The efficacy and function of red powder

Hongfen is a very common Chinese medicine. Although it is very common, it has many magical effects. Let’s take a look at it below.

[Other names] Magic medicine, Sanbaidan, Sanxiansan, Xiaoshengdan, Sanxiandan, Shengdan, Hongsheng, Xiaohongsheng, Shengyao

[Source] Medicinal material source: red mercuric oxide made from mercury, saltpeter, alum or mercury and nitric acid.

[Habitat distribution] Mainly produced in Hebei, Tianjin, Wuhan, Hubei, Xiangtan, Hunan, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu; it can also be produced in other regions.

【Properties】 Identification by properties: This product is flaky or powdery crystals; orange-red in color. One side of the flake is smooth and slightly shiny; the other side is rough, as if covered with a layer of powder and dull. Orange powder. It is heavy, hard and brittle, easy to break if in flaky form, with a rough cross section and often scattered with sparse small pores. Odorless. The color gradually darkens when exposed to light. The best ones are those that are flaky, orange-red and shiny.

【Chemical composition】 Mainly contains mercuric oxide (HgO), and also contains mercuric nitrate [Hg(NO3)2], etc.

【Pharmacological action】 1. Antibacterial effect: Red powder concentration of 6×10(-5) has a strong bactericidal effect on common purulent bacteria in vitro, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Its bactericidal effect is more than 100 times greater than that of carbolic acid. However, since the compatibility and refining methods of rouge are not exactly the same, there are differences in drug composition, bactericidal power and therapeutic effect.

[Identification] Take 0.5 g of this product, add 10 ml of water, stir well, slowly add an appropriate amount of hydrochloric acid to dissolve it, and test the solution as follows: (1) Take 1 ml of the solution and add sodium hydroxide test solution (when it is alkaline), a yellow precipitate will be generated. (Checking mercury salts) (2) Take 1 ml of the solution, adjust it to neutrality, and add potassium iodide test solution. A scarlet precipitate will form, which can be dissolved in an excess of potassium iodide test solution. Then make it alkaline with sodium hydroxide test solution and add ammonium salt to form a reddish-brown precipitate. (Check mercury salt) (3) X-ray diffraction analysis curves 2.96 (10), 2.83 (6), 2.76 (8), 2.40 (4), 1.81 (3), 1.76 (1), 1.63 (2), 1.49 (2), 1.48 (2).

[Processing] The original product is used as medicine. When using, put it in a mortar, add a little water, grind it into very fine powder, dry it in the sun, and grind it into fine powder.

【Nature and flavor】 Pungent; hot; highly toxic

【Functions and indications】 Drains toxins and draws out pus; removes dead tissue and promotes tissue regeneration; dries dampness and kills insects. It is used to treat carbuncle, furuncle, syphilis, chancre, goiter, scrofula, all kinds of malignant ulcers with dark purple flesh, hard wounds, rotten flesh that does not go away, sinus tracts and fistulas, pus and water that flows out, wounds that do not heal for a long time, wet sores, and scabies.

[Usage and Dosage] For external use: Take an appropriate amount, grind into very fine powder, use alone, or mix with other medicines into powder, or make into medicine twist and insert into the wound.

【Note】 This product is poisonous and should not be taken internally. It is also not suitable for long-term use in large quantities for external use. It should not be used near the mouth, eyes, nipples, and navel. It should not be used when the sore is too large to prevent poisoning. Sprinkle it on the sore surface thinly and evenly, otherwise it will cause pain. "Summary of Ulcers": "For wet sores with water but no pus, stubborn sores with rotten flesh that does not fall off, or ulcers with scabies, or black, rotten, and tough, long-term ulcers, other medicine powders should be used, which cannot be cured by this medicine. Do not use it for ulcers near the mouth or eyes, or for ulcers on the nipples, navels, or genital ulcers."

[Additional prescription] This product appears as orange-red powder or flakes, hence the name.

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[Clinical application] 1. Jiuyi powder: 900g of gypsum (calcined), 100g of rouge (water-ground). Grind the above two ingredients into extremely fine powder separately, grind them together, pass through a silk sieve (do not use a metal sieve), mix well, and you have the product. This product is light orange or light pink fine powder. Titrate with ammonium thiocyanate solution (0.1 mol/L). The red powder content calculated as HgO should be 9.0%. It has the functions of extracting pus, removing toxins, removing rot and promoting tissue regeneration. It is used for sores, carbuncles, and ulcers where the pus has not yet been completely eliminated or where new flesh has gradually grown. external use. Take an appropriate amount of this product and sprinkle it evenly on the affected area. For deep sores and fistulas, insert a paper twist containing this product and cover the surface of the sore with ointment or dressing. Change the dressing once a day, or as directed by your doctor. It is not recommended to use in areas with thin skin and no flesh that cannot fester, or in areas with only thick water. (Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, 1985) 2. Jiuyi Tidu Powder: Gypsum (calcined) 90g, red powder (water-ground) 10g, borneol 5g. Grind the above three ingredients into extremely fine powder separately, mix with red powder and gypsum, and mix well. Then grind with borneol, sieve and mix well to get the product. This product is pink powder; it has the aroma of borneol and tastes spicy and cool. Take a small amount of this product for sublimation, and the sublimate appears as colorless flaky crystals; after adding water and shaking this product, a brick-red precipitate appears at the bottom of the test tube, which is dissolved by adding dilute hydrochloric acid, and a yellow precipitate is generated by adding sodium hydroxide test solution; this product is dissolved by adding dilute hydrochloric acid, adjusted to neutral or alkaline with ammonia water, and a white precipitate is generated by adding ammonium oxalate test solution. Functional to transform dead tissue into new tissue. It is used for sores, boils, swelling and pain, pus and water discharge, ulcers on the sore surface, and long-term failure to heal. For external use, apply to affected area. It is not recommended for use in areas with thin skin and no flesh that cannot fester or where there is only thick water. (Liaoning Province Drug Standard, 1987) 3. Ti Nong San: 600g red powder, 20g borneol, 200g light powder. Grind the light powder and red powder of the above three ingredients into extremely fine powder; grind the borneol into fine powder, mix with the above powders, sieve and mix well to obtain the product. This product is brown-yellow powder with the aroma of borneol. Take this product and add dilute hydrochloric acid to shake to dissolve the red powder, filter, and the filtrate shows the identification reaction of mercury salt; take another product and add anhydrous sodium carbonate, mix, put in a dry test tube, heat, and then decompose and precipitate metallic mercury condensed on the wall of the test tube. Add dilute nitric acid to dissolve the residue in the tube, filter, and add silver nitrate test solution to the filtrate, and a milky white curd-like precipitate will occur; the red powder content of this product determined by the volumetric precipitation method should be 68.5% calculated as HgO. It has the functions of extracting pus, removing pus and promoting tissue regeneration. Used for carbuncles, ulcers, swellings, ulcers that do not heal for a long time. Apply an appropriate amount externally and sprinkle on the affected area. This product is poisonous and should not be taken internally. (Hubei Provincial Drug Standard, 1980) 4. External use mercurochrome: 1000g pure mercurochrome, 300g borneol, 15g musk, 20g silver beads. Take the above medicines, mix them, grind them into fine powder, and sieve them to get the product. Used for hard purple-black patches after sores and ulcers have ulcerated. For external use, clean the wound, and apply the ointment thinly according to the size of the affected area and the dosage. (National Collection of Chinese Medicine Prescriptions)

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

As a common Chinese medicinal material, red powder is often forgotten by people. In fact, its effects and functions are beyond your imagination. As long as you are good at eating it and use the right methods, I believe it will be of great help to your body.