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Materia Medica of Metals, Minerals, Stones, Gems and Salts

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Illustration from the Chapter of Mineral and Metal Medicines,
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578


Minerals have long been used in all Traditional Medicine systems. There are around 4900 described minerals, about 200 are classed as 'common' and 20 of them, 'very common'.

Major categories of minerals include:
  • elements
  • sulfides
  • oxides
  • halides
  • carbonates
  • sulfates
  • phosphates
  • silicates.

Categorization in the Traditional Mineral Materia Medica typically include:
  • Minerals
  • Metals
  • Salts
  • Gems
  • Earths.

We have divided Mineral Medicines into the following categories:
  • Metals and Metallic Minerals
  • Stones and Minerals
  • Salts
  • Earths
  • Stones and Shells from the Sea
  • Fossils
  • Gems and Semi-Precious Stones
  • Stones of Animal Origin

In the Traditional Materia Medica some animal by-products (shells, pearls etc.) were classed with minerals while some medicines thought of as animal by-products were actually fossils (Toadstone, Lynx stone etc.).

In our clasification, some minerals are listed twice in different categories, for example Pearls can be classed as a Gem, Stones from the Sea, and Stone of Animal Origin.

A list of Primary sources for the Mineral Materia Medica can be found here.


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A seller at the Chengdu Medicine Market specialising in mineral medicines. The jars at top are gemstones, while Amber, Pearl, Cinnabar, Shells, Salts, Fossils, Shilajit and numerous other minerals are down below. Note the labels are in both Chinese and Tibetan, as Tibetan Medicine uses lots of mineral and gem medicines.
(Adam, 2019)

Metals and Metallic Minerals

Argentum - Silver
Astroites - Star Stone
Aurum - Gold

Calamine - Lu Gan Shi
Calomel - Mercurous chloride
Ceruse - White Lead
Cinnabar - Zhu Sha

Copper, Cuprum
Copper Sulphate  
Ferrum oxidum, Iron Oxide


Ferrous sulphate, Green Vitriol
Hematite - Dai Zhe Shi
Litharge
Magnetite - Ci Shi
Mercury - Argentum Vivum
Minium - Red Lead

Pyrite - Zi Ran Tong
Verdigris - Aerugo
Zinc oxide, Tutty

Stones and Minerals

Actinolite, Amianthus, Yang Qi Shi
Aetites - Geode
Agate

Arsenolite, Pi Shi 
Asphaltus, Bitumen Judaicum
Astroites - Star Stone
Bloodstone, Heliotrope
Calcite

Chalk
Chlorite Schist, Meng Shi
Flint
Flourite, Zi Shi Ying 

Gypsum, Shi Gao
Irish Slate, Lapis Hybernicus
Lapis Amianthus
Lapis Armenius, Azurite


Lapis Crucifer, Lapis Cruciatus
Lapis Memphites
Lapis Phrygius
Lepidotes
Malachite

Ophicalcite, Hua Rui Shi
Orpiment
Osteocolla
Pyrolusite, Wu Ming Yi
Realgar
Serpentine, Jahara Mohara
Shilajit
Sulphur - Liu Huang
Talcum, Hua Shi
Trochite or Entrochus

Salts

Alumem, Alum, Bai Fan
Borax, Peng Sha
Cream of Tartar
Epsom Salt

Glauber's Salt, Mang Xiao
Natrum, Sodium Carbonate


Nitrum, Saltpeter, Xiao Shi
Potassium carbonate, Potash
Potassium Sulphate, Tartar Vitriolate
Sal Ammoniac, Ammonium Chloride, Nao Sha
Salt, Rock Salt


Earths

Earth of Armenia, Red Earth, Chi Shi Zhi
Earth of Lemnos

Limonite, Yu Yu Liang


Terra Sigillata - Sealed Earth
Yellow Earth Burnt, Zao Xin Tu


Stones and Shells from the Sea

Abalone shell, Shi Jue Ming
Alcyonium
Blatta Byzantina
Clam Shell, Ge Ke
Cockle Shell, Wa Leng Zi
Cowrie shell
Cuttlefish Bone, Hai Piao Xiao
Dentalium, Tooth Shell


Lapis Auricularis
Lapis Spongiae, Sponge Stone
Oyster shell, Mu Li

Pearl, Zhen Zhu
Pumex, Pumice
Red Coral, Shan Hu
Umbilicus Marinus


Fossils

Belemite, 'Lynx Stone'
Conchites
Echinite, Echinoid, Sea Urchin Fossil

Fossil Bones, Dragon Bones, Long Gu
Fossil Crabs
Fossil Shells

Fossil Spirifer


Glossopetra, Fossil Shark Teeth
Lapis Ammonites
Lapis Hystericus
Lapis Judaicus, Jew's Stone
Lepidotes
Nummulite, Shadnaj
Ostracites
Gems & Semi-precious Stones

Amber
Beryl
Cornelian
Coral, Shan Hu
Emerald
Garnet

Jade
Jet   
Lapis Lazuli


Opal
Pearl, Zhen Zhu
Ruby
Sapphire
Topaz
Tourmaline
Turquoise

Zircon (Hyacinth, Jacinth)

Stones of Animal Origin

Note that not all of the following are of animal origin, but were traditionally believed to have been of animal origin.

Alectorius - Stones of a Cocks Gizzard
Belemite - Lynx Stone
Bezoar, Niu Huang

Bufonite - Toad Stone
Crab Eyes

Draconite - Serpent Stone
Fish Head Stone
Lapis Limacis - Cochlite, Snail Stone
Pearl, Zhen Zhu


Other Resources related to Minerals:

Sources for Mineral Materia Medica
Preparation of Medicines
Mineral Hardness
Introduction to Gem Medicines
Sample Gem Formulas

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