Bai He Gu Jin Tang, also known as Lily Bulb Metal-Securing Decoction, is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription from the Book of Shen Zhai, which belongs to the category of anti-dryness agents. This prescription is mainly used to treat cough and bloody sputum caused by deficiency of yin in the lungs and kidneys and inflammation of virtual fire. This article will introduce the composition, efficacy, main indications, pathogenesis, application, supplementary prescriptions, prescription songs and modern applications of Lily Bulb Metal-Securing Decoction in detail, and explore its methods of combining diet therapy with auxiliary treatment.
Bai He Gu Jin Tang Recipe Explanation
The composition of Bai He Gu Jin Tang is as follows:
3g each of cooked rehmannia root, raw rehmannia root and angelica root (9g)
White peony root (6g)
Licorice (3g)
Platycodon grandiflorum (6g)
Scrophulariaceae (3g)
Fritillaria (6g)
Ophiopogon japonicus(9g)
Lily (12g)
Usage: Decoction in water.

King of medicine: Lily
Clears heat and moistens the lungs : Clears heat and moistens the lungs, relieves cough and reduces phlegm, and relieves cough and phlegm caused by lung heat.
Nourishes the mind and calms the nerves : It calms the mind and relieves insomnia and palpitations.
Ministerial drugs: Rehmannia root, Scrophularia ningpoensis
Rehmannia root : nourishes yin and blood, harmonizes medicinal properties, and relieves dry cough.
Scrophularia : clears away heat and detoxifies, nourishes yin and reduces fire, relieves lung heat cough and dry mouth.
Adjuvants: Radix Rehmanniae, Licorice, Angelica
Raw Rehmannia root : clears heat, cools blood, nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, relieves cough and thirst.
Licorice : harmonizes medicinal properties, enhances therapeutic effects, and protects the spleen and stomach.
Angelica Root : nourishes blood and moistens dryness, nourishes yin and replenishes deficiency, harmonizes the properties of medicines, and promotes the efficacy of medicines.
Adjuvant drugs: Platycodon grandiflorum, Radix Ophiopogonis, Fritillaria cirrhosa
Platycodon grandiflorum : It can clear the lungs and relieve sore throat, lead the medicine into the lungs, and relieve sore throat.
Ophiopogon japonicus : nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, clears away heat and resolves phlegm, relieves dryness and heat cough.
Fritillaria cirrhosa : moistens the lungs and relieves cough, resolves phlegm and disperses stagnation, relieves lung heat cough and thick phlegm.
Bai He Gu Jin Tang's Efficacy and Indications
effect
Bai He Gu Jin Tang is caused by insufficient Yin fluid in the lungs and kidneys. The lungs are the mother of the kidneys, and when the lungs are weak, the kidneys will also be affected. If the condition persists for a long time, the Yin fluid in both the lungs and kidneys will be insufficient, and insufficient Yin fluid will produce internal heat, and the virtual fire will rise, causing the lungs to lose their normal descending function, thereby causing coughing and asthma.
Deficiency fire consumes body fluids, leading to dry and sore throats, afternoon hot flashes, and even damage to blood vessels, causing blood in sputum. Treatment should nourish the yin fluids of the lungs and kidneys, while clearing away heat, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, in order to achieve the effect of treating both the symptoms and the root cause.

