Platycladus Folium, Ce Bai Ye 侧柏叶
Arbor VitaeCe Bai Ye (TCM)
Platycladus orientalisL’ Illustration horticole, vol. 9 (1862)
Platycladus orientalisMouillefert, Traité des arbres et arbrissaux, (1892-1898)
Botanical name:
Platycladus orientalis
Synonyms include: Biota orientalis, B. chengii, Thuja orientalis, T. australis, Cupressus thuja, Retinispora decurvata
Parts used:
Young Leaf and twig
Temperature & Taste:
Slightly Cool, dry. Bitter
Classification:
L. Stop Bleeding
Uses:
1. Clears Heat, Stops bleeding:
-vomiting Blood, coughing Blood, Blood in the stool or urine,
-Diarrhea or Dysentery with Blood
-primarily for Heat-type Bleeding, it can be used with warm herbs for passive (Cold-type) Bleeding
2. Clears Hot-Phlegm, Stops Cough:
-Cough from Hot-Phlegm obstructing the Lungs
-especially with hard-to-clear Sputum that contains Blood
3. Promotes Circulation, Clears Wind-Damp, Eases Pain:
-Wind-Damp Arthritic and Rheumatic pains
-Hair loss
-premature Greying of Hair
4. Externally:
-topically to Burns and Scalds
-promotes Hair Growth; promotes growth of Black Hair
-fresh leaves beaten to a paste can be applied to Wind-Damp joint pain
-generates flesh
Dose:
Decoction: 6–15 grams
Used topically in washes, oils and tinctures.
Preparation:
1. Freshly picked leaves,
Dried in the Sun and used immediately cools the Blood, clears Heat and Toxicity, and clears Heat from the Lungs
2. Charred Arbor Vitae:
Scorch the leafy twigs in a dry wok until browned, but not burnt. Spray with water to cool, then air dry. This is considered less cool, so can be used for Bleeding from Heat or Cold. It is also more gentle on the stomach.
Main Combinations:
1. Bleeding:
i. Heat-type, with Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang
ii. Cold-type, with Ginger
2. Uterine Bleeding:
i. Heat-type with Typha Pu Huang
ii. Deficient Qi and Blood, with Codonopsis Dang Shen and Dang Gui
iii. prolonged Uterine bleeding, combine with Paeonia Bai Shao
3. Phlegm-Heat Cough:
i. with Red Jujube (Da Zao)
ii. with Licorice and Lily Bulb (Bai He)
4. Severe moving Arthralgia from Wind-Damp, with Akebia Mu Tong, Dang Gui, Safflower (Hong Hua), Notopterygium Qiang Huo, Saposhnikovia Fang Feng
5. To promote hair growth and for premature greying:
i. make a tincture in 60% alcohol; rub this on the scalp daily
ii. prepare an oil by soaking the leaves in Sesame oil, then gently heating. Apply topically. Eclipta (Han Lian Cao) can be added too.
iii. decoct with Walnuts (He Tao), strain and comb over the scalp
iv. Decoct with Sichuan Pepper (Hua Jiao) and Pinellia Ban Xia; mix a little of the warm decoction with fresh Ginger juice and apply.
Cautions:
1. Caution in deficient patients (combine with tonics)
2. Avoid overdose (contains thujone)
Toxicity:
Toxic reactions may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, sweating, blurred vision, numbness of the limbs.