegm-Heat
- Nature
- cold
- Taste
- sweet
- Channels entered
- Lung, Stomach, Large Intestine
- Dosage
- 6–30 g
Usual doses
- Dosage
- 6–30 g
- For dispersing clumps
- 60 g
Actions & indications
- Clears and moistens the Lungs and transforms Hot Phlegm
- Phlegm-Heat in the chest, pulmonary infections
- Dry cough with difficult-to-expectorate yellow sputum and a dry throat due to Wind-Heat
- Regulates Qi and expands chest
- Qi accumulation in the chest, stuffy chest, chest pain
- Chest Bi
- Early stages of breast abscess
Contraindications
- Contraindicated in diarrhea from Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold.
- Contraindicated in Phlegm-Cold.
- Contraindicated in Phlegm-Dampness.
Incompatibilities
- Incompatible with Rx. Aconiti Wu Tou.
- Antagonistic to Rz. Zingiberis Officinalis Gan Jiang.
- Counteracts the action of Rx. Achyranthis Bidentate Niu Xi.
Combinations
Cough from Phlegm-Heat with Lung Qi clogged and bound.
Dry or scant-sputum cough with a stifling chest sensation and thirst following a febrile illness.
Early-stage breast abscess from Phlegm-Heat (used both internally and topically).
Breast abscess in which pus has already formed.
Xiong Bi accompanied by cough and yellow sputum.
Xiong Bi from Cold-Damp accumulation in the Upper Jiao.
Notes
- Some sources describe this herb as moistening the Lungs.
- Older texts made no distinction between this herb (the fruit), the seed Gua Lou, or the husk Gua Lou Pi.
- This herb treats dry cough with hard-to-expectorate Phlegm and dry throat from Wind-Heat; it is less effective at soothing the Intestines, moving the bowels, resolving Phlegm, and dissolving masses, but more effective at relieving chest Stagnation.
- It specifically moves Qi to free the diaphragm, ease the chest, transform Phlegm, and disperse clumping.
- It also carries turbid Qi downward for elimination.
- It can benefit a Phlegm-Heat patient who also has loose stools.
- Of the plant's parts, this one has the strongest antitumor/anticancer action.
- The dry-fried form, Chao Gua Lou Pi, is less cold and suits cough and Phlegm that are not markedly Hot; fried with bran added, it harmonizes the Stomach and is used when Spleen Deficiency causes loose stools.
- The honey-prepared form, Mi Zhi Gua Lou Pi, moistens the Lungs and relieves cough more effectively, and is used for chronic cough from Lung Yin Deficiency.