Medicinals
xióng huáng / 雄黄 / 雄黃 / realgar
Latin pharmacognostic name: Realgar
Alternate English names:
Alternate Chinese names: 金黄石 jīn huáng shí; 天阳石 tiān yáng shí; 黄石 huáng shí; 鸡冠石 jī guān shí; 石黄 shí huáng; 雄黄粉 xióng huáng fěn
Origin: Mineral
Use: medicinal
Category: External medicine agents / Toxin-attacking, worm-killing, and itch-relieving agents
Properties: Acrid, bitter; warm; toxic. (Some sources say that it is balanced, not warm.)
Channel entry: heart, stomach, and liver channels. (some sources list lung or large intestine channel. stomach is not included in all sources.)
Indications:
- Resolves toxin: Swollen welling-abscesses; clove sores; eczema; scab and lichen;
snakebite s and insect stings and bites. - Kills worms: Abdominal pain from worm accumulation.
- Additional uses: Xióng huáng drains dampness and dispels phlegm, and also interrupts malaria. It may be used to treat wheezing and panting,
malarial disease , and fright wind or epilepsy.
Dosage & Method:
Topical: Using the powdered form, sprinkle on the affected area or apply mixed with sesame oil. Oral: Take as a powder or in pills, in doses of 0.15–0.30g at per time.
Warning:
Xióng huáng is toxic, so it should not be used in excessive doses and should not be taken over a prolonged period of time. It is contraindicated in pregnancy. Externally, it should neither be used over large areas nor continuously over a long period of time. Xióng huáng should not be calcined.
Product Description:
This is a heavy brittle orange to red crystalline mineral essentially comprising arsenic sulfide (AsS). Brightly colored semi-translucent realgar is called lucid realgar (míng xióng 明雄 or yāo huáng 腰黄).
Quality:
Soft, brittle, red realgar that comes in large lumps is the best.
Product Area:
Húnán, Guìzhōu.
Etymology:
雄黄 (xióng huáng), literally ""male yellow,"" reflects the color of this item and the belief that it is found on the sunny (yáng, male) side of the mountain.
See also: