Bear Bile Classic Formulas — Natural Herb Library

Primary Actions

Clears Heat and stops spasms - classically used for high fever, internal wind, convulsions, pediatric fright, and heat-type epileptic disorders when blazing heat agitates the Liver and Heart.
Drains Liver and Gallbladder Fire while benefiting the eyes - applied for red swollen painful eyes, acute visual obstruction, and ocular heat-toxin patterns in which strong bitter-cold descent is needed.
Resolves fire toxin and relieves painful swelling - used internally or topically for sore throat, mouth sores, boils, hemorrhoids, and other hot painful lesions where direct heat-clearing action is required.
Clears damp-heat and reduces swelling - extended to jaundice, toxic inflammatory lesions, and trauma-related hot swelling when excess heat and obstruction predominate.

Xiong Dan Yuan (熊胆圆) - recorded in Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang for pediatric heat, fright, vomiting phlegm, poor feeding, and lingering gan ji-type disorders, showing bear bile in a strongly clearing pediatric formula.
Di Sheng Xiong Dan Wan (抵圣熊胆丸) - from Sheng Hui Fang, an external bear-bile and musk pill placed on intensely hot painful carbuncles and sores to reduce fire toxin and pain.

Sacred Lotus records the core traditional actions as clearing Heat, stopping spasms, calming Liver Fire, benefiting the eyes, reducing swelling, and treating fire-toxin lesions.
TCM Wiki lists jaundice, nebula, pharyngitis, anal fistula, boils, infantile malnutrition, diarrhea from summer-damp, and heat-type epilepsy among standard classical indications, reinforcing its broad use in severe excess-heat states.
Traditional cautions state that Xiong Dan should not be used without true Heat and that its effect is weakened by Han Fang Ji and Sheng Di Huang.