Herbs from Mineral
World
a supplement to Shifu’s lecture - spring 08
道
..But there was another predisposing cause for alchemical ideas in China, the absence of any prejudice against
the use of mineral drugs analogous to that which existed so long under the Galenical domination in Europe;
indeed the Chinese went to the other extreme, compounding with remarkable persistence through the
centuries all kinds of dangerous elixirs containing metallic and other elements (mercury, arsenic, lead, etc., as
well as gold) which caused untold harm to those who resolutely took them. However the Taoist, if he chose,
could avoid these dangers, for there were many other techniques available in the quest for material immortality,
not only alchemical and pharmaceutical but also dietetic, respiratory, gymnastic, sexual, heliotherapeutic and
meditational. With all these could he aspire to incorporation into the ranks of the invisible bureaucracy of the
universe as a Heavenly Immortal; or else seek for transformation into an Earthly Immortal, purified, ethereal and
free, able to spend the rest of eternity wandering as a kind of wraith through the mountains and forests,
enjoying the company of similar enlightened spirits and the cycle of the seasons ever repeated yet with glory
ever renewed.
ESSENTIALS OF TAOISM and the Taoist Influence on Herbal Medicine Literature
by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon
夜明砂
Ye Ming Sha
Bat feces
night bright sand
p117
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Materia Medica
Herbs that Clear Heat
Vespertilionis Faeces
acrid, cold
Liver
3 - 9 grams
Cools the Blood, reduces stasis and
stagnation, stops pain due to Blood stasis;
treats eye disorders due to heat
Caution
& Contraindications
Use with caution during pregnancy. In the
absence of stasis or stagnation this substance
is inappropriate for use in eye disorders
Comments
Ye Ming Sha is composed of 63% unashable
matter, 3% total nitrogen, urea, uric acid, and
traces of vitamin A.
浮海石
Fu Hai Shi
Costaziae Os - Costaziae skelton float-sea-stone
p397
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Materia Medica
transform phlegm and stop coughing
Celloporidae
salty, cold
LU
6-10gram
transform stubborn phlegm, cools phlegmheat in the lungs, disperses clumps, treats
painful urinary dribbling
none
Chemical Formula: CaCo3 (limestone of
coralline or plankton origin)
Comments
青礞石 金礞石
Chloriti Lapis
Qing Meng Shi • Jin Meng shi
Micae Lapis aureus
By nature intense and heavy, Chloriti Lapis (Qing Merng Shi) has the specific actions of driving
Qi downwards, sending phlegm downward and out of the body, clearing severe food stagnation,
pacifying the Liver and sedating convulsions. Primarily used for treating cough and wheezing or
childhood convulsions due to due to stubborn phlegm clogging and impeding the upper or middle
burner.
p397
Materia Medica
Categorie
Herbs that transform phlegm and stop coughing
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
mineral
sweet, salty, neutral
LV, LU, ST
9-15g
strongly drives phlegm retained in the stomach
and intestines downward and out of the body,
pacifies the liver, suppresses jitteriness and
convulsions.
Contraindicated in those with significant blood/qi
deficiency, and during oregnency
Vermiculite: (Mg,Fe,Al)3 (Al,Si)4O10(OH)2-4H20
Chlorite shist is a metamorphic rock formed at
low temperature (400-500˚C) and pressure (3-5
Kbar).
天竹黄
Tian Zhu Huang
Siliceous secretions of bamboo
heaven bamboo yellow
Tian Zhu Huang is similar to Zhu Li in origin…both are secretions of bamboo,
dislodge phlegm, open the orifices and arrest tremors and convulsions. But,
Tian Zhu Huangʼs ability to arrest palpations and tremors is stronger than that
of Zhu Li. It is especially useful in treating childrens night terrors. Commonly
used in combination with other wind-phlegm herbs, for adult stroke patients
with impaired speech.
p389
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
Materia Medica
Herbs that transform phlegm and stop coughing
Bambusae concretio silicea / Bamboo sugar
Sweet and cold
Gallbladder, Heart ,Liver
3-9g in decoctions, .6-1g taken straight
Arrests palpitations, extinguishes wind, dislodges
phlegm, and opens the orifaces
None noted
Composed of 88% SiO2 (quartz), 4% Fe2O3
(hematite), 3% Al2O3 (corundum), CaO (lime). K+
(potassium ion).
