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Cura x Cura

Lu Hui芦荟

Aloe · Aloe Leaf Concentrate · Bitter Aloes

Downward-Draining Herbs 泻下药《药性论》

Overview

The dried, blackish-brown concentrate of aloe leaf juice — a different medicine altogether from the clear, cooling gel sold for burns. Intensely bitter and cold, it drains accumulated heat downward through the stool and drains Liver fire at the same time, which is why it is chosen for constipation that arrives with irritability, headache, dizziness and red eyes rather than for plain dryness. Heat and long boiling spoil it, so it is given in pills or powder and is not put into a decoction.

Nature & Flavor

Bitter · Cold

Channels

Liver · Stomach · Large Intestine

Typical Dosage

1–2 g
芦荟Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Purges heat, frees the stoolConstipation from heat accumulation, with a full, hot abdomen and dry, hard stool.
  • Clears Liver fireConstipation together with irritability, headache, dizziness, red eyes and a bitter mouth; classically paired with Long Dan Cao 龙胆草.
  • Kills parasites, reduces childhood accumulationHistorically used for childhood parasitic accumulation with a distended abdomen and poor growth. Modern practice rarely uses it this way and defers to conventional diagnosis and treatment.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Lu Hui

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Heat constipation with a full, hot abdomen
    - Constipation with Liver-fire signs: irritability, headache, red eyes
    - Historically, childhood parasitic accumulation — now a conventional diagnosis first

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

ConstipationHeadacheIrritabilityConjunctival redness

Contraindications

Cautions

A sharp, cold purgative with a narrow dose window — keep to the practitioner's amount and do not exceed 5 g a day. It is wrong for a weak, cold Spleen and Stomach, for poor appetite or loose stools, and for constipation that is simply dry rather than hot. Stop as soon as the stool moves: taken on as a daily laxative, stimulant purgatives lead to cramping, dependence and a bowel that will not work without them. Cramping abdominal pain and a griping urgency are the usual signs the dose is too high. It is contraindicated in pregnancy. Our dispensary data does not flag it as toxic, but it should never be self-prescribed.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Contraindicated in pregnancy — it purges strongly downward and stirs the lower abdomen. Also avoided while breastfeeding, and by tradition during menstruation.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Yao Xing Lun《药性论》 (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.