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Bupleurum Root

시호 (柴胡) · Bupleurum falcatum L.
Exterior-releasing herb Slightly cold (some sources: neutral) Slightly bitter (some sources: sweet) Liver, Gallbladder (Shaoyang and Jueyin channels)
NatureSlightly cold (some sources: neutral)
TasteSlightly bitter (some sources: sweet)
MeridiansLiver, Gallbladder (Shaoyang and Jueyin channels)
Part usedRoot
FamilyApiaceae
CategoryExterior-releasing herb
Find by concern: ChillsLow-grade fever

Overview

Bupleurum root is the herb the Donguibogam sets apart for "alternating chills and fever" — the classical pattern where cold and heat swing back and forth — and for heat that lingers in the afternoon or morning. Its description is unusually vivid: a fragrant plant with a blue-purple stem, leaves like bamboo or a shortened Liriope leaf, and yellow flowers in the seventh month. The text also records a precise quality test — a long, slender root like a rat’s tail with a long, soft, yellow-red skin — and a family of processing rules that change what the herb does.

In the Donguibogam

東醫
寶鑑
性微寒一云平, 味微苦一云甘, 無毒. 主傷寒寒熱往來, 天行時疾, 內外熱不解. 治熱勞, 骨節煩疼. 除虛勞寒熱, 解肌熱, 早晨潮熱, 能瀉肝火, 除寒熱往來瘧疾, 及胸脇痛滿.
Source: Donguibogam, Tangaek-pyeon (Herbology volume)
TranslationIts nature is slightly cold (some say neutral), its taste slightly bitter (some say sweet), and it is non-toxic. It mainly treats cold-damage with alternating chills and fever, seasonal epidemic illness, and heat that will not resolve inside or out. It treats heat-taxation with irritating aching of the bones and joints. It removes cold-heat from deficiency-taxation, releases heat in the muscle layer and morning tidal heat, can drain liver fire, removes malarial-type alternating cold and heat, and relieves chest and flank pain and fullness.

Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam

  • Resolves alternating chills and fever
  • Releases muscle-layer heat
  • Drains liver fire
  • Eases chest and flank fullness

Traditional applications recorded in the classical text

  • Alternating chills and fever
  • Morning or afternoon tidal heat
  • Chest and flank distension
  • Irritability from stagnant liver qi (classical use)

Traditional preparation

Root harvested in the 2nd or 8th lunar month and sun-dried. For external-contraction patterns use raw; for internal-damage lifting use wine-fried; with cough and sweating use honey-water-fried; to drain liver-gallbladder fire, mix with pig-bile and fry.

This describes traditional preparation recorded in the classics, not a recommendation for use today. DonguiHub does not provide dosage guidance — consult a qualified professional before using any herb.

Cautions

Caution: The Donguibogam records no toxicity. Its processing rules matter: it should not touch copper or iron, and the stalk-head is removed. Persistent fever with chills warrants medical evaluation rather than self-treatment. Consult a professional.
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Frequently asked questions

What does "alternating chills and fever" mean in the classics?

It describes a pattern in which feeling cold and feeling hot swing back and forth rather than staying constant — the pattern the Donguibogam names first among bupleurum root’s uses.

How did the text judge good bupleurum?

By form: a long, slender root like a rat’s tail, with a long, soft, yellow-red stalk, was considered best; the root must also not be handled with copper or iron tools.

Does the way it is processed change its use?

Yes — the classical rule distinguishes raw use for external patterns, wine-frying for lifting qi in internal damage, honey-water frying when there is cough and sweating, and pig-bile frying to drain liver-gallbladder fire.

Sources