乳香
Ru Xiang
Frankincense
fragrant milk
p634
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
Materia Medica
herb that regulate blood
burseraceae
acrid bitter warm
HE, LV, SP
3-9 gram
invigorates the blood, promotes the movement
of qi, stops pain, generates flesh
contra in the absence of stasis and pregnancy.
not for long term
Frankincense is tapped from the very scraggly but hardy Boswellia tree through
slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to bleed out and harden. These
hardened resins are called tears. There are numerous species and varieties of
frankincense trees, each producing a slightly different type of resin. Differences in soil
and climate create even more diversity in the resin, even within the same species.
These trees are also considered unusual for their ability to grow in environments so
unforgiving that the trees sometimes grow directly out of solid stone, which the tree
attaches to by means of a sucker-like appendage. The deep roots and its sucker like
appendage prevent the tree from being torn away from the stone during the violent
storms that frequent this region; the tears from these hardy survivors are considered
superior due to their more fragrant aroma. The aroma from these tears are more
valuable for their presumed healing abilities and are also said to have superior
qualities for religious ritual. [1] Tapping is done 2 to 3 times a year with the final taps
producing the best tears due to their higher aromatic terpene, sesquiterpene and
diterpene content. High quality resin can be visually discerned through its level of
opacity. Omani frankincense is said to be the best in the world, although quality resin
is also produced in Yemen, and along the north coast of Somalia. Recent studies have
indicated that frankincense tree populations are declining due to over-exploitation.
Heavily tapped trees have been found to produce seeds that germinate at only 16%
while seeds of trees that had not been tapped germinate at more than 80%.
Frankincense is used in perfumery and aromatherapy. Olibanum essential oil is obtained by
steam distillation of the dry resin. The smell of the olibanum smoke is due to the products of
pyrolysis.
Omani frankincense is said to be the best in the world, although quality resin is also
produced in Yemen, and along the north coast of Somalia
沒藥
Mo Yao
Myrrha
Myrrh is a reddish-brown resinous material, the dried sap of the tree
Commiphora myrrha, native to Somalia and the eastern parts of Ethiopia.
The sap of a number of other Commiphora and species are also known as
myrrh, including that from (sometimes called East Indian myrrh), and . Its
name entered English via the Ancient Greek, μύρρα, which is probably of
Semitic origin. Myrrh is also applied to the potherb Myrrhis odorata otherwise
known as "Cicely" or "Sweet Cicely".
p636
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Materia Medica
herb that regulate the blood
burseraceae
bitter, neutral
HE, LV, SP
3-9gram
breaks up bloood stasis to stop pain.
reduces swelling, generates flesh
in absence of stasis, or during pregnancy
not for long term
Myrrh was used as an embalming ointment and was used, up until about the
15th century, as a penitential incense in funerals and cremations. The "holy
oil" traditionally used by the Eastern Orthodox Church for performing the
sacraments of chrismation and unction is traditionally scented with myrrh, and
receiving either of these sacraments is commonly referred to as "receiving the
Myrrh".
In Chinese medicine, myrrh is classified as bitter, spicy, neutral in temperature
and affecting the heart, liver, and spleen meridians. Its uses are similar to
those of frankincense, with which it is often combined in decoctions, liniments
and incense. Myrrh is said to be blood-moving, while frankincense is said to
move the Qi more, and is better for arthritic conditions. It is said to be useful
for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, menopause and , as it is said to purge out of
the uterus.
Myrrh is said to help toothache pain, and can be used in liniment for bruises,
aches and sprains.
Myrrh is most commonly used in Chinese medicine for rheumatic, arthritic and
circulatory problems. It is combined with such herbs as notoginseng, safflower
stamens, Angelica sinensis, cinnamon and Salvia miltiorrhiza, usually in
alcohol, and used both internally and externally. [1]
Myrrh is used more frequently in Ayurveda, Unani medicine and Western
herbalism, which ascribe to it tonic and rejuvenative properties. A related
species, known as guggul in Ayurvedic medicine is considered one of the best
substances for the treatment of circulatory problems, nervous system
disorders and rheumatic complaints, Myrrh (Daindhava) is used in many
rasayana formulas in Ayurveda.
