Hydrargyrum
From HerbLab, herbal encyclopedia of Chinese traditional medicine
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Hydrargyrum(水银)
Huang Gongxiu of the Qing Dynasty remarked: "Hydrargyrum is acrid in taste and extremely cold and poisonous in nature. It is heavy and can flow smoothly."
Being a metal element abstracted from mineral mines. Hydrargyrum is a silver-colored and lustrous liquid under room temperature, but it coagulates into octahedral crystals under a temperature 40℃ below zero, slightly evaporates under ordinary temperature and completely evaporates in high temperature. Produced mainly in Kunming or Yunnan Province, Hydrargyrum, being soluble in strong nitric acid solution, has a specific gravity of 1.35 and its boiling point is 360℃. Before administration, Hydrargyrum is oftensmelted with other mineral drugs to make a mixtures called Sanxian Dan, Hongsheng Dan, BaiJiang Dan and Wuhu Dan.
ANTICANCER PHARMACOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
1. Wuhu Dan has a destructive action on cancer cells of the skin, with a protoplasmic toxicity of Hg++ to cells. 2. Hongsheng Dan has an inhibitive action on tumors of guinea pig.
EXPERIMENTAL FORMULAS
For esophageal cancer:
Hydrargyrum and Sulfur (3 grams each) are pulverized and taken with millet wine or ginger soup with a dose of 1.5 to 3 grams each time, twice daily. (Manual of Medicinal Herbs)
For various types of sarcoma:
Hydrargyrum 3g Gambir 3g Borax 3g Bomeol 0.4g Moschus 9g Sanguis Draconis 9g Cortex Phellodendri 1.5g The herbs are ground into powder and applied to the affected Lesion. (Secret Prescriptions Inherited from a Divine Doctor-Hua Tuo)
For cancer of the skin and the breast:
Hydrargyrum 180g Alumen 180g Melanteritum 180g Natrii Sulfas 180g
The drugs are melted to make white crystals for external application. (Hunan Journal of Medicine and Drugs, Vol. 1, 1976)
For cervical cancer:
Ten portions of the white crystals of the above formula and one equal portion of pulverized Venenum Bufonis are mixed with starch or boiled rice as an excipient to make prismatic drug-nails of the size of a cotton swab about 1.5-2cm in length for use after it becoming dry. After the cervix is exposed with a speculum and disinfected, a drug-nail is implanted 0.8-lcm deep in the base or in the body of the tumor. If the implantation is difficult, poke a hole in the selected part of the tumor with a sharp knife and then insert the nail.
Note that the drug-nail is fully inserted into the tissue of the tumor and make sure that it would not come out or off. Check that no segments of the drug are left in the vagina, then rinse the vagiina alt theoperation. The drug-nail will be dissolved and absorbed several days after the implantation, and the therapy is repeated till the full exfoliation of the tumor tissues. (Data of National Medical and Health Researches, Vol. 9, 1972)
For malignant hydatidiform mole metastasized to the lung:
The powder of Hongsheng Dan, composed of Hydrargyrum, Natrii Sulfas, Alumen, Melanteritum, Realgar and Cinnabaris, is packed into capsules for oral administration once a week with a dose of 0.4-1.0 gram. (On Drugs and Prescriptions)
For various types of cancer:
Lingyao (major component: Hydrargyrum) 3g Jindan (major component: Cerussa) 3g Yincui (major component: Silver) 3g
The above drugs are crushed into powder to be rolled with flour paste into pills of the size of soy bean, weighing 0.3 gram each and coated with Malachitum. A pill is taken once daily in the evening till the symptoms fully disappear. If toxic reactions appear, the drug should be stopped. (On Drugs and Prescriptions)
HISTORICAL COMMENTS
It was reported in Holy Prescriptions that: "When taken together with rice flour, the drug has a quick effect to promote the lactation of milk of the primipara and cure sore throat with the feeling of a bean in the pharynx."
It was commented in Collection of Holy Prescriptions that: "The following formula is administered for patients with stomach cancer:
Folium Pini Thunbergis 4.5g Hydrargyrum 4.5g Sulfur 15g Cortex Cinnamomi 3g
The above drugs are put together and crushed into powder for oral administration. Each time, 1.8 grams of the powder is taken after being mixed with a broth containing half rice porridge and half ginger juice.
In Li Lou 's Prescriptionsfor Odd Symptoms and Signs it was said that: "The drug cures malignant boil with putrid flesh. A 14-year-old girl had a painful and purple tumor in one of her wrist with the size of a soybean. Half of the tumor grows deep in the flesh and she did not respond to a variety drugs. She was given 120 grams of Hydrargyrum and two pieces of soft paper, with which she rubbed the drug on the tumor. Three days after application, the tumor mass exfoliated spontaneously." Recorded in Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies was that: "The following formula is effective for all sorts of malignant boils:
Hydrargyrum 250g Rhizoma Coptidis 250g Cerussa 250g
All the above drugs are crushed into powder for external application. "
Prescriptions worth a Thousand Gold says that: "Application with Hydrargyrum for several times will cure leukoderma immediately."
THE HERBLAB.ORG'S NOTE
In Dandong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anticancer Drug No. I and Anticancer Drug No.2, prepared with Hydrargyrum and other minerals, were used to treat 48 advanced cancer patients, and they reported that the effective rate was 39.5%. As being very poisonous, Hydrargyrum must be used with great care. "
