Offensive Purgatives
Castor Bean (Semen Ricini)
Name
Bi Ma Zi (Semen Ricini)
The Effect of Bi Ma Zi
Property
Sweet, pungent, neutral, toxic; large intestine and lung meridians entered.
Actions
Resolve swelling and draw out poison, unblock stagnation with purgative.
Indications
Sores and boils, scrofula, pharyngitis, constipation.
Dosage and Administrations
Take the pills or stir-baked product. Proper dosage is for external application, pounded for applying on the affected area.
Cautions
It is contraindicated to pregnant women and people with loose stool.
Sources and further reading
We cite classical materia medica and modern reference works. This article is health education, not medical advice.
- Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), Han dynasty.
- Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen, 1578.
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia, current edition — identity, quality and safety monographs.
- NCCIH and WHO reference material on traditional medicine safety.
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