Bi Xie (Hypoglaucous Collett Yam Rhizome)

Naming

Bi Xie (Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae)——Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Shen Nong’s Herbal)

The Processing of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae

Origin

The rhizome of perennial herbaceous plant Dioscorea septemloba Thunb., D. futschauensis Uline ex R. Kunth or D. hypoglauca Palibin. of family Dioscoreaceae.

Location

The first two are called Mian Bi Xie, and produced in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. While the latter one is called Fen Bi Xie, and produced in Zhejiang, Anhui and Hunan provinces, etc.

Harvest

Dug and collected in autumn and winter.

The true smell and taste

Mian Bi Xie is slight smell and bitter. Fen Bi Xie is slight smell, pungent and slightly bitter.

Best quality

Dry, white and equal thickness of leaves.

Processing

Unprocessed.

The Effect of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae

Property

Bitter, bland; kidney and stomach meridians entered.

Actions

Excrete damp-turbidity, dispel wind-damp.

Indications

A. Chylous stranguria, turbid and milky urine, leukorrhagia

It has the actions of removing dampness from yangming meridians to consolidate lower energizer, so it can separate lucidity from turbidity. It is the essential herb of chylous stranguria. As main herb it is usually indicated for chylous stranguria, turbid and milky urine. For turbid and milky urine due to deficiency-cold, it is usually combined with the herbs of warming kidney and dispersing cold, resolving turbidity and removing dampness. For instance it is combined with Wu Yao and Yi Zhi Ren in Bi Xie Fen Qing Yin from Dan Xi Xin Fa. For turbid and milky urine and dripping urine due to damp-heat, it is usually combined with the heat-clearing, dampness-drying and dampness-excreting herbs. For instance, it is combined with Huang Bai, Che Qian Zi and Shi Chang Pu in Bi Xie Fen Qing Yin from Yi Xue Yin Wu.

It has the actions of excreting dampness and resolving turbidity, so it is also indicated for leukorrhagia due to excessive dampness; it is usually combined with the dampness-excreting herbs such as Zhu Ling, Bai Zhu and Ze Xie.

B. Wind-damp arthralgia

It has the actions of dispelling wind and removing dampness, relaxing tendons and unblocking collaterals. It is good at treating lumbar and knee pain, limitation of bent and extend of limbs. For cold-damp dominance, it should be combined with the cold-damp-dispelling herbs. For instance, it is combined with Fu Zi and Niu Xi in Bi Xie Wan from Sheng Ji Zong Lu. For damp-heat dominance, it should be combined with the damp-heat-clearing herbs such as Huang Bai, Ren Dong Teng and Fang Ji.

Dosage and Administrations

Decoct 5～10 g.