INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Natrii Sulfas Mirabilitum
Common English:	Mirabilite Glauber’s Salt Sodium Sulfate

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid Bitter Salty	Very Cold (Cold)	Stomach Large Intestine (Lung)	Infusion: 4-18g

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Purges accumulations, guides out Stagnation, softens hardness and moistens Dryness	Heat in the Stomach and Intestines with constipation and hard knots
Clears Heat and drains Fire	Heat in the Stomach or Lungs especially accumulated Phlegm or clumping in the Intestines
Clears Heat and reduces swelling	Red, swollen, painful eyes Painful, ulcerated, swollen mouth or throat (topical) Red, swollen skin lesions (topical) Mastitis (topical) (promotes lactation)

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Contraindicated in those with Spleen Deficiency Cold.
Caution with the elderly.
Contraindicated during pregnancy.
Contraindicated postpartum.
Contraindicated during menstruation.
If it is used topically for breast abscess in a nursing mother, it may lead to a decrease in lactation.
Do not use if there is no pathogenic clumping in the Lower Jiao.
Do not use if there is no closed clumping that is difficult to pass due to pathogenic Heat.

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang	Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin Sm. Trichosanthis Gua Lou Ren (Indigo Naturalis) (Qing Dai)	Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia Fr. Aurantii Zhi Ke (Poria) (Fu Ling)
Constipation due to Heat in the Stomach and Intestines.	Phlegm-Heat leading to cough.	Pain in both shoulders or swelling of the extremities due to Phlegm-Heat blocking the collaterals.
Borax Peng Sha	Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis Hou Po Fr. Aurantii Immaturus Zhi Shi	Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao
Topically for redness and swelling of the throat and ulcerations of the mouth.	Severe constipation due to accumulation of Excess Heat.	Moderate constipation due to accumulation of Excess Heat.
Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin Fr. Gardeniae Zhi Zi	Haematitum Dai Zhe Shi Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia Rx. Curcumae Yu Jin	Borax *Peng Sha* Borneolum Bing Pian Cinnabaris Zhu Sha
Heat in the Lungs and Stomach.	Phlegm and Heat Misting the Heart.	Oral ulcers and sore throat. (topically)

This herb and Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang accentuate each others actions and are usually used together.
Many sources say that this herb is only a stool softener and requires Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang to have any purgative effect.
Natrii Sulfas Exsiccatus Xuan Ming Fen is a purer form and is less effective as a laxative but more effective topically for ulcers of the mouth.
This herb is especially useful at softening hardened feces in the colon and for retaining water in the colon to treat acute or chronic Dryness.
The Chinese now often use sodium sulfate, but magnesium sulfate is probably the original material and is more suited to our culture where high sodium intake is a problem. Magnesium sulfate is called Epsom salts.
For Internal use, Mang Xiao is either added to the strained decoction or mixed with warm water. It should not be decocted itself.
Both Mang Xiao and Da Huang drain accumulated to treat clumped Heat in the Large Intestine leading to constipation. Da Huang is bitter and cold, drains Qi Level Heat in Yang Ming disorders, cools the Blood, resolves toxicity and breaks up static accumulations and is used to treat epistaxis, hemoptysis, red, swollen, painful eyes and gynecological abdominal masses. Mang Xiao clears the Large Intestine and softens hardness to treat constipation.
Fluid intake should be increased when taking this herb.
Use topically to soften nodules and reduce swellings for breast lumps without pus.
Apply topically for cessation of lactation.