Actinolite, Amianthus, Yang Qi Shi 阳起石
Amianthus, a type of Actinolite (traditionally Alumen plumbosum)
Yang Qi Shi (TCM)
Rdo chu, Rdo rul, Rdo skyur (Tibet)
Amianthus and Asbestos treated together in
Museum Museorum, Valentini, 1704
Amianthus
A History of Fossils, Hill, 1751
Actinolite (Heath Canyon, California, USA)
Photo by Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com
Mineralogical name:
Green mineral of the amphibole group containing calcium, magnesium and iron
Actinolite and Tremolite have been found to be traditional sources of Yang Qi Shi.
Parts used:
Finely powdered mineral
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Salty, Sweet
Some said it was Neutral, others said it was slightly Cold.
Classification:
Uses:
1. Warms and Strengthens the Kidneys:
-Impotence, Spermatorrhea, Premature Ejaculation, Nocturnal Emission
-pain and weakness of the Lower Back and Knees
-used for conditions with Yang deficiency.
-“Childlessness”. (Ben Jing)
-“Ingested over a long time it prevents hunger, and it lets one have children”. (Bie Lu)
-“It supplements in the case of any of the five types of exhaustion and seven types of harm”. (Da Ming)
-Amianthus stone was used for leg weakness (West)
2. Warms and Strengthens the Womb:
-Infertility
-Uterine Bleeding from Coldness of the Womb (TCM)
-Endometritis (TCM)
-“It ends irregular menstruation”. (Zhen Quan)
-“It breaks open blood accumulations in the Womb”. (Ben Jing)
-Amianthus was likewise used for Leukorrhea and Uterine Bleeding (West)
3. Externally:
-Amianthus was primarily used externally in the West (principally, in Citron Ointment)
-Scabs and Scald Heads (Amianthus)
-“It serves to disperse all types of swelling associated with heat”. (Li Shi Zhen)
-Erysipelas (mixed with water, applied as a paste) (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
Dose:
Levigated Powder: 500mg–2 grams
Comment:
1. The Stone Amianthus is believed to have been a variety of Actinolite, although was classically classed as a variety of Alum (Alumen Plumosum)
2. Fibrous Actinolite is one of the 6 varieties of Asbestos. Therefore, fibrous forms must be handled very carefully.
3. “Actinolite is a medication specifically for the Qi section of the right kidney, that is, the Gate of Life, and it is suitable for use in the case of a depletion cold affecting the Lower Burner”. (Li Shi Zhen)
Preparation:
1 Powdered Actinolite
It is levigated finely by grinding in a mortar with water
2. Burnt Actinolite:
For all usages, calcine it with fire until it is red, dip it in wine seven times, grind it to a fine powder, process it with aqueous sublimation and let it dry in the sun.” (Li Shi Zhen)
3. Alcohol-prepared Actinolite:
“It is also possible to soak it in brandy give it together with camphor into a jar process it with heat through sublimation and than use the resulting powder”. (Li Shi Zhen)
4. Burnet-prepared Actinolite
“On the seventh day of the seventh month [Lunar calender] take any amount of Burnet root, dry it in the shade and after 100 days burn it to ashes. Then take fresh Burnet powder, mix it with the ashes and pound the mixture 10 000 times. The mixture should include three parts of the ashes and one part of the fresh powder. Then soak two to three dou of actinolite in water with a level three cun above (the mineral), put the Burnet preparation into the water and stir it. Then boil it until the actinolite has turned pulpy and can be eaten”. (Shen Yin Shu)
Main Combinations:
1. Impotence, Premature Ejaculation, Lower Back pain and weakness from Cold and Weak Kidneys (Yang deficiency):
i. Take powdered Actinolite Yang Qi Shi with Wine. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
ii. Actinolite Yang Qi Shi with Velvet Deer Horn (Lu Rong), Cinnamon
iii. Actinolite Yang Qi Shi with Psoralea Bu Gu Zhi, Dodder seed (Tu Si Zi), Velvet Deer Horn (Lu Rong)
2. Nocturnal Emission, Actinolite Yang Qi Shi with Stalactite and Aconitum Fu Zi, form pills with water-flour paste. (Ji Sheng Fang)
3. Coldness of the Womb, Infertility:
i. Actinolite Yang Qi Shi with Velvet Deer Horn (Lu Rong)
ii. Actinolite Yang Qi Shi with Flourite, Dang Gui
iii. Actinolite Yang Qi Shi with Cinnamon, Cyperus rotundus (Xiang Fu), Dang Gui
Cautions:
1. Not used in Yin deficiency with Heat
2. “not an item that is to be ingested over a long period of time”. (Li Shi Zhen)
3. It must be powdered extremely finely to prevent irritation from fibers. Fibrous Actinolite is a type of Asbestos, and while not toxic itself, the fine fibers inhaled cause irritation and can potentially result in asbestosis and even Lung cancer.
Main Preparations used:
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