More often, magnolia bark is included in larger traditional formulas and thus serves as a relatively minor contributor to the total therapeutic effect. Magnolia bark was frequently included as an ingredient in Chinese herb formulas mentioned in famous herb guides over the centuries, though some of the Shanghan Lun formulations, such as Minor Rhubarb Combination and Pinellia and Magnolia Combination, have remained the central formulas in which magnolia bark is a major component. Surface conditions, such as chill, fever, and headache Leaf, citrus, bupleurum, licorice, ma-huang, apricot seedĬinnamon twig, peony, ginger, jujube, licorice, apricot seed Table 3: Formulas for stagnation of qi in the chest with difficult breathing made with either ma-huang or cinnamon twig.Ĭhih-shih, cinnamon twig, trichosanthes fruit, bakeriĪccumulations and flushing up of qi, with coughing and pain in the chest Harmonizing the stomach, and reducing swellingĪccumulation of dampness and food stagnation Table 2: Formulas for digestive system weakness, made with ginger and licorice.Īnd for gastro-intestinal weakness associated with anxiety and fear Heat, with constipation and fullness, dryness, and mental agitationĬhih-shih, rhubarb linum (cannabis seed), apricot seed, peonyĬhih-shih, rhubarb, ginger, licorice, jujube, cinnamon twigĬombination of interior accumulation and surfaceĬongestion, as occurs in some febrile diseases with abdominal swelling With constipation occurring as a consequence of a febrile disease Heat, abdominal fullness, and constipationĬhih-shih, rhubarb (different proportions from above formula) Table 1: Formulas for internal accumulation, made with rhubarb and chih-shih. Among the smaller formulas (7 or fewer ingredients) in which magnolia bark is a major component were the following 11 prescriptions (2), subdivided into three categories (see Tables 1,2, 3). Magnolia bark was a common ingredient in many formulas described in the Shanghan Lun and Jingui Yaolue (ca. It may be prepared with ginger juice to enhance its digestive promoting effects. Although magnolia bark is no longer used in the treatment of worms, its antibacterial properties are recognized and may be responsible for its ability to alleviate discomfort due to some intestinal bacterial infections. However, the treatment of "fright qi" is one of the persisting indications for magnolia bark in the traditional prescriptions: it treats syndromes that are caused by emotional distress, such as plum pit qi, digestive disturbance associated with fear and anxiety, and shortness of breath due to emotional turmoil. This description differs markedly from that relied on in subsequent Chinese texts, in which the herb is mainly used for stagnation of qi and moisture circulation in the abdomen (associated with digestive disturbance) and tightness in the chest (associated with impaired breathing). Houpu is bitter and warm, non-toxic, mainly treating wind-stroke, cold damage, headache, cold and heat, fright qi, blood impediment, and dead muscle. This herb was first described in the Shennong Bencao Jing (1) around 100 A.D., as follows: In modern times, it is common for magnolia bark to be sold to pharmacies in bundles of relatively uniform strips about 4 inches long. The Chinese name for the herb, houpu, refers to the thick ( hou) bark that is the unadorned ( pu) portion of the plant. The pharmacy item is obtained by stripping the bark from stems, branches, and roots. Magnolia bark is a highly aromatic herbal material obtained from Magnolia officinalis (see Figure 1) of the Family Magnoliaceae. By Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon
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