Wiseman’s Chinese Medical Database

cī huáng / 雌黄 / 雌黃 / orpiment

Latin pharmacognostic name: Auripigmentum

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names: 昆仑黄 kūn lún huáng

Origin: Mineral

Use: medicinal

Category: Unclassified

Properties: Acrid; balanced; toxin.

Channel entry: liver channel.*

Indications:

Dries dampness, kills worms, and resolves toxin.

scab (jiè) and lichen (xiǎn); malign sores; stings and bites; epilepsy; cold phlegm cough and panting; worm accumulation with abdominal pain.

Product Description:

This is a yellow mineral basically consisting of As₂S₃. It is similar to realgar (xióng huáng) in chemical constitution (realgar being AsS) and is paler in color.

Product Area:

Húnán, Húběi, Guìzhōu, Yúnnán, Sìchuān, and Shǎnxī (Shaanxi).

Etymology:

The name cī huáng 雌黄, literally ""female yellow,"" reflects the color of this item and the belief that it is found on the shady (yin, female) side of mountains. Compare xióng huáng 雄黄.