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Shennong Bencao Jing
027 / 030
Houpo (Magnolia Bark) — classical plate
Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex · Magnolia Bark Plate 027
Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex
厚朴 Houpo
Magnolia Bark
Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis
Nature & FlavorBitter, pungent; warm
ChannelsSpleen, Stomach, Lung, Large Intestine
Actions
Moves qiDries dampnessDisperses accumulationCalms wheezing
Six ChannelsTaiyin qi stagnation, Yangming abdominal fullness
The ClassicThe original text

「味苦温。主中风伤寒，头痛，寒热，惊悸气，血痹，死肌，去三虫。」

Bitter in flavor, warm. It treats wind stroke and cold damage, headache, cold and heat, fright palpitations and qi, blood blockage, deadened flesh, and it expels the three worms.

RootBro's note — 'Sends qi down, removes fullness' is the essence of houpo in four characters. Abdominal distension with difficult bowel movements is its core indication. In Houpo Sanwu Tang and Xiao Chengqi Tang, houpo is there specifically for the 'fullness' — a different layer from zhishi's 'stuffiness.'
PhD InsightA systems-biology reading
Key constituents magnolol and honokiol: both inhibit acetylcholinesterase, strengthening cholinergic nerve function in the gut and promoting digestive-tract movement.
Honokiol · 和厚朴酚
Positive GABA-receptor modulation → central sedation (anti-anxiety). AChE inhibition → cholinergic tone ↑ → intestinal peristalsis ↑ (sending qi down, removing fullness). NF-κB inhibition → anti-inflammatory. The sedative + pro-motility combination answers 'qi-stagnation-type' abdominal fullness.
How houpo 'calms wheezing': magnolol relaxes bronchial smooth muscle and inhibits mast-cell degranulation, reducing histamine release. Banxia Houpo Tang treats 'plum-pit qi' (the feeling of a lump in the throat) essentially by relaxing the esophageal spasm through smooth-muscle relaxation.
Logic PairingClassical pairings
Da Chengqi Tang (Major Order-the-Qi Decoction)Xiao Chengqi Tang (Minor Order-the-Qi Decoction)Banxia Houpo Tang (Pinellia & Magnolia Bark Decoction)Houpo Shengjiang Banxia Gancao Renshen Tang (Magnolia Bark, Ginger, Pinellia, Licorice & Ginseng Decoction)Houpo Sanwu Tang (Three-Substance Magnolia Bark Decoction)
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