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    Yemama Apothecary

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    Drastic Cold-Phlegm Purgative, Food-Stagnation Breaking & Water-Expelling (峻下冷积 / 破滞逐水消痰利咽蚀疮大毒峻烈药)

    巴豆 / 猛巴豆 / 巴菽 / 刚子 — Croton tiglium L.

    Pinyin: Bādòu / Měng Bādòu · Malay: Biji Purba / Pokok Mengkudu Laut / Purba · Family: Euphorbiaceae (大戟科)

    Botanical Illustration

    Energetics

    Hot (大热), Extremely Toxic (大毒)

    Flavor

    Pungent, acrid, burning (辛、热、极辣、大毒)

    Meridians

    Stomach (胃), Large Intestine (大肠), Lung (肺)

    Traditional Edict

    Monarch drastic purgative in Shanghan Lun (San Wu Bei Ji Wan). Extremely hot and toxic. Smashes stubborn cold food accumulation, unblocks acute intestinal obstruction, evacuates suffocating bronchial phlegm, and corrodes warts.

    Cautions & Contraindications

    • LETHAL TOXICITY WARNING: 1-2 mL of raw Croton oil is fatal to humans. Overdose causes burning mouth, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, shock, and renal failure. EMERGENCY ANTIDOTE: Cold congee (Leng Zhou) and Mung Bean soup. STRICTLY FORBIDDEN IN PREGNANCY.

    Clinical Applications

    • Acute mechanical/paralytic cold-accumulation intestinal obstruction, emergency suffocating phlegm obstruction in comatose stroke/croup, intractable ascites, and cutaneous verrucous warts.

    Quality Markers

    Croton Oil (Croton Resin, Phorbol 12,13-Diesters, Tiglic Acid >= 30.0%-50.0%) & Crotin (Toxalbumin) (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)

    Mechanism & Phytochemistry

    1. Phorbol 12,13-diesters (croton resin) intensely irritate intestinal mucosa, activating protein kinase C (PKC) and triggering hyperactive peristalsis and copious watery purgation within 1-2 hours. 2. Severe mucosal corrosive keratolysis.

    Preparation & Dosage

    CRITICAL PAOZHI MANDATE: RAW UNPROCESSED SEEDS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. MUST BE PROCESSED INTO DEFATTED FROST (Ba Dou Shuang / 巴豆霜) by hot-pressing between absorbent papers until oil content drops to 18%-20%. Dosage of Ba Dou Shuang: 0.1-0.3 g.

    Appended Prescriptions

    • 1. Classical San Wu Bei Ji Wan (三物备急丸) with Ba Dou Shuang, Dry Ginger, and Asarum for acute cold food coma. 2. Topical Plantar Wart Removal Paste (External Only).

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    Yemama Apothecary · Petaling Jaya, Malaysia · For educational and clinical reference only