Calamine, Lu Gan Shi 炉甘石

Lapis Calminaris, Smithsonite, Zinc spar
Lu Gan Shi (TCM)
Gangs Thigs  གངས་ཐིགས  (‘Drops of Snow’, Tibetan)
Rasaka, Kharpara (Ayurveda)

Picture

Smithsonite
(Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com)


Picture

Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION


Mineralogical name:

Calamina; Smithsonitum

Temperature & Taste:

Cool, dry. Sweet

Classifications:

2T. GLUTINATE  2Z. CICATRIZING
4b. OPTHALMICS
TCM:
T. External Medicines

Uses:

1. Clears Heat, Clears the Eyes, Removes Films (West, TCM, Ayurveda, Ancient Egypt):

-red, swollen eyes, Conjunctivitis

2. Dries Damp, Promotes Growth of Flesh:

3. Clears Heat, Promotes Healing:

4. Clears Heat and Damp:

5. Rasayana (Bhasma, Ayurveda):

Dose:

Mostly used externally.

Preparation:

… available in PRO version

Picture

Main Combinations:

For the Eyes:

1. Sore, red, inflamed eyes and for poor or weak eyesight:
i. the finely levigated powder … available in PRO version
ii. Calcined Calamine … available in PRO version
iii. heat a 3 oz. piece of calamine … available in PRO version
iv. Sore, red eyes, superficial visual obstructions and excess tearing, combine Calamine with … available in PRO version
v. Calamine, … available in PRO version
vi. hot water infusion of calcined Calamine and … available in PRO version

Other:

2. Chronic Fever, Typhoid Fever, weakness after diseases, as a tonic during pregnancy and for Pediatric diseases, combine purified Calamine with … available in PRO version
3. ‘The best tonic in chronic diseases’; also for chronic Lung diseases including chronic Cough, Asthma, Phthisis, combine Calamine Bhasma with … available in PRO version
4. Diarrhea and Dysentery, Calamine with … available in PRO version

Externally:

5. Chronic Ulcers and Eczema, combine Calamine with … available in PRO version
6. Chronic Eczema, Acne Rosacea, red and inflamed skin, combine Calamine with … available in PRO version
7. Burns, excoriations, sores, superficial Ulcers, Calamine with … available in PRO version
8. Burns, Calamine topically with … available in PRO version
9. Ear infection with discharge, Calamine with … available in PRO version

Major Formulas:

Eyewash of Calamine
Crystal Moon 37 (Zla shel so bdun) (Tibetan Medicine)

Cautions:

1. In TCM it is only used externally.
2. Only applied to the eyes when finely levigated or it can cause damage.

Main Preparations used:

Cerate, Plaster, Ointment