Allii macrostemi Bulbus (xie bai) is acrid, bitter, warm, and slippery. Its acidity disperses while its bitterness and warmth dry dampness, and its slipperiness benefits the orifices. Acting on the Lung channel, it unblocks the chest and disperses pathogenic cold so that chest yang can extend, and it expels phlegm-dampness so that the qi flow is smooth and unblocked. Thus, allii macrostemi Bulbus (xie bai) is an excellent herb for unblocking the chest yang, scouring turbid phlegm, adjusting the flow of qi, and opening painful obstruction of the chest. In addition to effectively treating painful obstruction of the chest, and its associated symptoms of wheezing, coughing up sputum, pain through the chest and back, and shortness of breath, it can also reach down to move stagnant qi in the Large Intestine in order to treat tenesmus with dysenteric disorder. Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians notes that it "warms the middle and disperses clumped qi." The special quality of this herb is its ability to reach into areas of congealed constraint, whether this is unbinding painful obstruction of the chest in the upper body, or draining Large Intestine qi stagnation in the lower body. --Bensky: Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica.