芒
硝 Máng
xiāo-
"Expansive saltpeter" Natural
sodium sulphate, Glauber's salt,
Mirabilitum
FLAVOR:
Salty, Bitter CHANNEL: Stomach, Large Intestine, Triple HeaterFUNCTIONS
GROUP: Descending- Cooling purgatives
1. Laxative- acts in about 4-6 hours and does not produce pain. Purges accumulation and guides out stagnation.[1,6]
2. Clears Heat and reduces swelling.[6] Soften up hard masses,[1] by clearing away Heat,[1,2,3] and Toxins. Moistens dryness and softens hardness.[6]
3. Moistens the intestines. Hydrates dry intestines.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Heat in the Stomach and Intestines. Constipation due to full Heat:[4] Dry hard stool. Acute conditions.[4]
2. Red, swollen painful eyes, painful, swollen ulcerated mouth or throat.[6] Red, swollen skin lesions including breast problems.[6]
3. Malnutrition and bloated abdomen, constipation.[1]
4. Full Heat preventing loosening of Sputum.[1]
External applications for swelling of breast due to milk accumulation, erysipelas, sore throat, mouth canker, red eyes, carbuncle swelling.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Use only for full Heat.[2] Old or weak patients when constipation is due to Qi deficiency.[4] During pregnancy.[3]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
- Accumulation of internal Heat and exterior Wind Heat: Releases exterior Wind Heat, drains Heat, promotes bowel movement Fang feng tong shen wan- Siler & Platycodon combination.
- Constipation, due to accumulation and retention of full Heat in the Stomach and Intestines. It is used with Rhubarb, as in Major Decoction for Purging down digestive Qi- Da cheng qi tang, and
- Purgative decoction for co-ordinating the function of the Stomach- Tiao wei chang qi tang. Sore throat, canker sore and blood-shot eyes. Mirabilite for external use is capable of clearing away Heat and virulence of pathogenic organisms, and is often used in combination with Sodium tetraborate- Peng sha- Borax powder.
-For treating blood shot eyes, dried Glauber's salt is spread on some bean curd and dissolved by steaming it together with the bean curd to obtain a liquid which is used as eye drops.
- In addition it can be used for external application to treat abcess and swelling breasts, and can be used as lactifuge.
COMBINATIONS
- Constipation due to Heat accumulation in the Stomach and Intestines, with Rheum tanguticum- Da huang. Each of these substances accentuates the other's actions. Many sources maintain that Mang xiao merely softens up the hardened stool, and that it requires Da huang to have any purgative effect.[6]
- Topical application for redness and swelling of the throat and ulcerations of the oral cavity with Sodium tetraborate- Peng sha.[6]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Heat excess, Spleen deficiency and in the elderly.[6] Also during pregnancy, post partum and during menstruation.[6]
PREPARATIONS: 4-9 g taken with water.[1,6] Glauber's salt 6-18 g.[2] Mineral 3-6 g.[2] 3-12 g.[4] 10-15 g, infused into the decoction of other drugs,[6] or dissolved in boiling water for oral administration. May also be used in powder or pill form, or applied topically.[6] Good quality is crystalline and clear.
Yuán míng fěn has a slower purgative action and is a fine powder prepared from Máng xiāo.[4]
