Herb

Fen xi (white lead powder)

粉锡fen xi
1 sourceCerussa
Modern safety noticeRestricted

Modern sources record safety concerns for this herb. Reference information, not a diagnostic or treatment recommendation.

Modern sources record heavy-metal toxicity for the lead in fen xi (white lead, basic lead carbonate; despite the character for tin in its name, it is a lead compound). The U.S. NTP Monograph on Health Effects of Low-Level Lead concludes that there is sufficient evidence of an association between blood lead levels below 5 µg/dL and neurological effects in children and reproductive effects in adult women, and between blood lead levels below 10 µg/dL and cardiovascular, renal and immune effects. This is reference information drawn from modern sources, not a diagnostic or treatment recommendation.

Recorded in Bencao Gangmu for killing the three worms and parasitic toxins, dispersing masses and accumulation, and applied externally to malign sores, scabies, abscesses and for blackening the hair; recorded in classical texts as abortifacient. White lead (fen xi) is a basic lead carbonate.

Source

Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu)卷八·金类·粉锡·主治

References
  • functions_en self-translated from 本草纲目 traditional_functions (public domain; the Chinese tf carries verbatim excerpt_hash citations). No modern work consulted.
  • WHO IST-TCM terminology-aligned for the English rendering.
  • public pharmacopoeia & physical facts (public-domain reference facts; no proprietary modern source).
Traditional functions

Classical source text (Chinese) — English summary above.

传统中医记载：主伏尸毒螫、杀三虫；古载去鳖瘕、疗恶疮、止小便利、堕胎，治积聚不消、疳痢，治痈肿瘘烂、呕逆癥瘕，治疥癣狐臭、黑须发。

Nature, flavor & meridians

Nature & flavor: 辛，寒，无毒。

Citations
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷八·金类·粉锡·释名Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its classification.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷八·金类·粉锡·气味Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its nature & flavor.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷八·金类·粉锡·主治Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷八·金类·粉锡·释名Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its safety notes.