Sal Ammoniac, Ammonium Chloride, Nao Sha 硇砂
Ammonium chloride, Muriate of Ammoniac
Nao Sha (TCM)
Naushadur (Unani)
Rgya tsha རྒྱ་ཚ (Tibetan)
Im Kal (Sumerian)
Aklu or Isikku (Akkadian)
Ortus Sanitatis, 1491
Native Ammonium Chloride
Exotic Mineralogy, Sowerby, 1811
Natural Sal Ammoniac crystals
Photo by Rob Lavinsky iRocks.com
Mineralogical Name:
Ammonium chloride
Parts used:
purified Salt
Temperature & Taste:
Very Warm, dry. Salty, Pungent, Bitter. Slightly Toxic
Classifications:
2G. CLEANSING. 2H. CARMINATIVES. 2K. RESOLVENT
3E. DIURETIC
TCM
J. Regulate Qi
Uses:
1. Clears Cold Phlegm, Stops Cough (West, TCM, Ayurveda):
-whooping cough, asthma, chronic cough, bronchitis, pneumonia, Pleurisy;
-expectorant for Bronchitis or Phthisis with thick and tenacious mucus.
2. Clears Phlegm and Damp, Relieves Swellings (West, TCM, Ayurveda, Tibetan):
-Phlegm obstruction of the Nose, Bronchii, Lungs, Stomach, Liver, Intestines, Bladder or Uterus;
-‘it will be found of great service in colitis or ilecolitis … chronic diarrhea … chronic inflammation of the Liver with torpor and engorgement … catarrhal Jaundice … In other glandular affections it is of much value, especially where there is chronic enlargement. This applies to Mastitis, Ovaritis and Prostatitis … Many Physicians claim that it is a positive cure in the treatment of Prostatic enlargement’ (Ellingwood).
-Masses, Nodes, Swellings, Tumors and Inflammation; used for swellings of the Spleen, Liver or Abdomen in particular.
-Tumors in Tibetan Medicine
3. Resists Poison: (West, Ayurveda, Tibetan)
-“cures Fevers” (Salmon, Ayurveda);
-“exanthematous Fevers, favoring the eruptive process” (Ellingwood).
-Fever, Colds and Flus
-applied to Scorpion bites
4. Aromatically Opens the Orifices: (West, TCM, Ayurveda, Tibetan)
-inhaled, it stimulates the heart, relieves faintness, headache or neuralgia from poor blood supply to the head.
-internally in exhaustion and debility from Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Diphtheria, Snake Bite etc.
-Sal Ammoniac is most used in smelling salts or spirits of niter for this purpose
5. Clears Wind and Damp, Stops Pain: (West, TCM, Ayurveda, Tibetan)
-cleans and opens the Vessels and Channels (Tibet)
-various Pains and Neuralgia including Lumbago, Migraine, Sciatica, Gout and chronic Rheumatism;
-“painful cold affecting lower back and legs”. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-“soreness and heaviness in the lower back and hips”. (Da Ming)
-‘Whitford for many years has advised this agent as a specific in Neuralgias’ (Ellingwood); it is used especially for that of a rheumatic or periodical nature.
6. Regulates the flow of Qi: (West, TCM, Ayurveda, Tibetan)
-regulates Qi and promotes a normal downward movement; this is related to various of its other uses.
-various diseases of the Head; inveterate Headaches, Migraines etc.
-indigestion and flatulence; abdominal cramps
-inhaling Ammonia often stops hiccups.
7. Warms the Kidneys, Clears Damp, Promotes Urine (TCM, West, Tibet, Ayurveda):
-promote Urine, especially when there is Alkalosis
-Urinary obstruction (Tibet)
-“increased urination during the night”. (Da Ming)
-“It massively boosts the Yang affairs [male sexual drive]. (Zhen Quan)
-“added to all types of supplementing medication prepared as pills. When it is ingested it generates a sudden sensation of Heat”. (Cang Qi)
8. Promotes Digestion:
-promotes Appetite and digestion of heavy foods and relieves food stagnation; especially good for Protein indigestion (Ayurveda).
-“failure to digest food and beverages,” (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-Fish Bone stuck in the throat, chew a little Sal Ammoniac and the bone will be dislodged. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
9. Moves the Blood, Promotes Menstruation: (West, Tibetan, Ayurveda)
-diseases of the Breast and Vagina; Mastitis
-Ovaritis, Menstrual pain; stagnation of mentrual blood with pain, clotting
-Hysteria. (Ayurveda)
-delayed Labor and Postpartum diseases (Tibetan Medicine)
-“It breaks through bound blood”. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-“It warms the Womb”. (Da Ming)
10. Fractures.
-regarded as useful for Fractures (Ayurveda)
11. Externally:
-liniment for insect Bites, bites of Scorpions etc (Ayurveda; a Weak Ammonia solution has been used more recently).
-Strong Ammonia has been used to cause blisters.
-applied to Masses, Swellings, Enlargements, Gangrenes, Scabs, Pimples, Chilblains, Abscesses, Erysipelas and Itches.
-apply powder to Nasal Polyps “and they will fall off”. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-applied to articular Rheumatism.
-Warm solutions are best applied over inflamed Glands, and are also applied to Breast Abscess and Swellings.
