Lycium Cortex, Di Gu Pi 地骨皮
Chinese Wolfberry root-barkDi Gu Pi (TCM)
Lycium chinenseDuhamel du Monceau, H.L., Traité des arbres et arbustes, Nouvelle édition (1800-1803)
Botanical name:
Lycium chinense, L. barbarum
Parts used:
Root-bark
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Sweet
Classification:
B. Clears Deficient Heat
Uses:
1. Cools the Blood, Clears Deficient-Heat:
-clears Kidney heat
-Steaming Bone disorder; Heat in the bones, especially at night
-‘Wasting and Thirsting Disorder’, overlaps Diabetes
-Night-sweats, Irritability, Thirst
-Chronic Low Grade Fever; Hectic Fever
-‘Floating Fire’, deficient-Heat that rises to cause Toothache
2. Clears Lung Heat, Stops Cough:
-Lung Heat Cough, Wheezing
-Bronchitis
3. Externally:
-in washes for Genital Itching
Dose:
Decoction: 6–15 grams
Powder: 1–4 grams
Comment:
This is the root-bark of the Goji plant.
Main Combinations:
1. Deficient Heat, Steaming Bone Disorder:
i. Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Stellaria Yin Chai Hu, Anemarrhena Zhi Mu
ii. Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Paeonia Mu Dan Pi, Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang
iii. Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Bamboo leaf (Zhu Ye), Licorice (as in Di Xian San comes from Pu Ji Ben Shi Fang [Effective Prescriptions for Universal Relief])
iv. Fever of Consumtpion, Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Bupleurum Chai Hu, Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong (as in Di Gu Pi San from Sheng Ji Zong Lu [Complete Record of Holy Benevolence])
v. Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Bupleurum Chai Hu, Gentiana macrophyllae Qin Jiao, Artemisia Qing Hao
vi. Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Artemisia Qing Hao, Cynanchum Bai Wei
vii. rising Heat burning the Fluids, Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Rehmannia Shu Di Huang, Gypsum (Shi Gao)
viii. deficient Fever of Tuberculosis, Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Ligusticum Nu Zhen Zi, Artemisia Qing Hao, Self Heal (Xia Ku Cao)
ix. Deficient Fever or ‘Steaming Bone Disorder’ in Children, Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Scutellaria Huang Qin, Ginseng, Soft-shelled Turtle shell (Bie Jia)
2. Wasting and Thirsting, Diabetes, Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang, Trichosanthes Tian Hua Fen
3. Lung Heat Cough:
i. Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Mulberry root-bark (Sang Bai Pi), Licorice (as in Xie Bai San is from Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue [Key to Syndrome Identification and Treatment of Diseases in Infants]).
ii. Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Scutellaria Huang Qin, Licorice
iii. Lung-Heat Asthma, rapid Breathing, inability to lie down due to excess Phlegm obstructing the breath, Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi, Gypsum (Shi Gao), Almond kernel (Xing Ren), Mulberry bark (Sang Bai Pi) (as in Di Gu Pi Tang from Sheng Ji Zong Lu [Complete Record of Holy Benevolence]),
4. Early periods from Blood heat Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang, Paeonia Chi Shao
5. As a wash for Genital Itching, Lycium Cortex Di Gu Pi with Alum, Cnidium She Chuang Zi
Cautions:
Generally safe. It has very low toxicity.
Caution in Cold and Weakness of the Stomach