Comments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrrh
自然銅
Zi Ran Tong
Pyrite
natural copper
Pyrite is the most common of the sulfide minerals. The name pyrite is derived
from the Greek πυρίτης (puritēs), “of fire” or "in fire”, from πύρ (pur),
“fire”. This name is likely due to the sparks that result when pyrite is struck
against steel or flint.
p647
Categorie
Class
Properties
Materia Medica
Herbs that regulate the blood
Mineral / Pyritum
Acrid, Neutral
Ch’s Entered
Liver
Dosage
3-9g
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
Dispersis stasis, stops pain, assists the
healing of injury to sinews and bones
None noted
Chemical formula: FeS2
Pyrite (AKA Iron Pyrite or Foolʼs Gold) doesnʼt
actually contain any copper in itʼs chemical
formula. Instead it is composed of Iron
Sulfide.
It treats such injuries from trauma as pain from falls, contusions,
broken bones, and hematoma. Most often used in pills and powders,
but can be used in a decoction if pulverized. Treats breaks and
fractures, disperses blood, stops pain, breaks up
accumulations…..Materia Medica of Ri Hua-Zi describes its use to
anchor and settle the spirit, saying that to “quiet the heart and
palpatations with anxiety, grind it in wine, then drink the wine”.
血竭
Xue Jie
Dragonʼs blood
blood thirst
Often classified as an herb for external application, but it is also used
internally, usually as a powder. It enters the blood level of the Liver channel to
invigorate the blood, disperse stasis and stop pain, and is used for blood
pooling due to internal injuries, contusions from falls, stabbing pain in the
chest and abdomen, and gynecological conditions such as amenorrhea or
post partum pain due to blood stasis. Externally applied it is well known and
valued in the treatment of wounds and sores that fail to heal, as it stops
bleeding and generates fllesh.
p648
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
Materia Medica
Herbs that regulate the Blood
Daemonoropis Resina / Draconis Sanguis
Sweet, Salty, Neutral
Heart, Liver
1-1.5g in pills and powders
INTERNALLY: Invigorates the blood,
disperses stasis, stops pain.
EXTERNALLY: Generates flesh, assists sores
and wounds to heal, stops bleeding.
Do Not take internally during pregnancy or
menstruation.
陽起石
Yang Qi Shi
Actinolite
bright arise stone
Nephrite can be found in a translucent white to very light yellow form which is known in China as mutton fat jade,[1] in
an opaque white to very light brown or gray which is known as chicken bone jade,[1] as well as in a variety of green
colors. Nephrite jade was used mostly in pre-1800 China as well as in New Zealand, the Pacific Coast and Atlantic
Coasts of North America, Neolithic Europe, and southeast Asia.
p811
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
Materia Medica
Tonifying Herbs
minreral
salty, slightly warm
KD
3-6gram in pill or powder
tonify the primal ang at the gate of vitality,
warms cold from deficiency in the lower burner
yin deficiency with heat signs
Chemical Formula: Ca2(MgFe)5Si8O22(OH)2 as
opposed to Jadeite (Jade) NaAlSi2O6
Major sources for these forms of Actinolite are
Taiwan, and Canada.[2] Other sources are
Madagascar, Tanzania, and the US.
During Neolithic times, the key known sources of nephrite jade in China for utilitarian and ceremonial jade items were
the now depleted deposits in the Ningshao area in the Yangtze River Delta (Liangzhu culture 3400–2250 BC) and in an
area of the Liaoning province in Inner Mongolia (Hongshan culture 4700–2200 BC). Jade was used to create many
utilitarian and ceremonial objects, ranging from indoor decorative items to jade burial suits. Jade was considered the
"imperial gem". From about the earliest Chinese dynasties until present, the jade deposits in most use were from the
region of Khotan in the Western Chinese province of Xinjiang (jade deposits from other areas of China, such as Lantian,
Shaanxi, were also in great demand). There, white and greenish nephrite jade is found in small quarries and as pebbles
and boulders in the rivers flowing from the Kuen-Lun mountain range northward into the Takla-Makan desert area. River
jade collection was concentrated in the Yarkand, the White Jade River|White Jade (Yurungkash) and Black Jade
(Karakash) Rivers. From the Kingdom of Khotan, on the southern leg of the Silk Road, yearly tribute payments consisting
of the most precious white jade were made to the Chinese Imperial court and there transformed into objets d'art by
skilled artisans as jade was considered more valuable than gold or silver.
