They are usually attributive to the heart meridian and mainly indicated for hyperactivity of heart-fire, internal interference of phlegm-heat or heart-qi and heart blood deficiency manifested as irritability, palpitation, insomnia with frequent dreams, infantile convulsion, epilepsy and mania, etc..

They mainly include such medicinal materials as minerals and plant seeds that are used in prescription. The mineral medicines are heavy and lowering in property and have the main action of tranquillizing the mind while the plant seeds are moistening and tonifying in property and have the main action of nourishing the heart and calming the mind.

They should be selected according to causes of disease and pathogenesis, that is, sthenic syndrome should be treated with mineral medicines and asthenic syndrome should be treated with plant seeds. Besides, they must be used in combination accordingly. For example, for hyperactivity of heart-fire, they should be used in combination with medicinal herbs for clearing away heart-frie; for deficiency of yin and blood, those for replenishing the blood and nourishing yin should be combined; and for liver-yang rising, those for calming the liver and suppressing yang should be combined.

Since mineral medicines, if they are used in pill or powder form, easily damage the stomach-qi, they must be combined with those for nourishing the stomach and strengthening the spleen according to the conditions, and are only taken temporarily. Some of them must be used with caution since they are toxic.

Zhusha Cinnabaris

It refers to Cinnabar of sulfide type, mainly containing mercuric sulfide. The medicinal material is mainly produced in the areas of Hunan, Sichuan, and Yunnan, etc. and mined at any time. The mineral is refined into powder with water for medication after impurity of stone is removed.

Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, cold in nature, toxic and attributive to the heart meridian.

Actions Relieve palpitation and calm the mind, clear away heat and remove toxic materials.

Application

1. It is used for irritability, restless fever and insomnia due to hyperactivity of heart-fire, it is usually combined with Huanglian (Rhizoma Coptidis ) and Gancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae); for those companied with deficiency of heart-blood, Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) and Dihuang ( Radix Rehmanniae ) are added again; for palpitation due to fear or heart-deficiency, it can be put in pig's heart and cooked for oral use.

2. It is used for pyocutaneous disease and sore throat. For pyocutaneous disease, it is used together with Xionghuang (Realgar), such as Zijin Ding (Troche) ; for sore throat and aphthae due to heat, used together with Bingpian ( Borneolum Syntheticum ), Pengsha ( Borax), etc., for external use, such as Bing Peng San (Powder).

Usage and Dosage 0.1 - 0.5 g of the powder is used in pill or powder form. Just right amount is for external use.

Notes Over dosage and prolonged administration should be avoided to prevent patients from being poisoned by mercury. The medicine is used with caution in cases with incomplete function of the liver and kidneys. It can not be calcined with fire, otherwise mercury can be separated out, which is extremely toxic.

Cishi Magnetitum

The medicine refers to the magnetic iron ore magnetite, mainly including Fe3O4. It is mainly produced in the areas of Hebei, Shandong, and Liaoning, etc. and mined at any time and stored in the dry place. It is broken into pieces or quenched with vinegar and ground into powder for medication.

Medicinal Properties Pungent and salty in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the liver, heart and kidney meridians.

Actions Tranquilize the mind, calm the liver and suppress the sthenic yang, improve auditory and visual acuity, improve inspiration by invigorating kidney-qi and relieve dyspnea.

Application

1. For deficiency of yin leading to hyperactivity of yang manifested as irritability, palpitation, insomnia, dizziness, headache and epilepsy, usually combined with Zhusha (Cinnabaris), Shijueming ( Concha Haliotidis ), Baishaoyao ( Radix Paeoniae Alba ), and Shengdihuang (Radix Rehmanniae ) , etc..

2. For insufficiency of the liver-yin and kidney-yin manifested as tinnitus, deafness, and blurring of vision, etc., it can be combined with Shudihuang (Radix Rehmanniae Praeparatae ), Shanzhuyu ( Fructus Corni ) and Wuweizi (Fructus Schisandrae), etc., such as Erlong Zuoci Wan (Pill) ; for insufficiency of the liver and kidney with blurring of vision, it can be combined with Gouqizi (Fructus Lycii ) and N¨¹izhenzi ( Fructus Ligustri Lucidi ) .

3. For shortness of breath due to insufficiency of kidney-qi, it is usually combined with Daizheshi (Haematitum), Wuweizi (Fructus Schisandrae) and Hutaorou ( Caro Juglamdis).

Usage and Dosage 10 - 30 g is used in decoction for oral use, which is broken into pieces and decocted early. 1 - 3 g is used in pill and powder form.

Notes It can not be used in large amount or prolonged time since it is not easily digested, and used with caution in cases with deficiency of the spleen and stomach.

Longgu Os Draconis

The source is from the fossil of the skeleton of ancient large mammals, such as deer, oxen and elephant types. The medicinal material is mainly produced in the areas of Shanxi, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Gansu, and Hebei, etc., collected all year round and stored in the dry place. It is broken into pieces when it is used and the crude or calcined one is used.

Medicinal Properties Sweet and pungent in flavor, slightly cold in nature and attributive to the heart and liver meridians.

Actions Tranquilize the mind, calm the liver and suppress the hyperactive yang, astringe and invigorate the kidney to preserve essence.

Application

1. It is used for restlessness, epilepsy and insanity. For restlessness, palpitation, insomnia, poor memory and frequent dreams, it can be combined with Zhusha ( Cinnabaris ) , Yuanzhi ( Radix Polygalae ) and Suanzaoren (Semen Ziziphi Spinosae), etc.; for epilepsy, convulsion and insanity, it is usually combined with Niuhuang ( Calculus Boris ), Dannanxing ( Arisaema cure Bile ) and others that can resolve phlegm and arrest spasm.

2. For irritability and dizziness caused by deficiency of yin leading to hyperactivity of yang, it is usually combined with Muli ( Concha Ostreae ), Baishaoyao ( Radix Paeoniae Alba ) and Daizheshi ( Haematitum ), etc., such as Zhengan Xifeng Tang (Decoction).

3. It is used for syndromes of slippery prolapse. For kidney-deficiency syndrome manifested as emission and spermatorrhea, it is used every time with Mull (Concha Ostreae), Shayuanzi ( Semen Astragali Complanati ), and Qianshi ( Semen Euryales), etc., such as Jinsuo Gujing Wan (Pill); for all kinds of clear leukorrhagia and menorrhagia, combined with Muli (Concha Ostreae), Haipiaoxiao (Os Sepiellae Seu Sepia) and Shanyao ( Rhizoma Dioscoreae ); for spontaneous perspiration due to superficial asthenia and night sweat due to yin-deficiency, usually combined with Muli ( Concha Ostreae), Fuxiaomai ( Fructus Tritici Levis ) and Wuweizi ( Fructus Schisandrae ) , etc..

Besides, the Duanlonggu (Os Draconis Usta) that is ground into powder has the action of sucking up moisture and treating skin ulcer disease, so it can be used externally for exudative prurigo and unhealed pyocutaneous disease after evacuation of pus.

Usage and Dosage 15 - 30 g is used in decotion for oral use, which is broken and then decocted earlier. Just right amount is for external use. The calcined one is used for astringing and invigorating the kidney to preserve essence and the crude one is used for other syndromes.