Dan Fan胆矾
Chalcanthitum · Chalcanthite · Blue Vitriol · Hydrated Copper Sulfate
Overview
A blue mineral — hydrated copper sulfate — sour, acrid, cold and toxic. Dissolved in warm water it was given as a fast, reliable emetic for phlegm blocking the throat and for swallowed poison; applied externally it dries weeping surfaces and eats away rotten tissue at the edge of an ulcer. Internal use has been abandoned everywhere: copper sulfate is a corrosive with a narrow margin, and the classical indication for it — emptying the stomach after a poisoning — is now handled by emergency medicine. What survives is the occasional external use, and even that is uncommon.
Nature & Flavor
Sour, astringent, acrid · Cold · ToxicChannels
Liver · GallbladderTypical Dosage
0.3–0.6 gActions
3 core actions
- Induces vomiting of phlegmThe classical use: phlegm blocking the throat with wheezing and obstructed breathing, and epilepsy of phlegm type. It acts within minutes, which is exactly why it was chosen and exactly why it is dangerous.
- Resolves toxicity, dries dampApplied externally to weeping eczema, damp ulcerated sores, and swollen ulcerated gums or mouth sores as a very dilute rinse.
- Removes decayed tissueA caustic use on the rotten margin of a chronic sore or on granulating overgrowth, always in a compounded powder and never on healthy skin.
In Formulas
Formulas containing Dan Fan
No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Phlegm blocking the throat with obstructed breathing (classical emetic use, obsolete)
- Weeping eczema and damp ulcerated sores (external)
- Ulcerated gums and mouth sores, as a very dilute rinse (external)
- Decayed tissue at the edge of a chronic ulcer (external, caustic)
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
Copper sulfate is toxic and corrosive. Swallowing it causes burning pain, severe vomiting — sometimes blue-green — and diarrhoea; larger amounts cause haemolysis, liver and kidney injury and shock, and fatal poisonings are documented. Its old emetic use is obsolete and should not be revived: never give it internally, and never use it to make someone vomit after a poisoning. External use only, in a dilute compounded preparation, on a small area, for a short time, never on broken skin over a wide surface, never near the eyes, and never on children. Repeated topical use over large or raw areas can absorb enough copper to poison. Store it out of reach — its colour makes it attractive to children. Any accidental ingestion is a medical emergency.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: Contraindicated in pregnancy in every form, internal or external.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.