Hou Po
Pinyin Name: Hou Po
English Name: Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis
Other Names: Magnolia Bark
Tastes: Acrid Warm, Bitter
Origin: Sichuan, Hubei provinces in China
Benefits of Hou Po:
Hou Po covers meridians of spleen, stomach and large intestine. Main functions are activating qi to resolve stagnation, drying dampness and eliminating fullness, and calming the adverse-rising qi to relieve asthma. Common uses and indications include food retention and qi stagnation, bloating and constipation, fullness in the abdomen, vomiting and diarrhea, reversed flow of qi due to phlegm congestion, chest fullness caused by dyspnea with cough. Recommended dosage is from 3 to 10 grams.
Hou Po is widely used in Chinese herbal formulas. 1) Ping Wei San is used for the syndrome of damp retention in middle-jiao and abdominal distention. Its ingredient herbs include Hou Po, Cang Zhu and Chen Pi. 2) Hou Po Ma Huang Tang is formulated for heat-transmission from cold retained fluid, chest tightness, wheezing, sputum sound in throat, irritability. Its ingredient herbs include Hou Po, Ma Huang, Shi Gao, Xing Ren and more. 3) Hou Po San Wu Tang is used for food retention, qi stagnation, bloating and constipation. Its ingredient herbs include Hou Po, Da Huang and Zhi Shi.
Common herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine
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