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Cura x Cura

Hua Shi滑石

Talcum · Talcum

Herbs that Drain Dampness 利水渗湿药《神农本草经》

Overview

Powdered talc, sweet, bland and cold, slippery by nature. It carries damp-heat downward and out through the urine, cools summerheat from the inside, and dusted on the skin it dries a weeping rash. In decoction it must be wrapped in a cloth bag, or the fine powder clouds the brew and settles on the pot.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet, bland · Cold

Channels

Bladder · Lung · Stomach

Typical Dosage

10–20 g in decoction
滑石Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Frees painful urination, drains damp-heatBurning, urgent, scanty urination with damp-heat in the Bladder.
  • Clears summerheatSummerheat with thirst, irritability and dark scanty urine — the classic pairing with Gan Cao 甘草 in Liu Yi San.
  • Dries damp externally, heals soresDusted on prickly heat, weeping eczema and chafed, macerated skin.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Hua Shi

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Burning, urgent or scanty urination from damp-heat
    - Summerheat with thirst, irritability and dark urine
    - Damp-heat diarrhea
    - Prickly heat, weeping eczema and skin chafing (external)

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Urinary tract infectionHeat rashEczemaHeat exhaustion

Contraindications

Cautions

Cold and draining: not for Spleen deficiency with loose stool, for fluid damage in the late stage of a febrile illness, or for seminal emission from Kidney deficiency. Always decoct it wrapped. Only pharmaceutical-grade, asbestos-free talc is acceptable, and the powder must not be inhaled — do not dust it near the face of an infant, and keep it off broken skin.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Used with caution in pregnancy — it is cold and drains downward; practitioner supervision required

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. 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.