鐘乳石
Zhong Ru Shi
tip of tubular stalactites
bell milk stone
Many factors impact the shape and color
of speleothem (stalactite and stalagmite)
formations including the rate and direction
of water seepage, the amount of acid in
the water, the temperature and humidity
content of a cave, air currents, the above
ground climate, the amount of annual
rainfall and the density of the plant cover.
Most cave chemistry revolves around
calcite; CaCO3, the primary mineral in
limestone.
p813
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Materia Medica
tonifying herbs
mineral
acrid, warm, sweet
LU
3-9g
warms the Lu qi, fortifies the primal yang,
promotes lactation
Caution
& Contraindications
excessive or prolonged use can result in
stagnation of the stomach qi. contra indicated
in cases of wheezing with blood
Comments
Chemical Formula: CaCO3 (as Calcite or
Aragonite), CaMg(CO3)2 (Dolomite), or
CaSO4 • 2H2O (Gypsum / Shi Gao)
赤石脂
Chi Shi Zhi
red stone resin
Halloysite, Kaolin
The name is derived from Gaolin 高岭 ("High Hill") in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China. Kaolinite was first described as a
mineral species in 1867 for an occurrence in the Jari River basin of Brazil. It is a soft, earthy, usually white mineral (dioctahedral
phyllosilicate clay), produced by the chemical weathering of aluminium silicate minerals like feldspar. In many parts of the world, it
is colored pink-orange-red by iron oxide, giving it a distinct rust hue. Kaolin is used in ceramics, medicine, coated paper, as a food
additive, in toothpaste, as a light diffusing material in white incandescent light bulbs, and in cosmetics. A more recent, and more
limited, use is as a specially formulated spray applied to fruits, vegetables, and other vegetation to repel or deter insect damage. A
traditional use is to soothe an upset stomach, similar to the way parrots (and later, humans) in South America originally used it.[4]
Until the early 1990s it was the active substance of anti-diarrhoea medicine Kaopectate.
p877
Category
Class
Properties
Materia Medica
Herbs that Stabilize and Bind
Sheet silicate mineral
Sweet, sour, astringent, warm
Ch’s Entered
SP, ST, LI
Dosage
9-18 gram
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Binds to stop chronic diarrhea and uterine
bleeding, generates flesh to assist healing of
chronic sores, gently augments the Stomach
Qi.
during pregnancy. ico yin or blood deficiency
Chemical Formula: Al2Si2O5(OH)4
Comments
磁石
Ci Shi
Magnetite
Magnetite is the most magnetic of all the naturally occurring minerals on Earth, and these magnetic
properties led to lodestone being used as an early form of magnetic compass. Magnetite typically
carries the dominant magnetic signature in rocks, and so it has been a critical tool in
paleomagnetism, a science important in discovering and understanding plate tectonics. Magnetite
reacts with oxygen to produce hematite.
p915
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Materia Medica
Substance that calm the spirit
oxide mineral
acrid, salty, cold
KD, LV
15-30 grams
sedates and calms the spirit, weighs down
the yang while nourishing the true yin
improves acuity of hearing and vision.
in case of weak spleen or stomach
Chemical Formula: Fe3O4
Comments
紫石英
Zi Shi Ying
Fluorite
purple stone radiance
Fluorite is a widely occurring mineral which is found in large deposits in many areas. Notable deposits occur
in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Norway, Mexico, many states in the USA, and Ontario in Canada.
Large deposits also occur in Kenya in the Kerio Valley area within the Great Rift Valley.
p921
Category
Materia Medica
Substances that Calm the Spirit
Class
Halide mineral
Properties
Sweet, warm
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
HT, LR
9-15 gram
Calms the spirit, nourishes the Liver Blood,
warms the Penetrating vessel, Conception vessel,
and Womb
contraindicated in those with fire from yin
deficiency.
Chemical Formula: CaF2
Comments
琥珀
Hu Po
Amber
Amber is the name for fossil resin or
tree sap that is appreciated for its
colour. It is used for the manufacture
of ornamental objects and jewellery.
Although not mineralized, it is
sometimes considered a gemstone.
Most of the world's amber is in the
range of 30–90 million years old.
Semi-fossilized resin or sub-fossil
amber is called copal.
p923
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Materia Medica
substances that clam the spirit
fossil resin
sweet, neutral
BL, HE,LV
1.5-3grams do not dicoct, or calcine
settles and calm the spirit, unblocks blood
stagnation, facilitates urination
yin deficiency with heat signs
The average composition of amber leads to
the general formula C10H16O.
