Shi Gao - 石膏 - Gypsum Fibrosum
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Gypsum Fibrosum |
| Common English: | Gypsum |
Category
Herbs that Clean Heat and Drain fire: Herbs that Clear Heat in the Qi StageProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sweet Acrid | Very Cold | Lung Stomach | 15-60g Up to 90g for very high fevers (30g in children) Crush first and decoct 30 minutes longer than the other herbs. |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Clears Heat in the Qi Stage, Drains Fire, Quenches thirst, Relieves irritability | Heat in the Qi Stage or Yang Ming Heat with high fever, no chills, irritability, intense thirst, profuse sweating, restlessness, encephalitis, a flooding, big pulse and a red tongue with a yellow coat |
Clears Excess Heat from the Lungs | Lung Heat with cough, wheezing, fever and a thick viscous sputum |
Clears Blazing Stomach Fire | Stomach Fire with headache, toothache or swollen gums |
Heals eczema, burns and ulcerated sores and wounds | Sores and wounds (topically or internally) |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Rz. Anemarrhenae | Hb. Lophatheri | Cornu Rhinoceri |
| High fever from Wind-Heat or Qi Stage Heat or Yang Ming Heat with irritability and extreme thirst. Epidemic diseases. | Lingering fever from febrile disease with insomnia, irritability and a scanty dry tongue coat. Cough with fever in children. Heart and Stomach Heat with mouth ulcers and swollen gums. | Epidemic Damp-Heat toxin with a high fever, loss of consciousness, epistaxis and a rash. |
| Rz. Anemarrhenae | Hb. Lophatheri | Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata |
Heat in the Qi or Yang Ming Stage. | Lingering fever from late stage febrile disease with dysphoria, thirst and a red tongue with no coat. | Headache, toothache, and thirst due to raging fire caused by devastated Yin. |
| Rx. Rehmanniae | Rx. Ephedrae | Rx. Scrophulariae |
Excessive Fire with injured fluids. | Coughing from Heat Obstructing the Lungs with wheezing, flaring of the nostrils and fever. Wind-edema. | Heat at the Qi and Blood Stages with skin eruptions and echymoses. |
| Rx. Ephedrae | Flos Lonicerae | Hb. Asari |
Lung Heat with coughing and asthma. | Heat toxin in the Lungs. | Toothache and gum swelling due to Blazing Stomach Fire. |
| Rx. Rehmanniae | Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae | Rz. Pinelliae Preparata |
Stomach Fire. | Stomach Fire with headache and swollen painful gums. | Nausea and vomiting from Stomach Heat. |
| Cx. Phellodendri | Indigo Naturalis | Rz. Zingiberis Recens |
Prepared with calcined Gypsum Duan Shi Gao, for burns and eczema. | Eczema, burns and abscesses. | Decreases muscular swelling. |
Rx. Ephedrae | Cx. Moutan | Rx. Ginseng |
Wind-Cold with Interior Heat. | Excessive Heat in the Qi and Xue Levels with continuous high fever and maculae. | Excessive Heat with Qi Deficiency. |
Rx. Ginseng | Rx. Scutellariae | Rz. Coptidis |
Excessive Heat with Qi and Yin Deficiency. | Toxic Heat with infection. | Influenza, epidemic poliomyelitis and epidemic encephalitis B with high fever, headache irritability dry mouth insomnia and in severe cases, bleeding. |
Notes
- Once calcined (dehydrated) and mixed with other herbs, it is applied topically to sores, eczema, abscesses, ulcers and burns.
- It tempers the extreme warmth and Dryness (diaphoretic effects) of Rx. Ephedrae Ma Huang and helps bring out its diuretic effect.
- It comes in two forms: soft (monoclinic) and hard (rhombic).
- It is included in formulas when the patient has severe Heat.
- Its antipyretic action is strong and rapid but short-lived.
- It is reported to nourish Body Fluids, stop thirst, relieve irritability and relax the muscles.
- It has been used successfully for osteoarthritis, osteitis and other metabolic skeletal disorders with pain and stiffness.
- Shi Gao and Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu both cool the Lungs and Stomach and clear Heat from the Yang Ming Qi Level. Zhi Mu mainly drains Heat and Dampness, cools the Lungs and Kidneys, nourishes Yin and benefits Yin by generating fluids, whereas Shi Gao protects the fluids by draining Fire.
- Shi Gao and Talcum Hua Shi both clear Heat and relieve thirst. Hua Shi suits thirst from Summerheat with Dampness and dark, difficult urination, but is unsuitable for Dry Heat. Shi Gao is best when pathogenic Heat has entered the Yang Ming Stage and dried out the fluids.
- Unprepared Gypsum, Sheng Shi Gao, is the form most often taken internally.
- Calcined Gypsum, Duan Shi Gao, is a fine powder that is less cold and better at generating flesh; it is mostly used externally for eczema, scalds, and erupted sores or wounds that will not heal.
From Class
- Bai Hu Tang (White Tiger) / Shi Gao (gypsum): Fumigation purifies the hot hell of suicide sites; the White Tiger formula (gypsum, rice, Zhi Mu) is also used for delirium from possession. (Yuen)
- Feng Yin Tang (wind-drawing decoction) for epilepsy: Feng Yin Tang's minerals (Long Gu, Mu Li, Han Shui Shi, Shi Gao, etc.) give structure and clear heat for imminent epileptic episodes and paralysis. (Gioioso)