Medicinals

lú gān shí / 炉甘石 / 爐甘石 / calamine;

Latin pharmacognostic name: Calamina

Alternate English names: hydrozincite; calamine

Alternate Chinese names: 甘石 gān shí

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: External medicine agents / Toxin-drawing, putridity-transforming, and flesh-engendering agents

Properties: Sweet; balanced. Toxic when taken orally.

Channel entry: liver and stomach channels.

Indications:

Dosage & Method:

Topical: Water grind for eye medication; grind to a powder and sprinkle on the affected area or apply mixed.

Warning:

Lú gān shí is only used externally and cannot be taken internally. Although Chinese materia medica literature does not normally list it as toxic, it does state that it should not be taken orally.

Product Description:

The carbonate mineral smithsonite comes in irregularly lumps or varying size. The outer surface is white or pale red, with depressions or holes. It is light and powdery in substance and is easily broken to reveal a granular of the same color as the exterior. When calcined, it is white or pale yellow in non-crystal lumps, or a fine powder.

Quality:

Large, light, white or pink lumps are the best.

Product Area:

Guǎngxī, Sìchuān, Yúnnán, Húnán.

Etymology:

The name lú gān shí 炉甘石, literally ""oven sweet stone,"" reflects the fact that this agent is treated in an oven and is sweet to the taste.

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