-applied topically in solution to Cataract. (Ayurveda, Tibetan Medicine)
-“eliminates black Moles and Warts”. (Li Shi Zhen)
Dose:
100mg–1 gram
Correctives:
Milk; Oils; Honey
Substitute:
Sodium carbonate
Preparation:
It is dissolved in water, strained, and evaporated to crystals if it is impure.
1. Burnt Sal Ammoniac
Sal ammoniac is poured on an iron sheet. It is covered with an inverted copper cup, and wet sand is placed over it to prevent smoke escaping. When cool, the burned Sal ammoniac is collected from the inside of the copper cup with a feather.
After calcining, it is said to be non-toxic.
This is used in Tibetan Medicine for eye diseases, especially Cataract.
2. Vinegar Prepared Sal Ammoniac:
“They boil it in vinegar until it is dry like frost. Then they scrape it off and it can be used.” (Li Shi Zhen)
Main Combinations:
1. Chronic Cough and Bronchitis, with Licorice
2. Cold-type Cough, with Ginger (Ayurveda)
3. Poor appetite, with Ginger juice and Lemon juice (Ayurveda)
4. Indigestion, with Ginger and Long Pepper (Ayurveda)
5. Edema, dissolve Sal Ammoniac and Saltpeter in an infusion of Aniseed and Fennel seed
6. To Warm the Kidney Yang, Sal Ammoniac with Aconite
7. To expel a Dead Fetus, Sal Ammoniac with Dang Gui
8. To prevent Puerperal Sepsis, with Camphor, Frankincense and Cinnamon, as pills, taken for 7 days following birth. (Ayurveda)
9. Scirrhus (hard tumor or fibrosis) of the Prostate, with Licorice extract (The Book of Prescriptions, Beasley, 1876)
10. Warts, apply Sal ammoniac, Norax, Iron Rust and Musk (equal parts), powder and apply 3 times daily and they will fall off. (Ji Xiao Fang)
Major Formulas:
Pills of Rhubarb for Edema (Unani)
Calcite 9 (Cong zhi dgu pa) (Tibetan)
Cantharide 37 (Tibetan)
Greater Salt Combination (Tshwa sbyor chen mo) (Tibetan)
Lygodium 8 (Gser bye brgyad pa) (Tibetan)
Pacific 11 (Zhi byed bcu gcig) (Tibetan)
Pomegranate All Inclusive Pill (Se ‘bru kun ‘dus) (Tibetan)
Possessing All Benefits (Tibetan)
Precious Wish Fulfilling Jewel (Rin chen ratna bsam ‘phel) (Tibetan)
Sea Buckthorn 19 (Star bu bcu dgu) (Tibetan)
Universal Conquering Vajra (Tibetan)
Women’s Universal Decoction (Mo nad spyi thang) (Tibetan)
Powder very Effective for Throat Pain (Al-Kindi)
Cautions:
1. Overdose can cause severe acidosis, Nausea, Vomiting and gastrointestinal irritation. “in larpge amounts it destroys ones intestines and stomach”. (Su Song)
2. Not used in chronic Nephritis or Liver failure
3. Ammonium Chloride is incompatible with Alkalis and their Carbonates, alkali earths, as well as Lead and Silver salts
Antidote:
1. Mung bean can be decocted and taken for overdose.
2. Other things that can “subdue” Sal ammoniac includes Oyster shell, Cuttlefish bone and Radish, among others. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
Main Preparations used:
purified Salt, Spirit of Ammonia
Click the above Tabs for more information on this medicine
Sal ammoniac was found native in Persia at a mountain called Koh Nushadir or “Sal Ammoniac Mountain”.
in Babylonia it was used for jaundice, eyes diseases, swelling, as a detersive, in strangury, and ringworm.
Salmon, Seplasium:
‘It is called in Greek Ammoniacum, Hals hammoniacos; in Latin, Ammoniacum, Sal Ammoniacum … in English, Salt Ammoniack, and Salt Armoniack, as also, Animal Salt‘.
‘It is brought to us from the Levant, Alexandria, Egypt, Turkey, Venice, Antwerp, &c. and is two fold, either natural or artificial’.
‘The natural was a Salt found sublimated in the Sands of the Lybian Desert, made of Camels piss by the heat of the Sun, which Camels (used then in Caravans) made their stations and baiting places there; but this now is not to be had, nor do we know any other than what is Artificial’.
‘The Artificial, and what is only sold in the Druggists Shops, is a compound of several things, and is thus made: Urine of a Sound Man 10 lbs., Sal Gem, or Sea Salt 2 lbs., Chimney Soot 1 lb. boil all together into a Mass, and sublime it into a Salt according to Art. The impurities of the Soot, and the great vent for this Salt, are the chief reasons it looks so foul and dirty’.
‘To purifie Sal Armoniack: dissolve it in a sufficient quantity of Water, filtrate the dissolution, and in a glass vessel either evaporate till it is dry, by which you will have a pure white Salt; or evaporate till a pellicle arises, and set it to crystallize, according to the ordinary way’.
‘This purified Sal Armoniack is a good cooler, and excellent Sudorific, and Diuretic, good against Malignant Fevers and Quartans, and is used also to provoke the Terms in Women; it powerfully also resists corruption and putrefaction, and for that cause is given against the Plague; it may be given from 6 grains to 24 grains in any convenient vehicle’.
‘That Sal Armoniack which is purest is best, which is that which is clearest and whitest; that which comes from Venice is the best of all those which are sold; that from Antwerp is second in goodness; but that which comes from Holland is the worst of all’.
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