Chan Su - 蟾酥 - Venenum Bufonis
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Venenum Bufonis |
| Common English: | Bufo Dried Skin Secretion of Toad Toad Cake Toad Venom |
Category
Substances for Topical ApplicationProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sweet Acrid | Warm (Cold) Toxic | Heart Stomach (Kidney) (Lung) | Pills and Powders: 0.01-0.03g Tincture: 0.05-0.1ml up to 3 drops |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Relieves toxicity, reduces swellings and alleviates pain | Toxic Phlegm-Heat in the throat Topically or internally for swellings, sores, carbuncles and ulcers |
Awakens consciousness, Expels Summerheat and Dampness, Opens the orifices, Tonifies the Heart | Extremely turbid Summerheat with abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and sudden loss of consciousness Heart and Kidney Yang Deficiencies Devastated Yang Heart and Lung Fluid congestion Lung Qi Stagnation with Cold Phlegm |
Attacks toxins, reduces swellings resists cancer and stops panic | Various types of cancer |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Alumen | Margarita | Rz. Atractylodis |
Chronic, non healing, suppurative sores. | Severe non ulcerated sores and abscesses, especially of the mouth, gums and throat. | Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and sudden loss of consciousness associated with Summerheat-stroke. |
| Calculus Bovis | Sm. Persicae | Scorpio |
Phlegm and turbid filth veiling the Orifices. Delirium, high fever and convulsions. Topically for sores due to Heat toxin, throat Bi or periodontal disorders. | Amenorrhea due to Blood Stasis. | As a pill coated with Cinnabaris Zhu Sha for chronic persistent muscle and joint pain. |
| Fr. Evodiae | Hb. Solani Nigri | Hb. Hedyotis Diffusae |
Internally for immobile masses of the Liver. | Liver cancer. | Colon cancer. |
Realgar | Calculus Bovis | Glauberitum |
Dermatological disorders characterized by Heat and toxins. | Extreme soreness and pain in the throat. Scarlet fever. Tonsillitis. | Scrofula. |
Realgar (30%) | Unprocessed Rx. Aconiti | Rz. Atractylodis |
With 30% Chan Su as a powder topically for toothache. | Topically as a local anesthetic for minor surgeries on the five sensory organs. | As a powder blown into the patients' nostrils for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and extreme cases of turbid Summerheat. |
Notes
- Because most sources lack an anti-cancer section, this herb is placed in other categories. Bensky classifies it as an herb for external application, OHAI places it in the Insecticide, Bactericide, and Fungicide category, and one source treats it as a Blood Invigorating herb.
- Applied to the skin, this herb causes irritation, redness and blisters that later burst and heal, literally wearing the sore away. Its effect is strong but slow to begin. Healing is rapid with little pain, frequently leaving no scar. Applying it to an open wound can cause irreversible damage.
- It acts as an antifungal.
- By stimulating the bone marrow, it raises WBCs.
- It exerts an anti-tumor effect.
- Its action is intensely rapid, reaching outward to mobilize the joints of the limbs and inward to the organs to unbind clogging and Stasis, unblock the Heart Orifices and eliminate Heat Stasis. In emergencies it is used to treat closed patterns.
- It governs sores and abscesses, swelling from deep-seated toxic sores, scrofula, all kinds of noxious sores and stubborn dermatoses.
- If pathogenic Qi encounters and penetrates the muscles and flesh and remains constrained without release, swollen, deep-seated noxious sores result, and these must be released through sweating.
- Its action on the heart muscle resembles digitalis but is faster and briefer, and it has no cumulative effect.
- It is said that burning it to ash, mixing it with dietetic oil and applying it topically cures infantile malnutrition, reduces abdominal masses and treats pyogenic sores
- Applied to the lesion, the skin draws out severe poison.
- For carbuncles and swellings, grind 3g of Chan Su together with 3g Moschus She Xiang, combine with human milk and store in a container to dry. Mix with a small amount of liquid, apply topically and cover.
- Reportedly, all dermatopathy can be cured by blending toad ash with vinegar and applying it topically three to five times per day.