Psoralea, Bu Gu Zhi 补骨脂

Bakuchi, Bakuci, Somaraji (Ayurveda)
Karpoogarisi (Siddha)
Bu Gu Zhi (TCM)

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, 1803

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Botanical name:
Psoralea corylifolia

Parts used:
Seed

Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Pungent, Sweet, Bitter

Uses:
1. Warms the Yang, Strengthens the Kidneys (TCM, Ayurveda):
-Impotence, Premature Ejaculation; Aphrodisiac
-frequent Urination; incomplete or dribbling urine; enuresis in children
-coldness or cold pain of the lower back and limbs; chronic back pain
-consolidates Essence
-Uterine Bleeding

2. Warms the Yang, Strengthens the Spleen (TCM, Ayurveda):
-Chronic Diarrhea and chronic Indigestion from Cold Stomach and Spleen
-Cold-Phlegm-Damp Abdominal pain

3. Clears Phlegm, Stops Wheezing:
-Asthma from Wind and Phlegm (Ayurveda)

4. Benefits Chronic Skin disease:
-despite being classed as hot, it is important for Blood-heat skin disorders
-used for Psoriasis, Eczema, Vitiligo, Boils, Itchy red macules, Leprosy
-rough and discolored skin
-Scabies, Ringworm
* for skin diseases, seed powder can be taken, then the patient is exposed to sunlight.

5. Kills Worms

6 . Externally:
-topically as a tincture to Alopecia
-Psoriasis, Eczema, Vitiligo (oil or tincture topically)
-Leucoderma (oil)


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DOSE:
3–9 grams in decoction;
Of the Powder: 1–3 grams (up to 9 grams daily);
Of the Tincture (1:3): 3–15mls.

NOTE:
When treating skin conditions, the powdered seeds are taken and the patient is exposed to sunlight or UV light for a given period each day.

CORRECTIVES:
Butter, Ghee, Oil

PREPARATION:
1. In India the seed is purified by steeping in Ginger juice for 7 days, then drying.
2. Dry-Fried Psoralea (Chao Bu Gu Zhi): dry fry until yellowish but not burnt. This lessens the Bitter and Pungent nature, and makes it better to warms the Kidneys and stop Diarrhea.
3. Salt-Fried Psoralea (Yan Chao Bu Gu Zhi): stand the fruit in salt water for a period, then dry fry or bake until dry. This leads the medicine to the Kidney, making it stronger to tonify and secure Yang Qi in the lower abdomen. Used for Incontinence, Urinary Frequency and Impotence.

SUBSTITUTES:
Cassia tora seed (Unani)

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Main Combinations:
1. Skin diseases:
i. Psoralea with Madder, Neem and Picrorrhiza (Ayurveda)
ii. Obstinate skin diseases, Psoralea with Madder, Plumbago and Shilajit
2. Vitiligo, take Psoralea seed powder with a decoction of Belleric Myrobalan.
3. Ringworm, combine 1 part Sesame seed with 2 parts Psoralea (Ayurveda
4. Chronic Diarrhea from Cold and weak Kidneys:
i. Psoralea with Nutmeg and Chebulic Myrobalan (Ayurveda)
ii. Psoralea with Nutmeg, Schisandra Wu Wei Zi and Evodia Wu Zhu Yu. (TCM)
5. Urinary frequency:
i. Psoralea with Tribulus terrestris (Ayurveda)
ii. Psoralea with Chebulic Myrobalan and Tribulus terrestris (Ayurveda)
iii. Psoralea with Dodder seed (Tu Si Zi) (TCM)
6. Infertility, Psoralea with Withania and Sida cordifolia Bala (Ayurveda)
7. Impotence, Psoralea with Epimedium Yin Yang Huo
8. Kidney weakness with lower Back pain, Impotence and Premature Ejaculation, Psoralea with Walnut, Eucommia Du Zhong
9. Cough, Wheezing, Psoralea with Long Pepper, Withania and Licorice (Ayurveda)
10. As an ointment for chronic Skin diseases, Psoralea with Turmeric, Barberry, Rock Salt, boiled in Coconut milk (Siddha)

Major Formulas:
Wish-fulfilling Jewel (Bsam phel nor bu) (Tibetan Medicine)
Catechu 25 (Seng ldeng 25) (Tibetan Medicine)
Oil for Skin Diseases (Siddha)


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Cautions:
1. Use with caution during Pregnancy
2. Avoid in Hot / Bile constitutions or Yin deficiency
3. Photo-sensitization occurs with excess use.
4. Side effects may include nausea, vomiting, malaise, headache, purging, and gastric irritation.

Main Preparations used:

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History

'Native works on Materia Medica describe the seeds as hot and dry, or according to some cold and dry, laxative, stimulant, and aphrodisiac. They are recommended in leprosy, and other chronic skin diseases which depend upon a vitiated state of the blood, and are given internally and applied externally as a plaster; they are also said to be useful in bilious affections and as an anthelmintic. Ainslie mentions their use in Southern India as a stomachic and deobstruent, and says that they are prescribed in lepra and other inveterate cutaneous affections. He gives Vakoochie as the Sanskrit name. Recently they have been extensively tried in Bombay by Bhao Daji and others as a remedy in leprosy, and I believe with some success. An oleature of Bawachi is prepared and sold by Messrs. Kemp and Co., of Bombay. The plant is a common weed in the Deccan and Bombay, and the, seeds are used in the Concan in making a perfumed oil which is applied to the skin. Dr. Kanny Loll Dey strongly recommends the oleo-resinons extract of the seeds

diluted with simple unguents as an application in Leucoderma. He says:— "After application for some days the white patches appear to become red or vascular; sometimes a slightly painful sensation is felt. Occasionally some small vesicles or pimples appear, and if these be allowed to remain undisturbed, they dry up, leaving a dark spot of pigmentary matter, which forms as it were a nucleus. From this point, as well as from the margin of the patch, pigmentary matters gradually develop, which ultimately coalesce with each other, and thus the whole patch disappears. It is also remarkable that the appearance of fresh patches is arrested by its application."—(Phar. Journ., III. Ser., Sept. 24th 1881.)

Several species of Psoralia have been used medicinally in America, and have been found to act as gentle, stimulating, and tonic nervines. (Stille and Maisch., Nat. Disp.)