Chuan huangbo Tabular or shallowly channeled, varying in length and width, 3~6 mm thick. Outer surface yellowish-brown, even or longitudinally furrowed, some showing scars of lenticels, and remains of greyish-brown coarse bark, inner surface dark yellow or pale brown, with fine longitudinal ridges. Texture light and hard, fracture fibrous, showing lobelike layers, dark yellow. Odour, slight; taste, very bitter, viscous on chewing.

Guan huangbo 2~4 mm thick. Outer surface yellowish-green or pale brownish-yellow, relatively even, with irregular longitudinal fissures, scars of lenticels small and infrequently visible, occasionally remaining greyish-white coarse bark. Inner surface yellow of yellowish-brown. Texture light and relatively hard. Fracture bright yellow or yellowish-green.

Cortex Phellodendri(processed with salt) To nourish yin and reduce fire.

Dysentery, jaundice and morbid leucorrhea caused by damp-heat; urinary infectious; weakness and edema of legs; consumptive fever and night sweating; seminal emission; sores and skin infection with local redness and swelling; eczema with itching.

Cortex Phellodendri(processed with salt): Night sweating and consumptive fever due to exuberant fire secondary to deficiency of yin.

1.Reducing heat and resolving dampness:

For the treatment of dysentery due to damp-heat accompanied with fever and tenesmus, it is often combined with Radix Pulsatillae, Cortex Fraxini, etc.; for jaundice with fever due to damp-heat, with Fructus Gardeniae and others for recuding heat and resolving dampness; for yellow and thick leukorrhea due to damp-heat with Semen Euryales, Semen Ginkgo, etc.; for the treatment of the low extremities affected with hotness and pain due to the descending of damp-heat, with Rhizoma Atractylodis, Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae; for stranguria with hot sensation or painful urination with dark urine, with Fructus Gardeniae, Semen Plantaginis, etc.

2.Purging fire and eliminating virulent evil factors:

For the treatment of eczema and skin pyogenic infection due to virulent heat, it may be used internally or externally: for eczema, it can be used with Herba Schizonepetae, Radix Sophorae Flavescentis; for skin pyogenic infection, it can be used internally in combination with Rhizoma Coptidis, Fructus Gardeniae, etc. and used externally by mixing its powder with pig's bile.

3.Eliminating asthenia-heat:

For the treatment of hectic fever, nocturnal emmision, night sweating, due to deficiency of Yin leading to flare-up of fire, it is often combined with Rhizoma Anemarrhenae.