The efficacy and role of lead

Traditional Chinese medicine lead is often used by people in real life because of its effects and efficacy. So, what are the effects and functions of lead? Let us study it together.

[Other names] Black lead (from "Fan Zi Ji Ran"), blue gold (from "Shuowen"), black tin (from "Bixiao Fang" by Meng Shen), black tin (from "Bencao Shiyi"), lead essence, water tin, pure gold, black gold (from "Shiyao Erya"), gold in water (from "Gangmu"), blue lead (from "Yaoyao Fenji").

[Source] It is a grayish white metal, mainly extracted from galena ore.

【Original form】Galena: isometric crystal system. The crystal shape is often cube or octahedron. Most common in nature are granular aggregates. Color lead grey. The streak is light dark gray. Metallic luster. opaque. The cubic cleavage is complete. The fracture is flat, semi-conchoidal or jagged. Hardness 2~3. Specific gravity: 7.4～7.6. Brittle in nature. It is produced in hydrothermal deposits and often coexists with sphalerite.

[Habitat distribution] Produced in Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei, Guangxi, Fujian, Guizhou and Northeast China.

【Properties】 It is a grayish white metallic object. The cut surface is shiny and a thin film of oxide forms when exposed to air. It is soft and can be scratched by claws. Black streaks will appear on paper. It is malleable but has low ductility. Specific gravity: 11.34. Melting point 327.5℃. It is easy to melt and its flame is light blue. It is easily soluble in nitric acid, but almost insoluble in dilute hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid.

[Chemical composition] Mainly metallic lead, the lead content in high-quality products can reach 99%. Due to the quality of the ore, smelting and refining methods, other metals are often mixed in, among which silver is the most noteworthy, followed by gold.

[Pharmacological action] Lead is rarely used in treatment, but is widely used in industry. Chronic lead poisoning is one of the important occupational diseases. Lead is absorbed very slowly, mainly through the digestive tract and respiratory tract. After absorption, most of it is deposited in the bones. Lead salts deposited in bones do not harm the body. The severity of poisoning is mainly determined by the lead content in the blood and tissues. If the lead content in the blood exceeds 0.05-0.1 mg%, poisoning symptoms will occur. The metabolism of calcium and lead has a parallel relationship. Any factors that can affect calcium metabolism in the body can also affect lead metabolism. Lead is mainly excreted by the intestines and kidneys, and the amount excreted by the intestines is generally greater than that by the kidneys. When the amount of lead in urine exceeds 0.05-0.08 mg/L, lead poisoning should be considered. The symptoms of chronic poisoning are extremely diverse and have many characteristics, including: gastrointestinal disorders such as loss of appetite, constipation (sometimes diarrhea), "lead colic" due to small intestinal spasms, gray-blue "lines" formed on the gums and buccal mucosa due to the deposition of lead sulfide, etc. The nervous system is invaded and causes headaches, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and in the late stage it may develop into "lead encephalopathy", causing hallucinations, delirium, convulsions, etc. Multiple neuritis may occur in the periphery, resulting in "lead toxicity paralysis". In the early stage of poisoning, a large number of immature red blood cells containing alkali-philic substances appear in the blood, such as stippled red blood cells, reticulocytes, and multi-stained red blood cells. It is generally believed that this is a manifestation of blood cell growth disorder in the bone marrow. In the late stage, it can inhibit the bone marrow and destroy red blood cells to produce anemia. The specific drugs for treatment are the integrator calcium sodium edetate or penicillamine. Dimercaptopropanol is often unreliable in its effectiveness.

[Processing] "Compendium of Materia Medica": "When using, melt it in an iron pot and pour it over a tile, filter out the residue, repeat this process several times before use."

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet, cold, poisonous.

[entry into meridians] Enters the liver and kidney meridians.

【Functions and indications】Soothing the indigestion, eliminating phlegm, killing parasites and detoxifying. It is used to treat phlegm and qi reversal, fullness in the upper part and emptiness in the lower part, shortness of breath and rapid wheezing, choking and nausea, goiter, scrofula, carbuncle, and ulcer.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 3 to 4 qian; or calcine and grind into powder for pills or powder. For external use: apply with calcined powder.

【Note】 Do not take for a long time. Those with weak qi and cold in the middle should take it with caution.

[Additional prescription] ① Treats long-term coldness of the spleen, fullness on the upper part and emptiness on the lower part, phlegm and fluid in the chest, headache and dizziness, upward rushing of running pig qi, swelling and stabbing pain in the chest and abdomen and both sides of the ribs; sudden stroke, phlegm tide on the diaphragm, slurred speech, coma and disordered breathing, phlegm sound in the throat, and paralysis: black tin (remove the dregs), sulfur (transparent sand), each 2 liang, agarwood, fenugreek (soaked in wine, fried), aconite (blasted, peeled and navel removed), actinolite (grinded into powder and water-fed), each 1 liang, cinnamon (peeled), half a liang, Psoralea corylifolia (soaked in wine, fried), fennel (fried), nutmeg (wrapped in flour, simmered), costus root, and golden bell fruit (steamed, peeled and cored), each 1 liang. Use a black cup or a new iron pot, and mix black tin and sulfur sand as usual. Grind the fire poison out of the ground into a very fine powder. Grind the remaining ingredients into a fine powder, mix them all together, and grind them from morning to night, until they turn black. Make pills with wine paste as big as sycamore seeds, dry them in the shade, and put them into a cloth bag and rub them until they are shiny. Take 30 to 40 pills each time, on an empty stomach with salt and ginger soup or jujube soup. For women, take with mugwort and jujube soup. (Black tin from Bureau Prescription)

【Discussions by various scholars】 "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Lead is heavy and solid, and has a common nature of being moist and slippery. It is connected to the kidneys, so it is used in the "Ju Fang" Hei Xi Dan and the "Xuan Ming" Bu Zhen Dan. It can treat all kinds of confusion between yin and yang. The upper part is full and the lower part is empty, and the qi rises but does not fall, which causes vomiting, dizziness, choking and nausea, and other critical diseases. The so-called tranquilizer has the effect of restoring the body, but it is poisonous in nature and should not be taken too much, as it may hurt the heart and stomach. Lead changes into Hufen, Huangdan, Myrrh, and Lead White Frost, and their effects are the same as lead; but Hufen enters the qi, Huangdan enters the blood, Myrrh calms the body and descends, and Lead White Frost specializes in treating the upper part of the body and the chest, which is different."

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From "Bencao Gangmu".

In fact, you will only know its benefits after practicing it. Just like the traditional Chinese medicine lead introduced above, it turns out that lead can also treat some other diseases. Therefore, eating it in moderation has many benefits.