Comments
生鉄落
Sheng Tie Luo
Iron Oxide
raw iron leavings
p927
Category
Materia Medica
Substances that Calm the Spirit
Class
iron oxide
Properties
acrid cool
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
HT, LR
30-60 gram
Sadates and calms the liver
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
spleen def
Chemical Formula: Fe3O4
Comments
安息香
An Xi Xiang
Benzoin
easy breath fragrance
Governs noxious Qi in the heart and abdomen…Treats blood pathogens, sudden
turmoil disorder, wind pain, and in women, clenched jaw and coma due to blood
stasis rushing upward….treats sudden collapse from wind-stroke, and all pain in
the heart and abdomen…Stops suddenly occurring heart pain, nausea, and
rebellion….Promotes the movement of Qi and Blood; Ground into a powder, it
promotes the movement of blood and directs Qi downward, calming the spirit.
p952
Categorie
Class
Materia Medica
Aromatic substances that open the orifices
Benzoinum / Styrax Benzoin
Properties
Acrid, Bitter, neutral
Ch’s Entered
Heart, Liver, Spleen
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
.6-1.5g in pills and powders; should not be
decocted
Open the orifices, awakens the spirit to restore
consciousness, invigorates the Qi and Blood,
stops pain in the chest and abdomen
Caution in cases of fire with yin deficiency
代赭石
Dai Zhe Shi
Hematite
Red stone from Dai county
p991
Categorie
Class
Materia Medica
Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors
oxide mineral
Properties
bitter, cold
Ch’s Entered
HE, LV, PC
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
9-30g in decoctions (crushed), 1-3g in pills
and powders
relies on its heaviness to suppress and direct
downward rebellious qi, while cooling liver fire.
Use with caution during pregnancy. Do not
take long term.
Chemical Formula; Fe2O3
Comments
Hematite is a very common mineral, colored black to steel or silver-gray, brown
to reddish brown, or red. It is mined as the main ore of iron. Varieties include
kidney ore, martite (pseudomorphs after magnetite), iron rose and specularite
(specular hematite).
Huge deposits of hematite are found in banded iron formations. Grey hematite
is typically found in places where there has been standing water or mineral hot
springs, such as those in Yellowstone. The mineral can precipitate out of water
and collect in layers at the bottom of a lake, spring, or other standing water.
Hematite can also occur without water, however, usually as the result of
volcanic activity.
Clay-sized hematite crystals can also occur as a secondary mineral formed by
weathering processes in soil, and along with other iron oxides or oxyhydroxides
such as goethite, is responsible for the red color of many tropical, ancient, or
otherwise highly weathered soils.
白礬／ 明礬
Bai Fan or Ming Fan
Alum
Alum was often used as a base in skin whiteners
and treatments during the late 16th Century in the
Elizabethan fashion. Ammonia alum,
NH4Al(SO4)2·12H2O, is used in water purification, in
vegetable glues, in porcelain cements, in natural
deodorants (though potassium alum is more
commonly used), in tanning, dyeing and in
fireproofing textiles. Soda alum is used in the
acidulent of food as well as in the manufacture of
baking powder.
Materia Medica
p1021
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
Substances for Topical Application
sulfate mineral
sour, astringent, cold
LI, LV, LU, SP
1-3g in decoctions, .0-1.5g in pills & powders
externally, restrains pathogenic dampness and
resolves toxicity. internally: transforms phlegm
and thin mucus
taking internally. weak digestive systems, or in
the absence of damp heat.
Chemical Formula: KAl(SO4)2.12H2O
(potassium alum), Na2SO4·Al2(SO4)3·24H2O
(sodium alum), or NH4Al(SO4)2·12H2O
(ammonium alum)
爐甘石
Lu Gan Shi
Calamine, smithonite
furnace sweet stone
Zinc carbonate is used in calamine lotion to treat skin diseases and reduce the itching of insect bites.
p1023
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Materia Medica
Substance for topical application
Carbonate mineral
sweet, neutral
LV, ST
external use only
clears wind heat from the eyes, inhibits damp
sores
do not take internally
Chemical Formula: ZnCO3
Comments
硫磺
Liu Huang
Sulfur
Sulfur was known in China since the 6th century BC, in a natural form that the
Chinese had called 'brimstone', or shiliuhuang that was found in Hanzhong.[1] By the
3rd century, the Chinese discovered that sulfur could be extracted from pyrite.[1]
Chinese Daoists were interested in sulfur's flammability and its reactivity with
certain metals, yet its earliest practical uses were found in traditional Chinese
medicine.[1] A Song Dynasty military treatise of 1044 AD described different
formulas for Chinese gun powder, which is a mixture of potassium nitrate (KNO3),
carbon, and sulfur.