Bai He Gu Jin Tang achieves the effects of nourishing the lungs and kidneys, relieving cough and reducing phlegm through the combination of monarch, minister, assistant and envoy. The monarch lily clears heat and moistens the lungs, nourishes the heart and calms the mind; the minister Rehmannia root nourishes yin and replenishes blood, harmonizes the medicinal properties, Scrophularia clears heat and detoxifies, nourishes yin and reduces fire; the adjuvant Rehmannia root clears heat and cools blood, nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, Licorice harmonizes the medicinal properties and enhances the therapeutic effect, Angelica root nourishes blood and moistens dryness, nourishes yin and replenishes deficiency; the envoy Platycodon grandiflorum clears the lungs and relieves sore throat, and guides the medicine into the lungs, Ophiopogon japonicus nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, clears heat and resolves phlegm, and Fritillaria cirrhosa moistens the lungs and relieves cough, resolves phlegm and disperses nodules.
The main effect of Baihe Gujin Wan is to nourish the lungs and kidneys, helping to replenish the yin fluid of these two organs, thereby making them healthier. In addition, it also has the effect of relieving cough and reducing phlegm, which can effectively relieve coughs and dissolve phlegm, making breathing smoother.
Indications
Bai He Gu Jin Tang is a commonly used prescription for treating insufficient yin fluid in the lungs and kidneys, which leads to rising deficiency fire and causes cough and blood in sputum. Clinically, the syndrome is mainly diagnosed by the following symptoms: cough and wheezing, dry and painful throat, red tongue with little tongue coating, and weak and fast pulse.
When the yin fluid of the lungs and kidneys is insufficient, it will cause the virtual fire to rise, which is the so-called "lung and kidney yin deficiency, virtual fire inflammation syndrome". Lung yin deficiency refers to the lungs losing moisture due to insufficient body fluid, resulting in a series of symptoms. Because the lungs cannot tolerate cold or heat, external heat or dry air will damage the body fluid in the lungs, causing internal virtual heat and forming lung yin deficiency.
Tong Tong, a well-known Chinese medicine health expert, mentioned in his book "Chinese Women Should Replenish Yin" that the lungs "like moisture and hate dryness" and are most likely to get sick in dry seasons, and dryness is also the most damaging to lung yin. The lungs are prone to getting sick in dry seasons, especially in spring and autumn or in winter when the room is heated. The dry environment can cause coughing and sore throats.
Lung Dryness and Lung Yin Deficiency
"Lung dryness" and "lung yin deficiency" are both states of lack of water in the lungs, and the main characteristic is dry cough without phlegm. "Lung dryness" is usually caused by the invasion of dry evil qi from the outside, while "lung yin deficiency" is caused by long-term coughing. For example, Lin Daiyu in "Dream of Red Mansions" may not have been injured by dry weather or dry evil qi in the early stage, but because of the persistent cough, she eventually depleted the yin fluid in her body.

Generally speaking, when a disease progresses to the "lung yin deficiency" stage, it is mostly due to prolonged illness or the late stage of a chronic disease. "Medical Records of Zhongzhong Canxi" mentioned: "The symptoms of fever after fatigue are mostly caused by yin deficiency. There is a situation of lung yin deficiency. Because of the rise of virtual heat in the lungs, the patient will often feel itchy and cough, and may even have lung damage, and will be out of breath after a little activity."
The ending of many ancient scholars was similar to that of Lin Daiyu. They became emaciated when they were seriously ill, and their faces were pale before their death, but there were two bright red spots on their cheekbones. This is a typical manifestation of yin deficiency and excessive fire, and they eventually died of lung yin deficiency.

This condition causes a persistent cough and wheezing, sometimes with blood in the sputum. In addition, the patient may experience a dry and sore throat, dizziness, and a feeling of being very hot, especially in the afternoon, accompanied by sweating. These symptoms are usually accompanied by a red tongue with little coating and a weak and rapid pulse.
Baihe Gujin Wan helps relieve these symptoms caused by insufficient Yin fluid by nourishing the lungs and kidneys, thereby achieving the effect of relieving cough and reducing phlegm, making patients feel more comfortable.
Symptoms of Lung Yin Deficiency
The most common symptom of lung yin deficiency is "cough", which is characterized by dry cough, little sputum, blood in the sputum, dry mouth, hot flashes, and red face (red cheeks). Specific symptoms include:
Dry cough : Coughing without sputum or with very little sputum, which is sticky and difficult to cough up, and may even contain blood.
Dry throat : dry throat, hoarseness, thirst and dry mouth.
Hot flashes : Afternoon hot flashes and fever in the five parts of the body, often accompanied by sweating, palpitations, hot face, flushed cheeks and other symptoms.
Hot palms and soles : The palms and soles of feet feel abnormally hot.
Emaciation and yellowish urine .
Sweating : Sweating especially at night.
Constipation : Due to insufficient Yin fluid, the intestines are not lubricated enough, which makes constipation easy to occur.
Tongue : The tongue is reddish, with little and dry tongue coating.
Pulse : thin and rapid.

