Vermilion (Yin zhu)
Modern sources record safety concerns for this herb. Reference information, not a diagnostic or treatment recommendation.
Modern sources record heavy-metal toxicity for vermilion (yin zhu; mercuric sulfide, HgS, a form of inorganic mercury). The U.S. ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Mercury reports that the nervous system is an important target of inorganic mercury and that the nephrotoxicity of inorganic mercury has long been established, with impaired renal function and damage reported in humans after acute inorganic mercury poisoning. This is reference information drawn from modern sources, not a diagnostic or treatment recommendation.
Recorded in Bencao Gangmu for breaking accumulation, expelling phlegm-drool, dispersing chest binds, and for scabies, tinea and malign sores, killing worms and lice. A toxic mineral substance (a mercuric sulfide).
Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu)卷九·石类上·银朱·主治
- 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).
Classical source text (Chinese) — English summary above.
传统中医记载：主破积滞、劫痰涎、散结胸，疗疥癣恶疮，杀虫及虱，功同粉霜。
Nature & flavor: 辛，温，有毒。
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷九·石类上·银朱·释名Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its classification.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷九·石类上·银朱·气味Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its nature & flavor.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷九·石类上·银朱·主治Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷九·石类上·银朱·气味Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its safety notes.