It is an essential element for life and is found in two amino acids, cysteine and
methionine. In nonscientific context it can also be referred to as brimstone.
p1024
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Materia Medica
Substances for Topical Application
mineral
Sour, hot, toxic
KI, LI, PC
1 - 3 grams
externally- resolves toxicity, kills parasites, and
stops itching, especially good for scabies and
tinea. Internally- in prepared form tonifies the
fire at the gate of vitality
Caution
& Contraindications
during pregnancy and in yin deficiency with
heat signs. Prescribe with caution for internal
use.
Comments
Chemical Formula: S
Sulfur is a very soft mineral (1.5-2.5) and is
chemically stable from room temperature to
about 120˚C at which it begins to fuse. Sulfur
will burn at 275˚C. It is also the source of the
foul odor of rotten eggs.
Wai dan (“external alchemy”) was developed by fangshi (fang-shih, “prescription masters”),
the heirs to the ancient shamans, metallurgists, smelters and magicians. Its theoretical foundations
emerged from a combination of the yin-yang cosmological matrix with the “Five Elements” (wu
xing). Physical immortality of the body was the primary goal of the practitioners of wai dan, who
had hoped to transmute the highly toxic cinnabar (mercuric sulphide or red ochre) into the elixir of
immortality. The use of cinnabar in Daoist alchemy arose of out homological thinking that sought
to connect the cinnabar’s red color with blood, and its transformation into liquid mercury
“quicksilver” with the vitality of human semen, the source of new life. The outstanding Daoist wai
dan master, Ge Hong (Ko Hung, 261-341 A.D.) wrote the 4th century Daoist classical wai dan
alchemical text called Baopuzi (Pao-p’u tzu, “Book of the Master who embraces simplicity”), a work
which provides recipes on the transmutation of alchemical cinnabar into the elixir of immortality.
staff.xu.edu/~tan/essays/Chinese-NCE-Daoism.pdf
朱砂
Zhu Sha
Cinnabar, Sulfide Mineral
p1045
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Materia Medica
Obsolete Substances
Sulfide mineral
sweet, cool, toxic
HE
0.1 - 1.5 gram
internally - clears Heart fire and focuses the
mind, externally resolves toxicity.
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
should not be used long term or large
amounts. Do not heat.
Only “Shui Fei” type to be taken internally.
AKA Dan Sha 丹砂，Ling Sha 靈砂，Chen
Sha 辰砂，Pi Sha 劈砂. Gong Zhu Sha 貢朱砂
is the highest quality cinnabar fit for imperial
court
Chemical formula: HgS
“zhu” - red sand
水飛
Sui Fei
Aqueous Trituration
water fly
Aqueous trituration is the process of using water in reducing a substance to an extremely fine powder.
The process reduces the content of soluble mercuric salts. (p1047)
Sui Fei Zhu Sha
Floating Cinnabar
水飛朱砂
qing dai shui fen
materia medica p161
青黛水飛 Powdered Indigo
煅
Duan
Calcification
Process of calcining whereby the mineral is super heated then cooled by submerging it in vinagre.
For purification, to pulverize for less irritation.
輕粉
Qing Fen
Calomel
light powder
The name calomel is thought to come from the Greek καλος beautiful, and μελας black. This name
(somewhat surprising for a white compound) is probably due to its characteristic disproportionation
reaction with ammonia, which gives a spectacular black coloration due to the finely dispersed metallic
mercury formed. It is also referred to as the mineral horn quicksilver or horn mercury. Calomel was taken
internally and used as a laxative and disinfectant before the 20th century . It was also used by doctors in the
1700's in America, and during the revolution, to make patients regurgitate and release their body from
"impurities". George Washington may have died prematurely at the age of 67 because his physicians treated a
respiratory illness with bloodletting and calomel[3]
p1058
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Materia Medica
Obsolete Substances
chloride mineral
Acrid, cold, very toxic
LI, KI,LV
0.1 - 0.2 g in pills and powders
Attacks toxicity, kills parasites, treats sores
and scabies; toxic
Strictly forbidden during pregnancy. Internal
use with only the utmost caution as it is very
toxic and irritates mucous membranes.