Causes of Lung Yin Deficiency
Lung Yin deficiency syndrome is mainly caused by internal injuries due to long-term fermentation. The causes include:
Long-term chronic cough : common in people who are weak due to long-term illness, overworked or under excessive mental stress.
Tuberculosis or other wasting diseases : Scabies (such as tuberculosis) damage the lungs.
Dry and hot environmental factors : Summer is hot, and autumn is dry and hot. These two seasons are most likely to damage the lungs due to heat (fire overcomes metal). Damage to the lungs due to dryness and heat leads to lung yin deficiency syndrome.
Long-term cough damages the yin : it will cause yin deficiency and excessive fire in the body.
Yin deficiency in other organs affects the lungs .
Modern Chinese medicine has also found that this syndrome is most likely to appear directly after an exogenous febrile disease, which has been confirmed after the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be said to be one of the symptoms of "COVID-19 sequelae". If a cold is not properly treated and chronic lung yin deficiency syndrome is formed, it is easy to have repeated cold symptoms (nasal congestion, dry cough, sore throat), which is actually a sequelae of a cold.
Modern Application of Bai He Gu Jin Tang
Modern use
In modern medicine, Bai He Gu Jin Tang is widely used to treat a variety of diseases, especially those related to lung and kidney yin deficiency and virtual fire inflammation. These diseases include:
Pulmonary tuberculosis : A chronic wasting disease caused by tuberculosis infection, often accompanied by symptoms such as cough and hemoptysis.
Chronic bronchitis : long-term inflammation leading to damage of the bronchial mucosa, accompanied by symptoms such as cough and sputum.
Bronchiectasis hemoptysis : recurrent hemoptysis caused by bronchial dilatation.
Chronic pharyngitis : Long-term inflammation of the throat, leading to symptoms such as dryness and pain.
Spontaneous pneumothorax : Air in the lungs enters the chest cavity, causing the lung to collapse, often accompanied by symptoms such as coughing and wheezing.
Combining COVID-19 treatment with modern research findings
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients were left with long-term, difficult-to-treat symptoms such as cough and throat discomfort after infection. These symptoms are closely related to lung yin deficiency. Modern research shows that Baihe Gujin Pills have a significant effect in treating these "COVID-19 sequelae". It helps patients relieve cough, dry throat and other discomforts by nourishing lung yin, clearing away heat and stopping bleeding, and promoting the recovery of lung health.

In addition, Baihe Gujin Wan is also used to treat other diseases related to lung yin deficiency, such as chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis hemoptysis. After using Baihe Gujin Wan, patients with these diseases usually feel that their coughs are reduced, sputum becomes easier to cough up, and dryness and pain in the throat are also relieved.
Diet therapy combined with adjunctive therapy
When using Bai He Gu Jin Tang, you can also use some dietary therapy to assist in the treatment. Here are some suggestions:
Lily porridge:
Ingredients: 15g lily, 100g polished rice, appropriate amount of rock sugar.
Preparation: Wash the lilies and the rice, put them into a pot together, add appropriate amount of water and cook into porridge, then add rock sugar to taste.
Efficacy: Nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, relieves cough and reduces phlegm.
Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup:
Ingredients: Tremella 10g, lotus seeds 10g, rock sugar as needed.
Preparation: Soak Tremella fuciformis, remove the core of lotus seeds, put them into a pot together, add appropriate amount of water and cook into a soup, then add rock sugar to taste.
Efficacy: Nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, nourishes the heart and calms the mind.
Apricot and Pear Soup:
Ingredients: almonds, pears, white fungus, lean meat, and candied dates.
Method: Add a little water to the pot, add the lean meat slices and boil, then skim off the foam and set aside. Then, add appropriate amount of water, southern apricots, northern apricots, white fungus, candied dates and the blanched lean meat into the pot and cook for about 30 minutes. Finally, add the pear pieces and continue to cook for about 15 minutes. Season and serve. The soup is refreshing and delicious .
Efficacy: Clears heat and moistens the lungs, relieves cough and reduces phlegm.

Precautions and side effects
This prescription should not be used if the patient coughs up blood, has liver fire burning the lungs, or has excessive heat in the lungs.
The medicine in this prescription is sweet, cold, nourishing and greasy. It should be used with caution by those with spleen deficiency and loose stools.
Avoid eating raw, cold, spicy, greasy food.
Conclusion
Bai He Gu Jin Tang is a very effective Chinese medicine prescription, mainly used to treat cough and bloody sputum caused by deficiency of lung and kidney yin and inflammation of virtual fire. It can achieve the effect of treating both the symptoms and the root cause by nourishing the yin and blood of the lung and kidney, clearing away heat, resolving phlegm and relieving cough. When using this prescription, some dietary therapy methods can be used to better promote recovery.
I hope that the introduction in this article can help you better understand and use Lily Solid Gold Soup. Lily Solid Gold Pills have a wide range of applications in modern medicine, especially in the treatment of lung and kidney yin deficiency and virtual fire inflammation-related diseases, showing significant therapeutic effects. It nourishes lung yin, clears heat and stops bleeding, helps patients relieve various discomfort symptoms and promotes physical recovery.
References
"Shinzai's Testament"
《Children's Medicine Prescriptions》
"Collection of Medical Prescriptions"
The Complete Works of Jingyue
"Records of Combining Chinese and Western Medicine"