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Ba Dou / Croton Seed
Ba Dou
Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Hot • Category: Downward Draining • Sub Category: Cathartic

Dosage

0.1-0.3g pills or external

Actions

1. Warmly unblocks & vigorously purges: for severe cold accumulation in the interior leading to constipation & abdominal fullness, distention, & pain.

2. Drives out water & reduces edema: for ascites.

3. Bursts clogged phlegm & improves the condition of the throat: for phlegm clogging the throat & causing difficult breathing, wheezing, & severe fullness & distention in the chest & diaphragm. Also for phlegm veiling the sensory orifices.

4. Promotes the healing of abscesses & ulcers: used topically for abscesses that have supporated but not yet ulcerated to accelerate the ulcerating process. Also for severe ulcers such a phagedena.

Meridians

Stomach, Large Intestine, Lung

Cautions

Use with caution in weak & debilitated patients. Contraindicated during pregnancy. Antagonizes qian niu zi. When taking this herb one should avoid ingesting hot liquids, as this may severely aggravate its laxative effect. If the herb causes unremitting diarrhea, one should take cold rice congee or a tea made from huang lian & huang bai. Toxic. Ingestion of 20 drops of croton oil is lethal in humans. Ba dou is very irritating to the skin & mucous membranes. Contact can lead to contact dermatitis, skin edema, vesicles, or postules.