Platycodon, Jie Geng 桔梗
Balloon Flower rootJie Geng (TCM)
Platycodon grandiflorumHoutte, Flore des serres et des jardin de l’Europe, vol. 22 (1845)
Platycodon grandiflorumPhoto by Kurt Stueber (Wikimedia)
Botanical name:
Platycodon grandiflorum
Parts used:
Root
Temperature & Taste:
Neutral. Bitter, Pungent
Some claimed it Cold, others said Warm.
Classification:
P. Clears Cold Phlegm
Uses:
1. Stops Cough, Moves Lung Qi, Clears Phlegm:
-Cough, Wheezing with excess mucus
-moves the Qi of the Lungs and Chest to relieve chest tightness and constriction
-“clears a Stuffy Nose” (Zhang Yuan Su)
-helps guide other medicines to the Lungs
2. Clears Wind-Heat, Benefits the Throat:
-Sore Throat, Hoarseness
-Red, sore eyes (Li Shi Zhen)
-Aphtha of the tongue (Li Shi Zhen)
-Febrile Diseases
-“prevents attack of Epidemics” (Da Ming)
3. Resolves Abscess:
-Abscess, especially of the Throat or Lung
-used to help heal abscesses anywhere on the body
4. Guides to the Lungs and Upper Body:
-regarded as guiding the action of other herbs to the Lungs and upper body
-raises and disseminates Lung Qi
5. Clears Heat, Settles Wind:
-Infantile Convulsions, Epilepsy
-Syncope due to Fright
-Anger
–“good for relieving fright and terror, and palpitations” (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing)
6. Benefits Spleen and Qi:
–”replenishes Qi and Blood” (Ming Yi Bie Lu)
–”replenishes the condition resulting from the five overstrains, and nourishes Vital Energy” (Da Ming)
–”it warms the interior and helps Digestion”. (Ming Yi Bie Lu)
Dose:
Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams
Preparations:
1. Dry-Fried Platycodon:
Stir-fried or baked until yellow. This reduces the dispersing effect and makes it more gentle on the stomach. It is good for Cough in the young, old or weak.
2. Honey Fried Platycodon:
Stir-fried with honey until the root is candied. This is more moistening and nourishing to the Lungs. It is used for Lung Qi and Yin deficiency.
3. Charred Platycodon:
Fried until black, it is used for Dysentery with blood and pus.
4. Rice Water Platycodon:
Soak the chopper root in rice rinse water overnight, then dry slowly. (Li Shi Zhen)
5. Lily prepared Platycodon:
Chop 4 liang of the root into slices. Then prepare a paste from fresh Lilium Bai He bulb (2 ½ liang). Soak the Platycodon root and the paste in water for a day. Remove the root and gently dry. (Lei Xiao)
This is better to lead it to the Lungs and is more tonfying and nourishing. This method is not used today.
Main Combinations:
Platycodon Jie Geng is often combined with Licorice for Sore Throat, Cough and Wheezing.
1. Cough in general, Platycodon Jie Geng with Coltsfoot flower (Kuan Dong Hua), Almond kernel (Xing Ren), Licorice, Raisins (or Red Dates)
2. Acute Sore Throat
i. Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice. This is a famous combination and is often used as a stand-alone pair.
ii. Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice. Schizonepeta Jing Jie, Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Forsythia Lian Qiao.
iii. acute Wind-heat itchy Sore Throat, Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice, Peppermint
iv. from Heat, Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice, Scutellaria Huang Qin
v. from Fire-Toxin (Toxic Heat), Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice, Coptis Huang Lian .
vi. with loss of Voice, Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice, Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Pinellia Ban Xia.
vii. with loss of Voice, Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice, Chebula (He Zi)
3. Cough, Wheezing with excess mucus:
i. Platycodon Jie Geng with Almond (Xing Ren), and Perilla Zi Su Ye.
ii. Platycodon Jie Geng with Pinellia Ban Xia, Citrus Chen Pi, Licorice
4. Acute Cough:
i. from Wind-Heat, Platycodon Jie Geng with Morus Sang Ye and Chrysanthemum Ju Hua.
ii. from Wind-Heat, Platycodon Jie Geng with Scutellaria Huang Qin and Licorice
iii. from Wind-Cold, Platycodon Jie Geng with Pinellia Ban Xia and Licorice
iv. from Wind-Cold, Platycodon Jie Geng with Ginger, Aniseed, Licorice
5. Cough from deficiency:
i. Platycodon Jie Geng with Astragalus Huang Qi, Lillium Bai He
ii. Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice, Almond (Xing Ren), Ginseng
6. Shortness of Breath, Wheezing:
i. Platycodon Jie Geng with Ginseng
ii. Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice, Ginseng, Schisandra Wu Wei Zi
iii. Platycodon Jie Geng with Ephedra, Almond (Xing Ren), Licorice
iv. Platycodon Jie Geng with Coltsfoot (Kuan Dong Hua), Licorice
7. Fullness and pain in the chest, Platycodon Jie Geng with Bitter Orange peel (Zhi Qiao) (Li Shi Zhen)
8. Cold obstruction in the Chest, Platycodon Jie Geng with Fritillaria Bei Mu, Croton (Ba Dou)
9. Lung Abscess:
i. Platycodon Jie Geng with Fritillaria Bei Mu
ii. Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice (Li Shi Zhen)
iii. Platycodon Jie Geng with Houttuynia Yu Xing Cao, Coix Yi Yi Ren (Job’s Tears), Trichosanthes Semen Gua Lou Ren
10. Abscess that has ulcerated, Platycodon Jie Geng with Angelica dahurica Bai Zhi, Licorice
11. Febrile Diseases, Platycodon Jie Geng with Gypsum (Shi Gao), Niter Xiao Shi (Xu Zhi Cai)
12. Epidemic Toxin,
i. Platycodon Jie Geng with Licorice. Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Forsythia Lian Qiao., Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi), Rhubarb (Da Huang)
13. Anger, Platycodon Jie Geng with Oyster shell (Mu Li), Polygala Yuan Zhi (Xu Zhi Cai)
Major Formulas:
Bai He Gu Jin Tang
Bei Mu Gua Lou San
Cang Er Bi Dou Yan Fang
Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang
Fang Feng Tong Sheng San
Huang Long Tang
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San
Jia Jian Wei Rui Tang
Jie Geng San
Jiu Xian San
Li Yan Cha
Long Dan Bi Yuan Fang
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin
Qing Fei Tang
Qing Wen Bai Du Yin
Ren Shen Bai Du San
Sang Ju Yin
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San
Shi Wei Bai Du San
Tian Wang Bu Xin Wan
Tong Ru Dan
Wu Ji San
Xia Ru Yong Quan San
Xing Su San
Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
Yin Qiao San
Zhi Sou San
Cautions:
Not used for chronic dry Cough from Yin deficiency, Hemoptysis or Consumption. This is because of its acrid, dispersing quality that will weaken further or may increase Bleeding. However, Zhu Zhen Heng said: “Dry coughing is an indication of pent-up Fire and phlegm accumulating in the Lung, which needs to be opened up. Platycodon Jie Geng is the right drug”. So it can be used for dry cough with Heat, or Phlegm-Heat, but is not suitable for Yin deficiency unless corrected.