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Xuan Ming Fen玄明粉

Natrii Sulfas Exsiccatus · Refined Mirabilite · Dehydrated Sodium Sulfate

Downward-Draining Herbs 泻下药

Overview

The refined, water-free form of Mang Xiao 芒硝, appended to it in the textbook as a secondary drug: crude mirabilite is recrystallised and weathered until the crystal water has gone, leaving a fine white powder also sold as Yuan Ming Fen. It sits with the herbs that attack accumulation, but it is the purer and gentler member of the pair — salty, bitter and cold, it still softens hardened stool and drains heat downward, while its cleanliness makes it the preferred form for gargles, throat insufflations and eye washes.

Nature & Flavor

Salty, bitter · Cold

Channels

Stomach · Large Intestine

Typical Dosage

3–9 g, dissolved into the strained decoction rather than boiled with the other herbs; externally as required
玄明粉Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Purges accumulation, softens hardnessDry, hardened stool with heat bound in the bowel — it draws water into the stool so the mass can move, classically alongside Da Huang.
  • Drains fire, reduces swellingSore swollen throat, mouth and tongue ulcers, red painful eyes — used as a gargle, a throat powder or a practitioner-prepared eye wash more often than swallowed.
  • The gentler half of the mirabilite pairStripped of its crystal water it is purer and milder than Mang Xiao: Mang Xiao is chosen where a genuine Yang Ming bowel excess must be broken, Xuan Ming Fen where the work is topical or the patient less robust.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Xuan Ming Fen

No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Constipation with dry, hardened stool and interior heat
    - Abdominal fullness from bound heat, usually with Da Huang
    - Sore swollen throat, mouth and tongue ulcers (topical)
    - Red, swollen, painful eyes, as a wash prepared by a practitioner

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

ConstipationPharyngitisMouth ulcersConjunctivitis

Contraindications

Cautions

A cold, salty mineral purgative: unsuitable in cold or deficiency patterns, in weak or elderly patients, and after childbirth. It is dissolved into the finished decoction — boiling it with the other herbs is a preparation error. The pharmacopoeia carries the classical pairings for it: do not combine with Liu Huang 硫黄 or San Leng 三棱. Because it is a sodium salt, patients on a salt-restricted diet and those with hypertension or impaired kidney function should not take it without their treating physician's agreement.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Restricted in pregnancy — the pharmacopoeia marks it for caution, and in practice it is avoided unless a practitioner judges it necessary; also avoided during menstruation and after childbirth

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    2. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
    3. 《中华本草》.

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.