Ba Dou - 巴豆 - Fructus Crotonis - Croton Fruit

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Fructus Crotonis
Common English:	Croton Fruit Croton Seed

Category

Downward-Draining Herbs: Harsh Cathartics

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid	Hot Toxic	Stomach Large Intestine Lung	Pills or capsules: 0.1-0.3g per day Topically: 3-9g Defatted capsules: 15-30g every four hours if necessary Tincture: 0.05-0.1ml

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Warmly unblocks and vigorously purges (purges accumulated Cold)	Severe Internal Cold Accumulation leading to constipation, abdominal fullness, distention and pain Food Stagnation
Drives out water and reduces edema	Ascites due to end stage schistomiasis
Breaks up clogged Phlegm and improves the condition of the throat	Difficult breathing, wheezing, and severe fullness and distention in the chest and diaphragm Phlegm Blocking the Orifices
Promotes healing of abscesses and ulcers topically and kills parasites	Abscesses that have suppurated but not ulcerated Severe ulcers
Stops diarrhea	Diarrhea due to Cold
Insecticide topically

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang	Cinnabaris Zhu Sha Calculus Bovis Niu Huang	Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng Bul. Fritillariae Bei Mu
Accumulation of Cold in the Interior.	Phlegm Misting the Orifices.	Lung Abscess with cough, chest pain, and copious, fishy-smelling sputum.
Olibanum Ru Xiang Myrrh Mo Yao Sm. Momordicae Mu Bie Zi	Sm. Arecae Bing Lang Rz. Alismatis Ze Xie	Sm. Phaseoli Chi Xiao Dou
Accelerates the ulcerating process topically.	Edema associated with swelling and urinary difficulty.	Edema and abdominal distention, shortness of breath and urinary difficulty.
Rx. Sophorae Flavescentis Ku Shen	Olibanum Ru Xiang Myrrh Mo Yao	Realgar Xiong Huang
Applied topically as a warm poultice for painful sores.	Sores that have not ulcerated.	Topically for skin disorders.

Notes

1. Traditionally, it is regarded as the herbal counterpart of a battering ram.
2. It is usually used in defatted form, known as Prepared Semen Crotonis Ba Dou Shuang.
3. Croton Root, Ba Dou Gen, is a remedy of medium strength prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis, hematomas and snakebite. Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
4. Studies have shown that this herb inhibits the growth of cancer cells. For this use, the oil should be removed.
5. In acute disorders of the digestive tract, it is taken raw after removing the peel, kernel, skin and juice.
6. In chronic disorders of the digestive tract, such as Food Stagnation and abdominal masses, it is burned black and ground into a powder.
7. The herb clears the bowels and cures diarrhea.
8. It has been applied topically to boils.
9. Acute paralysis of the throat can be fatal without prompt treatment; for it, a pill (Jie Du Wan) is made from 14 granules of this herb, 30g of Realgar Xiong Huang, which clears accumulated Qi, and 3g of Rx. Curcumae Yu Jin, which dissolves extravasated Blood. This pill is extremely harsh and must be used with caution.
10. Ba Dou and Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang are both purgatives that drive out the old to bring in the new, reduce accumulation and harmonize the middle. Da Huang is cold, is used for Heat accumulation in the Yang organs, has low toxicity, breaks up Blood Stasis, clears Damp-Heat and relieves toxicity. Ba Dou is Hot, is used for Cold accumulating internally in the Yin organs and is highly toxic.
11. Defatted Croton Kernels (Fructus Crotonis Pulveratum) Ba Dou Shuang are less toxic, but only very small doses should be taken. They are used to drain downward, attack Phlegm, soften hardness and grind down accumulations.
12. Unripe fruit is more toxic than ripe fruit.
13. Dry-fried Croton Kernels Chao Ba Dou Ren are less toxic and less purgative.
14. Sand-washed Croton Kernels Sha Yu Ba Dou Ren are less toxic.
15. Croton Husks Ba Dou Ke or Ba Dou Qiao, also called Croton Skin, reduce accumulation, break up hardness and transform Phlegm, and are used for accumulated Food Stagnation, scrofula and Phlegm nodules. In charred form, they can relieve dysenteric disorders.