Gypsum is a Chinese herbal medicine that belongs to the cold natured medicines. It is commonly used to clear heat and relieve fire. Gypsum can relax muscles, clear heat, and relieve restlessness and thirst. It is used to treat conditions such as persistent high fever, restlessness, delirium, thirst, dryness of the throat, rapid breathing due to lung heat, heat stroke with spontaneous sweating, and headaches caused by stomach fire. It should be avoided by those with spleen and stomach deficiency, blood deficiency, and Yin deficiency with fever.
Introduction to Chinese herbal medicine Gypsum
Chinese herbal medicine Gypsum is a type of gypsum in the sulfate mineral gypsum family. It mainly contains calcium sulfate dihydrate and is widely distributed throughout China. It is mainly produced in Hubei, Gansu, and Sichuan provinces, with the best quality from Hubei and Anhui.
The nature and taste of Chinese herbal medicine Gypsum, its effects, and indications: The nature and taste of Gypsum are pungent and sweet, and it is extremely cold. It belongs to the lung and stomach meridians. The effects of Gypsum are clearing heat and relieving fire, and relieving restlessness and thirst. It is used for conditions such as warm diseases with high fever and restlessness, lung heat with cough and wheezing, headaches caused by stomach fire, and swollen and painful gums. It is also used for long-lasting ulcers, eczema, and burns.
Treating cough caused by lung heat with Gypsum
1. Chinese herbal medicine Gypsum clears heat and relieves fire, and it mainly acts on the lung meridian. It is an important medicine for clearing the lungs. It is used for lung heat with cough, asthma, and fever. It is often combined with other herbs that can stop cough and relieve wheezing, such as Ephedra and Apricot Kernel, in formulas like Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang.
2. Chinese herbal medicine Gypsum is pungent, sweet, and extremely cold. It can both dispel heat externally and drain heat internally. It is used for conditions such as high fever, restlessness, sweating, and strong pulse caused by warm pathogen in the qi aspect. It is often used together with herbs that clear heat and relieve fire, nourish yin, and generate fluids, such as Anemarrhena Rhizome, in formulas like Bai Hu Tang. It is also used for conditions where the qi aspect is not resolved, heat enters the blood aspect, and there is high fever, vomiting blood, and skin rashes. It is often combined with herbs that clear heat and cool blood, such as Rhinoceros Horn and Rehmannia Root, in formulas like Qing Wen Bai Du Yin.
3. After calcination, Chinese herbal medicine Gypsum not only has the function of clearing heat, but also has the effect of drying dampness. It is used for conditions such as long-lasting ulcers that do not heal, eczema, and burns. It is often combined with herbs that clear heat, dry dampness, and detoxify, such as Coptis Rhizome and Indigo Naturalis, for external application. It can also be used alone as a powdered form for external application.
4. Chinese herbal medicine Gypsum clears heat and relieves fire, and it mainly acts on the stomach meridian. It is good at clearing and draining stomach fire. It is used for conditions such as headaches, swollen gums, mouth ulcers, and thirst caused by stomach fire. It is often combined with herbs such as Rehmannia Root, Anemarrhena Rhizome, and Ox Knee, in formulas like Yu Nu Jian.
