Pinyin: Mangxiao
Aliases
Mayaxiao, Yingxiao, Penxiao.
Source
Crystals obtained from the processing and refinement of the sulfate mineral mirabilite of the Mirabilite group.
Distribution
Mostly produced in coastal saline soil areas, mineral springs, and relatively damp caves near salt fields. Mainly distributed in Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Fujian, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and other regions.
Harvesting and Processing
Can be extracted year-round, with autumn and winter being the best seasons due to low temperatures facilitating crystallization. Processing method: take natural mirabilite, dissolve in water, allow to stand for impurities to settle, filter, heat and concentrate the filtrate, cool to allow crystallization, remove and air dry. If the crystals are impure, repeat the process until pure mirabilite crystals are obtained.
Medicinal Properties
This product is prismatic, rectangular, or irregularly shaped blocks and granules, colorless, transparent, or white translucent. Texture brittle, easily broken, with a glassy luster on the fracture surface. Odor: faint; Taste: salty.
Chemical Constituents
The main component is sodium sulfate decahydrate (Na2SO4·10H2O).2SO4·10H2O).
Pharmacology
Has purgative, detumescent, and analgesic effects.
Properties and Channel Entry
Salty and bitter, cold. Enters the Stomach and Large Intestine channels.
Functions and Indications
Purges downward and unblocks the bowels, moistens dryness and softens hardness, clears Fire and reduces swelling. Used for accumulation and stagnation of Excess Heat, abdominal fullness and distending pain, dry and bound stool, intestinal abscess with swelling and pain; external use for breast abscess, hemorrhoid swelling and pain.
Dosage and Administration
Oral: 6-12 g, generally not added to decoctions; dissolve into the prepared decoction for consumption. External: appropriate amount, grind into powder for application; or dissolve in water for eye drops.
Precautions and Contraindications
Use with caution in cases of Spleen and Stomach deficiency-cold and during pregnancy; incompatible with Liuhuang (Sulfur) and Sanleng (Sparganium rhizome).
Prescriptions
1. For ocular nebula: 30 g of Natrii Sulfas. Place in a copper vessel, heat over a strong fire until melted, then allow to cool. Sift through a fine raw silk cloth and apply to the corner of the eye once every night before sleep. (From *Sun Zhenren's Dietary Prohibitions*) 2. For tonsillitis (lactating moth): 4.5 g of Natrii Sulfas, 2.4 g of Chalcanthitum, 2.4 g of Realgar, and 2.4 g of Alumen. Grind all into fine powder, mix evenly, and blow into the throat. (From *Guang Bi Ji* of Medicine) 3. For subcutaneous bruising and swelling, phlebitis, mastitis, and milk suppression: Take an appropriate amount of Natrii Sulfas, mix thoroughly with cold water, and apply to the affected area (sufficient to cover the area with a thickness of approximately 0.25 cm). Wrap externally with a white cloth. When the medicine dries, sprinkle with cold water to keep it moist. Change the dressing once daily. [From *Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine*, 1983, (7): 39] 4. For fire erysipelas (flame toxin): Mix Natrii Sulfas with water and apply topically. (From *Mei Shi's Collected Proven Prescriptions*) 5. For painful swelling of hemorrhoids: 30 g of Natrii Sulfas (or add 60 g of Portulaca oleracea). Decoct in water for fumigation and washing. (From *National Compendium of Chinese Herbal Medicine*) 6. For lacquer-induced dermatitis: Place 20-100 g of Natrii Sulfas into a container, dissolve with an appropriate amount of boiling water, soak a clean towel in the solution, and use it to fumigate and wash the affected area 3-4 times daily. [From *Henan Traditional Chinese Medicine*, 1987, (3): 48] 7. For infantile thrush (oral candidiasis): Grind Natrii Sulfas into a fine powder and sprinkle onto the tongue 3-5 times daily. (From *Jian Yao Ji Zhong Fang*) 8. For difficult urination: Grind 3 g of Natrii Sulfas into powder, wrap in longan aril, chew thoroughly, and swallow. It will resolve immediately. (From *Notes from the Fragrant Ancestral Studio*)
