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Minium
铅丹 〔鉛丹〕qiān dān
Latin pharmacognostic name: Minium
Alternate Chinese names: 丹 dān; 丹粉 dān fěn; 朱丹 zhū dān; 朱粉 zhū fěn; 东丹 dōng dān; 松丹 sōng dān; 红丹 hóng dān; 铅华 qiān huá; 铅黄 qiān huáng
Kingdom: Mineral
Origin in PRC Pharmacopoeia: Minium is orange-colored powder containing oxidized lead (Pb₃O₄), which is made by vigorously stir-frying lead in a wok over a flame. (PRC Pharmacopoeia)
Use: Medicinal
Category: External-use agents / Toxin-drawing, putridity-transforming, and flesh-engendering agents
Properties: Acrid; slightly cold; toxic.
Channel entry: Heart and liver channels.
Indications:
- Draws toxin and engenders flesh, kills worms and relieves itching: Ulcerated sores;
damp sores . - Additional uses: Qiān dān is taken internally to settle fright and downbear phlegm in the treatment of epilepsy. It also dispels phlegm and interrupts malaria and can be used to treat malarial disease. However, it is very rarely used clinically in these applications because of its toxicity.
Dosage & Method: Topical: Mostly used externally, either as a powder or in pastes and plasters. Oral: 0.3–0.6g per dose in pills or powders.
Warnings: Qiān dān is toxic. To prevent poisoning, it should not be taken continuously or in excessive doses. It is also contraindicated in vacuity cold vomiting.
Product Description: This is an orange-colored powder that is dull and opaque in appearance and smooth to the touch. It has a specific gravity of 8–9.2 and a hardness of 2. It is a Pb₃O₄ (tri-lead tetroxide), made by vigorously stir-frying lead in a wok over a flame.
Product Area: Hénán, Guǎngdōng, Fújiàn, Húnán, Yúnnán.
Etymology: The name qiān dān 铅丹, literally lead cinnabar,
reflects the color and origin of this agent.