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Indigo, Qing Dai 青黛
Pigmentum Indicum
Qing Dai (TCM)
Qing Dai (TCM)
The processing of Indigo
(Museum Museorum, Valentini, 1704)
(Museum Museorum, Valentini, 1704)
Indigofera tinctoria
Ausländische Culturpflanzen in bunten Wand-Tafeln, (?)
Ausländische Culturpflanzen in bunten Wand-Tafeln, (?)
Botanical name:
Several plants supply Indigo:
Parts used:
Indigo extracted from any of the above plants
Temperature & Taste:
Cold, dry. Salty
Classification:
B. Clears Heat and Toxin
Several plants supply Indigo:
- Baphicacanthus cusia
- Polygonum tinctorium
- Isatis indigotica (syn Isatis tinctoria)
- Indigofera tinctoria, I. anil, I. argentea
Parts used:
Indigo extracted from any of the above plants
Temperature & Taste:
Cold, dry. Salty
Classification:
B. Clears Heat and Toxin
Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Poison, Cools the Blood:
-rashes and spots from hot toxin
-'epidemic disease with headache, chills and fever'. (Kai Bao Ben Cao)
-Bleeding from excess Heat
-swelling, pain and redness of the mouth or throat; Mumps
-traditionally used for the poison of Snakes or Rabid Dogs.
-'quickly assuages swellings and inflammations'. (Galen)
-detoxifies the toxin of various drugs (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
2. Clears Liver Heat, Settles Wind to Stop Tremors:
-red eyes, restlessness, sore throat, Fever with Convulsions
3. Clears Lung Heat:
-Cough, Bronchitis and Chest pain from Lung heat
4. Externally:
-topically for red, itchy skin conditions such as Eczema
-topically for mouth or throat sores and ulcers
-topically for red, painful swellings and sores, Carbuncles, Abscesses
DOSE:
1–3 grams in pills or powders. Pills can be coated with Indigo; it can be taken in powders or pills, or dissolved into strained decoctions; it can be used topically.
COMMENT:
Indigo is a concentrated extract of cooling plants used to clear Heat and Poison. The purple powder was traditionally used as a dye and for early tattoo-making. It is very Cold, dry and Salty. It clears Heat from the Blood, Throat, Lungs and Liver in particular. It is also useful for strong heat causing Febrile Convulsions and can be used topically to clear Heat and Poison.
1–3 grams in pills or powders. Pills can be coated with Indigo; it can be taken in powders or pills, or dissolved into strained decoctions; it can be used topically.
COMMENT:
Indigo is a concentrated extract of cooling plants used to clear Heat and Poison. The purple powder was traditionally used as a dye and for early tattoo-making. It is very Cold, dry and Salty. It clears Heat from the Blood, Throat, Lungs and Liver in particular. It is also useful for strong heat causing Febrile Convulsions and can be used topically to clear Heat and Poison.
Main Combinations:
1. Heat of the Blood with red spots and rashes and fever, with Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang and Gypsum Shi Gao
2. Febrile convulsions in children, with Gastrodia Tian Ma and Bezoar
3. Heat with mouth or throat sores, red eyes, with Talcum and Licorice
4. Strong Liver Fire with restlessness and convulsions, with Genitana Long Dan Cao and Coptis Huang Lian
5. Spitting Blood, Clam shell (Ge Ke) (10 parts), Indigo (Qing Dai) (1 part). Form a powder (as in Dai Ge San from Wei Sheng Hong Bao [A Great Precious Sanitation])
6. Mouth sores or ulcers that don't heal, topically with Borneol Camphor and Alum
7. Carbuncle, Abscess, Indigo, Rhubarb, powder, mix with egg white and apply. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
8. Hot, itchy, painful Sores, beat Purslane to a paste, mix in Indigo and apply. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
Cautions:
1. Use cautiously in people with Stomach Coldness
Main Preparations used:
1. Use cautiously in people with Stomach Coldness
Main Preparations used: