(Bai/Hei) Liupi-Willow Bark in CM

[Guest guest]

Hi All, & Roger,

 

When I was a child in the mid 1940s, willows grew all around our town in

the West of Ireland. We called them sallies. This word comes from the

Gaelic: " Saille " or " Saileach " , also called Helgen, White Willow or Sally

Tree.

 

In Druidic lore, the Saileach was associated with growth of lunar power

and water. Sally branches (sally rods) were used in thatching, basket-

making & as a means of punishing (by slapping on the palm of the

hand) dunces who did not answer the teacher's questions correctly.

 

Sallies were our favourite tree from which to make arrows; we peeled off

the bark, air-dried the rods in lengths of circa 50-75cm, split one end for

the feather & bound cord behind the feather. We bound an arrow-

headed packing needle into the tip. We used the arrows to shoot at

(usually failing to hit!) rabbits. We knew nothing of the medicinal

properties of this tree.

 

The scientific name, " Salix " , comes from the Celtic words " sal " (= near),

& lis (or uisge) (= water); it refers to the tree's fondness for the borders

of streams, ponds, marshes, & other watercourses. See: FOLKLORE &

PRACTICAL USES: WILLOW by Muirghein uí Dhún Aonghasa (Linda

Kerr): See http://tinyurl.com/94cra for a great summary, that concludes:

[The Willow-Tree: Thackeray]: Know ye the willow-tree / Whose grey

leaves quiver, / Whispering gloomily / To yon pale river? / Lady, at even-

tide / Wander not near it: / They say its branches hide / A sad lost spirit.

 

See also " Trees of the Irish Lunar Calendar " :

http://www.danann.org/library/cycle/willow.html

 

Roger wrote:

> I've also suspected this effect on chronic prostatatis based on

> observed reactions. I've used white willow (Salix alba) rather than

> Populus spp. I suspect its actions to include being a Tone Yin &

> Quicken Xue Hb, but this is only a suspicion based on limited use -

> many of the CP cases i've seen involve at least some degree of both KI

> Yin Xu & Xue Stas as well as other patterns. Here's a page of interest

> on salicylates & herbs:

http://home.caregroup.org/clinical/altmed/interactions/Herb_Groups/Salicylate-co\

nt.htm

> Roger Wicke

 

Plants For A Future - Species Database at http://tinyurl.com/dlcnp lists

63 different Salix .species: S.'Americana', S.'Bowles hybrid',

S.'Forbiana', S.acutifolia, S.aegyptiaca, S.alaxensis, S.alba, S.alba

caerulea, S.alba vitellina, S.amygdaloides, S.appendiculata, S.arenaria,

S.aurita, S.babylonica, S.bakko, S.bebbiana, S.brachycarpa, S.caprea,

S.chaenomeloides, S.cinerea, S.cinerea oleifera, S.commutata,

S.daphnoides, S.decipiens, S.eriocephala, S.exigua, S.fluviatilis,

S.fragilis, S.gilgiana, S.gooddingii, S.gracilistyla, S.hastata,

S.hookeriana, S.japonica, S.kinuyanagi, S.koriyanagi, S.lanata,

S.lasiandra, S.lasiolepis, S.lucida, S.miyabeana, S.nigra, S.nipponica,

S.pentandra , S.petiolaris, S.piperi, S.pseudo-matsudana, S.pulchra,

S.purpurea, S.purpurea lambertiana, S.repens, S.scouleriana,

S.sitchensis, S.sungkianica, S.taxifolia, S.triandra, S.viminalis,

S.wallichiana, S.x mollisima hippophaeifolia, S.x mollisima undulata, S.x

rubra, S.x smithiana

 

Google has many references in English and other European languages,

on White Willow Bark [bailiupi; Baiyangliupi (ýèó® (ýÊó®)), Cx

Salicis albae/daphnoidis/pentandrae)], or Black Willow Bark [Heiliupi;

Heiyangliupi (Ñèó® (ÑÊó®), Cx Salicis nigrae]. Most of those

references come from Western herbal medicine, and few ascribe

traditional Chinese herbal attributes to them.

 

Though Google has MANY hits in Chinese on SALICIN, I can find few

in-depth references to the crude Willow herbs in Chinese. I conclude

that Willow would appear not to be used in CHM as commonly as more

traditional CHMs. Would Chinese-speaking herbalists agree?

 

Later, I will post a summary of the Google hits, some in Chinese, but

most from:

American Materia Medica at http://tinyurl.com/bkbkw

Healing People at http://tinyurl.com/df2u2

Herb Shop at http://www.herbshop.com/herbguid.htm

HerbWorld at http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_p16.htm

Hopking's Herbal Materia Medica at http://tinyurl.com/c9urg

Jiaherb at http://tinyurl.com/c2628

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre at http://tinyurl.com/9s3ly

Mountain Gardens Herbs at http://tinyurl.com/8jopz

Natural Health Village at http://tinyurl.com/chwv2

Natural Herbal Products at

http://www.jusbcommunity.com/NHP/kathy/herbs2.htm#S

Physicians Select at

http://www.physiciansselect.com/white-willow-salix-alba-iInformation.htm

RCHM: http://www.rchm.co.uk/articles/western_herbs.html

 

 

 

Best regards,

 

 

Tel: (H): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

 

 

 

 

Ireland.

Tel: (W): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

 

 

 

" Man who says it can't be done should not interrupt man doing it " -

Chinese Proverb