Chemical formula: Hg2Cl2
Comments
雄黄／雌黄
Xiong Huang / Ci Huang
Realgar and Orpiment
male yellow / female yellow
Mineral Notes: Realgar is a highly unstable mineral and gradually changes to a yellow powder which is
Orpiment on exposure to light. It differs from other orange and red minerals by having a uniquely orange-red
streak which makes for easy identification. It typically occurs in ore veins with other Sulfides, particularly
Stibnite, and Silver and Gold. Often associated with hot-spring deposits.
Description: A highly crystalline specimen consisting of yellow Orpiment and orange-red Realgar. Both
minerals exist as highly-lustrous tabular plates, richly covering the surface of the supporting matrix. The
contrast between the colours is very attractive, making for a good display specimen.
Location: Junan, Wenshan, China.
p1060
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Comments
Materia Medica
Obsolete Substances
oxide mineral
acrid, warm, toxic
LI, LV, ST
0.15-0.3gram
externally-resolves toxicity and kills parasites,
internally-dries dampness, expels phlegm,
checks malarial disorders
during pregnancy. ico yin or blood deficiency
Mineral Species: Realgar and Orpiment
Chemical Formula: As4S4 / As3S3
Chemical Name: Arsenic Sulfide
Mineral Class: Sulfide
http://www.wildaboutrocks.com/prod43.htm
密陀僧
Mi Tuo Seng
Litharge, galena
secret reclusive monk
Litharge is a secondary mineral which forms from the oxidation of galena ores.
It forms as coatings and encrustations with internal tetragonal crystal structure.
It was first described as a mineral in 1917 for an occurrence in San Bernardino County, California.
Historically, the term "litharge" has been combined to refer to other similar substances. For
example, litharge of gold is litharge mixed with red lead, giving it a red color; litharge of silver is
litharge that comes as a by-product of separating silver from lead; litharge of bismuth is a similar
result of the oxidation of bismuth. The term has also been used as a synonym for white lead or
red lead.
p1061
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Materia Medica
Obsolete Substances
oxide mineral
acrid, salty, neutral, toxic
LV, SP
0.3 - 0.9 grams
externally: kills parasites, absorbs fluids,
reduces swelling, stops bleeding
Internally: treats chronic dysenteric disorders,
suppresses childhood convulsions, drives
phlegm downward
Contraindicated in weak patients. Prescribe
with caution for internal use.
Chemical Formula: PbO
Comments
Litharge is produced by bringing molten lead
into contact with air. Due to the rare occurance
of the native mineral, Lithargite is usually
artifically produced from Galena (PbS).
硼砂
Peng Sha
Borax
shelf sand
Borax has a wide variety of uses. It is a component of many detergents, cosmetics, and enamel
glazes. It is also used to make buffer solutions in biochemistry, as a fire retardant, as an anti-fungal
compound for fiberglass, as an insecticide, and as a flux in metallurgy.
Boric acid, sodium borate, and sodium perborate are estimated to have a lethal dose from 0.1 to 0.5
g/kg in humans. These substances are toxic to all cells, and have a slow excretion rate through the
kidneys. Kidney toxicity is the greatest, with liver fatty degeneration, cerebral edema, and
gastroenteritis.
p1063
Categorie
Class
Properties
Ch’s Entered
Dosage
Key
Characteristics
Caution
& Contraindications
Materia Medica
Obsolete Substances
borate mineral
sweet, salty, cool
LU, ST
1.5 - 3.0 grams
externally-resolves toxicity, reduces swelling,
prevents putrefaction
Internally: clears heat, softens areas of
hardness, disperses clumped phlegm,
unblocks painful obstruction of throat
Use great caution when using internally as
long-term use causes renal dysfunction.
When used externally it should be calcined
first.
Chemical Formula: Na2B4O7 - 10H2O
Comments
Borax is a soft mineral (2-2.5). It is found in
large deposits on the shores of central Asia
(Tibet, Lop Nor, Kashmir) and the western
USA, especially in Death Valley.