Realgar (xiong huang)

Realgar

Properties: Acrid and bitter in flavour, warm in nature, it is tropistic to the heart, liver and stomatch channels. It is one of the main drugs in surgery and is effective in attacking poisons serving to treat scabies, throat swelling, skin and external diseases, acute mastitis, pulmonary abscess, etc. It also has effects of destroying and expelling ascaris, serving to treat abdominal pain due to enterositosis.

Effects: Attacking poisons and killing parasites.

Indications:

1. For swelling and sore throat, or heat toxic sores, it is often used with drugs for clearing heat, removing toxins, promoting regeneration of tissues and relieving pain, such as Borneolum, Margarita, Resina Olibani, Myrrha, etc.; for treatment of mastitis of pulmonary abscess, it is used with Calculus, Moschus, Resina Olibani, Myrrha, as in Pill of Cow-Bezoare (Xihuang Wan).

2. For abdominal pain due to ascaris or other intestinal parasites, it is used with antiscolic, such as Semen Arecae, Semen Pharbitidis, etc.

Dosage and Administration: 0.3-0.9g for oral dose, used in pills or powder; appropriate amount for external use.

Precautions: It is prohibited in pregnancy. It should be not processed by calcining. When applied externally to the skin, it is not advisable to use in large area and long period in order to avoid poisoning through skin.