INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Fructus Tribuli
Common English: Caltrop Fruit
Puncture-Vine Fruit
Tribulus
Substances that Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors
Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Acrid
Bitter
Neutral
(Warm)
(Cool)
Liver
(Lung)
(Bladder)
6-15g
Tincture: 2-4ml
Actions Indications/Syndromes

Calms the Liver and anchors Yang

Liver Yang Rising with headache, vertigo or dizziness

Dredges Liver Qi and disperses Stagnation and clumping

Liver Qi Stagnation with pain and distention in the flanks, irregular menstruation or insufficient lactation

Dispels Wind-Heat and brightens the eyes

Red, swollen and painful eyes

Excess tearing

Dispels Wind and stops itching

Any kind of skin lesion with significant itching, such as hives

Vitiligo (can be used as a stand-alone herb)

Extinguishes Liver Wind

Liver Wind

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Use caution during pregnancy.
  • Use caution for those with Qi or Blood Deficiency.
  • Topical application is sometimes associated with rash and itching.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS
  • Concurrent use with diuretics such as chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, furosimide (Lasix), bumetanide (Bumex) and torsemide (Demadex) may lead to increased elimination of water and electrolytes.

Testa Glycinis
Lu Dou Yi
Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao
Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng
Concha Margaritaferae Usta
Zhen Zhu Mu
Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae
Niu Xi

Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu
Rz. Cyperi
Xiang Fu
Per. Citri Reticulatae Viride
Qing Pi

Dizziness and unclear vision due to Liver Yang Rising.

Headache, dizziness and vertigo from hypertension due to Liver Yang Rising.

Pain and distention in the chest and hypochondria.

Fr. Foeniculi
Xiao Hui Xiang
Olibanum
Ru Xiang
Myrrh
Mo Yao

Squama Manitis
Chuan Shan Jia
Sm. Vaccariae
Wang Bu Liu Xing

Rz. Cyperi
Xiang Fu
Per. Citri Reticulatae Viride
Qing Pi

Running piglet disorder.

Bulging disorders.

Mobile abdominal masses.

Swollen and painful breast masses.

Pain and swelling of the chest and flanks, or insufficient lactation due to Liver Qi Stagnation.

Sm. Cassiae
Jue Ming Zi
Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua
Rx. Glycyrrhizae
Gan Cao

Hb. Equiseti Hiemalis
Mu Zei
Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua
Periostracum Cicadae
Chan Tui

Rx. Asparagi
Tian Men Dong
Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata
Shu Di Huang
Hb. Dendrobii
Shi Hu

Pain, redness, and swelling of the eyes with extensive tearing due to Wind-Heat Invading the Liver Channel.

Hypertension.

Corneal opacities.

Visual disturbance due to Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiencies.

Periostracum Cicadae
Chan Tui
Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng

Cx. Dictamni
Bai Xian Pi
Hb. Portulacae
Ma Chi Xian

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rx. Polygoni Multiflori
Preparata
Zhi He Shou Wu
Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng

Itchy skin due to Wind-Heat.

As an external wash for eczema.

Excruciating itching from ascendant Liver Yang and Blood Deficiencies.

Sm. Astragali Complanati
Sha Yuan Zi

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng
Concha Ostreae
Mu Li
Rz. Gastrodiae
Tian Ma

Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae
Niu Xi

Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu
Fr. Aurantii
Zhi Ke
Rz. Cyperi
Xiang Fu
Rx. Curcumae
Yu Jin

Fr. Toosendan
Chuan Lian Zi
Rz. Corydalis
Yan Hu Suo

Tonifies the Liver and Kidneys to ensure that the eyes are nourished, anchors Liver Yang and expels Wind-Heat to treat many eye disorders, especially when there is Liver and Kidney Deficiencies with either Liver Qi Stagnation with Liver Yang Rising or External Wind-Heat affecting the eyes.

Hypertension with vertigo.

Chest and hypochondriac pain.

Spina Gleditsiae
Zao Jiao Ci
Rz. Curcumae Longae
Jiang Huang
Hb. Hedyotis Diffusae
Bai Hua She She Cao

Carapax Trionycis
Bie Jia
Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Dan Shen
Concha Ostreae
Mu Li
Spina Gleditsiae
Zao Jiao Ci
Flos Carthami
Hong Hua
Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren

Sm. Cassiae
Jue Ming Zi
Fr. Gardeniae
Zhi Zi
Hb. Equiseti Hiemalis
Mu Zei
Fol. Mori
Sang Ye
Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua
Concha Haliotidis
Shi Jue Ming
Flos Buddlejae
Mi Meng Hua

Hypochondriac pain related to hepatitis.

Palpable masses associated with Liver Qi Stagnation.

Red, painful eyes, with increased tearing and photophobia.

Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua
Fr. Viticis
Man Jing Zi
Sm. Cassiae
Jue Ming Zi
Fr. Forsythiae
Lian Qiao

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rx. Polygoni Multiflori
He Shou Wu
Rx. Stephaniae Tetrandrae
Han Fang Ji

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Hb. Schizonepetae
Jing Jie
Periostracum Cicadae
Chan Tui

Superficial visual obstruction.

Skin lesions, chronic eczema, or neurodermatitis.

Eczema with itching.

  1. This herb is used primarily for treating Liver Yang Rising causing headache, eye problems, and nervousness. It is also specific for the eyes and itching skin.
  2. This herb focuses almost entirely on the Liver.
  3. Use 15g of this herb alone in decoction twice a day for vitiligo
  4. Both Bai Ji Li and Hb. Equiseti Hiemalis Mu Zei dredge and disperse Wind-Heat, brighten the eyes, stop itching and can be combined to treat these conditions. Bai Ji Li calms and extinguishes Internal Wind and dredges the Liver to promote the flow of stagnant Qi and Blood. Mu Zei releases the muscle layer, expels Wind-Dampness and more strongly eliminates superficial visual obstruction.
  5. Other than treating the eyes, Bai Ji Li and Sm. Astragali Complanati Sha Yuan Zi are completely different in appearance and actions. Bai Ji Li dredges the Liver and expels Wind to brighten the eyes with no tonifying effect. Sha Yuan Zi tonifies the Liver and Kidneys to brighten the eyes. They are often used together to treat eye diseases.
  6. Dry-fried Fructus Tribuli Chao Bai Ji Li is better able to calm the Liver, anchor Yang and release constraint. It is used to treat Liver Yang headaches and dizziness, pain in the chest and flanks and insufficient lactation.
  7. Some sources say that this herb treats urinary pain and urgent incontinence from spastic Bladder or metabolic acidosis.