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Dioscorea hypoglauca, Bi Xie 萆薢

Tokoro, Fish-Poison Yam
Botanical name:
Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca
Related species used include:
  1. D. futschauensis (Fu Zhou Mian Bi Xie)
  2. D. gracillima (Xian Xi Shu Yu)
  3. D. septemloba (Mian Bi Xie)
  4. D. tokoro (Shan Bi Xie)

Parts used:
Rhizome

Temperature & Taste:
Neutral. Slightly Bitter

Uses:
1. Clears Turbid Damp:
-Turbid Damp in the lower abdomen
-Cloudy Urine
-Gonorrhea or Leukorrhea with white discharge
-Ulcers from Damp-Heat
-'Improves Impotence with Incontinence' (Ming Yi Bie Lu)
-used for these problem from Deficiency, Damp, or Damp-Heat

2. Clears Wind-Damp, Relaxes the Sinews, Relieves Pain:
-Wind-Damp  joint pain, with or without Heat
-arthralgia of the Lumbar and Knees
-numbness of stiffness in the legs and feet
-'Arthralgia due to Wind, Cold and Damp'. (Shen Nong Ben Cao)
-'paralysis of the aged with blood stasis in the joints' (Ming Yi Bie Lu)
-Epilepsy, Vertigo, Apoplexy (Da Ming)

3. Clears Damp-Heat:
-damp-heat affecting the skin; Eczema, pustular Sores
-'Fistula and Malignant Sores' (Li Shi Zhen)
-'interior damage due to excessive Anger' (Ming Yi Bie Lu)


DOSE:
9–15 grams in decoction

PREPARATION:
1. Wine-Fried Dioscorea Bi Xie:
  Soaked in wine, or sprayed with wine, before being dry-fried until almost dry and yellowish, then remove and dry completely. This is better for Wind-Damp.

SUBSTITUTES:
Similar to Smilax Tu Fu Ling (Li Shi Zhen)

Main Combinations:
1. Urinary frequency, Cloudy Urine, Vaginal discharge, from Damp-Heat, Dioscorea hypoglauca Bi Xie with Plantain seed (Che Qian Zi), Phellodendron Huang Bai. For more obstinate conditions, add Talcum (Hua Shi)
2. Cloudy Urine like Rice porridge (without Heat), Dioscorea hypoglauca Bi Xie with Alpinia oxyphylla Fructus (Yi Zhi Ren), Calamus (Shi Chang Pu), Lindera Wu Yao (as in Bi Xie Fen Qing Yin)
3. Wind-Damp Joint Pain:
i. Dioscorea hypoglauca Bi Xie with Clematis Wei Ling Xian
ii. from severe Cold-Damp, Dioscorea hypoglauca Bi Xie with Clematis Wei Ling Xian, Cinnamon twig Gui Zhi, Aconitum Fu Zi
iii. from Damp-Heat, Dioscorea hypoglauca Bi Xie with Gentiana Qin Jiao, Job's Tears (Yi Yi Ren)
iv. Lower Back Pain from Wind-Dam[p and deficiency, Dioscorea hypoglauca Bi Xie with Achyranthes Niu Xi, Eucommia Du Zhong
v. Wind-Damp lower back pain, muscular spasm, numbness in the hands and feet, Dioscorea hypoglauca Bi Xie with Gastrodia Tian Ma, Angelica Pubescens Du Huo, Eucommia Du Zhong, Achyranthes Niu Xi, Dang Gui, Aconitum Fu Zi (as in Tian Ma Wan)
4. Damp-Heat affecting the Skin:
i. Pustular Sores, Dioscorea hypoglauca Bi Xie with Phellodendron Huang Bai, Job's Tears (Yi Yi Ren)
ii. Eczema, Dioscorea hypoglauca Bi Xie with Sophora Ku Shen, Scutellaria Huang Qin, Paeonia Chi Shao

Major Formulas:
Bi Xie Fen Qing Yin
Tian Ma Wan
Zai Zao Wan

Cautions:
Generally Safe.
Not suitable for Yin deficient Heat

Main Preparations used: