Han Shui Shi - 寒水石 - Glauberitum - Calcitum - Red Gypsum
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Calcitum Glauberitum |
| Common English: | Calcareous Spar Calcite Red Gypsum |
Category
Herbs that Clear Heat: Herbs that Clear Heat and Drain Fire (Herbs that Clear Heat in the Qi Stage)Properties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Acrid Salty | Cold (Very Cold) | Heart Stomach Kidney | 9-30g |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Clears Heat and drains Fire from the Yang Ming Stage/Qi Level | Yang Ming/Qi Level Heat with high fever, irritability and thirst |
Expels Summerheat | Especially useful for Summerheat |
Used for burns and sores | Topically for burns, sores and inflamed eyes due to Wind-Heat |
| Promotes urination and reduces edema | Edema and anuria |
| Directs Fire downward and softens hardness | Swelling and pain of the throat and gums, and clumping in the abdomen |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Gypsum Fibrosum | Calamina | Gypsum Fibrosum |
Heat in the Yang-Ming/Qi level (Summerheat) with high fever, thirst and irritability. | Burns, topically as a powder. | Excess Qi Level Heat. |
Notes
- It enters the Kidneys and the Blood.
- According to some sources, this herb opens the Orifices.
- It is produced by cooling a saturated solution of Natrii Sulfas Mang Xiao below room temperature, which yields a crystalline precipitate. The two share similar functions but cannot be substituted for each other. Han Shui Shi clears Heat from the Stomach, whereas Mang Xiao clears Heat from the Stomach, Lung and Large Intestine.
- Han Shui Shi and Gypsum Fibrosum Shi Gao both clear Yang Ming/Qi level Heat marked by high fever, unquenchable thirst and a large, strong pulse, and they are commonly combined. Hua Shui Shi is salty and acrid; it enters the Kidneys to treat edema, and it softens, mobilizes and disperses hardness. Shi Gao enters the Lung channel to treat cough or wheezing from Heat, and releases pathogenic Heat from the skin and muscle layers.