Alumen, Alum, Bai Fan 白矾

Called Stypteria by Dioscorides
Bai Fan (TCM)
Sphatikari or Kamakshi (in Sanskrit)
Phitkari, Phitki (Unani)
Tshur dkar  ཚུར་དཀར  (Tibetan)
 Picture
Picture Hortus sanitatis, 1491

Picture 1. Impure Alumen Sissile;  2. Alumen Sissile Volaterrani;  3. Alumen Rotundum;  4. fragment of a species of Alum; 
5. a species of Sissile Alum;  6. Alum Schistis;  7. Aluminosa Balnei Scorpionis
(Aldrovani, Musaeum Metallicum, 1648)

Picture Rock Alum
Aldrovani, Musaeum Metallicum

Picture Alum Crystal
(Photo by Bilovitskiy) (Wikimedia)

 Picture Massive Alum at the Chengdu Medicine Market
(Adam, 2017)
Picture Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION
Minerological Name:
Alumen; hydrated potassium aluminium sulphate.

Parts Used:
A number of different salts were called ‘Alum’.
  1. Roch Alum (Rock Alum); Alum with greater or lesser amounts of impurities
  2. Factitious or Common Alum; Alum with greater or lesser amounts of impurities.
  3. Alum Plumbosum is Amianthus (Actinolite); Not Alum and are not used as Alum
  4. Alum Catinum is a salt extracted from the herb Kali or other related herbs. Not Alum and are not used as Alum.
  5. Alum Saccharum is Rock Alum mixed with Rose water, egg white and a little Sugar.

Temperature & Taste:


Cold, very dry. Astringent, sour
Avicenna and Unani medicine say Warm, very dry.

Classification:


2N. REPELLENTS   2Y. CORROSIVE   2Z. CICATRIZING
TCM:
R. Astringents   T. External Medicines

Uses:


1. Clears Heat and Toxin, Dries Damp, Kills Parasites, Stops Itching (TCM, West, Ayurveda):
-Heat diseases and Fever

2. Clears Heat and Toxin, Generates Flesh, Promotes Healing (TCM, West, Ayurveda):
-topically to chronic non-healing Sores and Ulcers

3. Astringes to Stop Leakage and Bleeding (TCM, West, Ayurveda):
-chronic Diarrhea

4. Clears Heat and Phlegm:

5. Externally:
-topically to stop bleeding; a piece of alum can be rubbed onto minor cuts such as shaving cuts.


Dose:


… available in PRO version

Correctives:


… available in PRO version

Substitutes:


… available in PRO version

Preparations:
… available in PRO version
Picture

Main Combinations:


1. Chronic Diarrhea, Dysentery:
i. Alum with … available in PRO version
ii. Alum with … available in PRO version
iii. Alum with … available in PRO version
iv. Alum with … available in PRO version
v. take Alum … available in PRO version
vi. Dysentery, Make pills of Alum … available in PRO version
vii. Burnt Alum … available in PRO version
viii. Dysentery, Alum, … available in PRO version
2. Diarrhea occuring during Humid Summer, Make pills of calcined Alum … available in PRO version
3. Uterine Bleeding:
i. Alum with … available in PRO version
ii. Alum with … available in PRO version
iii. Alum, … available in PRO version
iv. Profuse uterine bleeding: Alum… available in PRO version
4. Hemoptysis, Bleeding of the upper gastrointestinal tract, Alum with … available in PRO version
5. Passive bleeding, Leukorrhea, Gonorrhea, Alum with … available in PRO version
6. Fever, dissolve Alum in … available in PRO version
7. Cough with Phlegm, make pills the size of parasol seeds with Alum and … available in PRO version
8. Epilepsy from Wind-Phlegm:
i. Alum (2 parts), … available in PRO version
ii. calcined Alum, … available in PRO version
9. Mania or Epilepsy from Wind-Phlegm, Alum with … available in PRO version
10. Lockjaw, mix Alum and … available in PRO version
11. Jaundice, Alum with … available in PRO version
12. Enuresis, prepared Alum, … available in PRO version
13. Diabetes, dissolve 1 dram of Alum … available in PRO version

Externally:
1. Sprains, Strains, Swellings or Bruising, dissolve Alum in … available in PRO version
2. Scabies:
i. topically use Alum with … available in PRO version
ii. Alum, … available in PRO version
3. Eczema, combine Alum with … available in PRO version
4. Severe itching from Wind-Damp-Heat and Toxin, use Alum … available in PRO version
5. Chronic non-healing Sores and Ulcers:
i. Alum with … available in PRO version
ii. Alum with … available in PRO version
iii. Alum with … available in PRO version
iv. Chronic, old, rotten, putrid Sores or Ulcers, dissolve Alum in … available in PRO version
6. Old, spreading or Gangrenous Ulcers, add powdered Alum and … available in PRO version
7. To prevent Bed Sores, dissolve Alum in … available in PRO version
8. Sores of the Mouth or Ear canal, Alum with … available in PRO version
9. Mouth Ulcers: … available in PRO version
10. Pharyngitis, dissolve Alum in … available in PRO version
11. Gargles for Sore Throat, Tonsillitis:
i. Atonic Tonsillitis: Alum … available in PRO version
ii. Alum, … available in PRO version
iii. Alum … available in PRO version
12. Throat Abscess and Tonsillitis: Heat 9 grams of Alum … available in PRO version
13. Toothache and Gum Swelling, Alum, … available in PRO version
14. Broken or decayed Teeth, hold a piece of Alum in the mouth and spit out the saliva. (Zhou Hou Fang)
15. Stiff and Swollen Tongue, Alum, … available in PRO version
16. Hard mass in the Uterus with Blood Stasis and white discharge, Alum (3 parts), … available in PRO version
17. Topically for Cancer, add Alum and … available in PRO version
18. Genital Warts:
i. add Alum and … available in PRO version
ii. Alum … available in PRO version
19. Syphilis and Ulcers; … available in PRO version
20. Chilblains, … available in PRO version
21. Sore and red eyes, … available in PRO version
22. Arthralgia, Swelling and pain of the Joints, especially the knee:
i. dissolve a spoonful of Burned Alum … available in PRO version
ii. Alum (4 drams), … available in PRO version
23. Pus discharge from the ears, dissolve Alum in … available in PRO version

Major Formulas


Astringent Strengthening Decoction
John’s Water
Powder for Hemoptysis (Galen)
Powder to Suppress Hemorrhage (Unani)
Powder for Moist and Hollow Ulcers
Powder for Excess Menstruation (Serapion)
Powder to Stop Bleeding of the Stomach (Nicholas)
Power to Tighten the Vulva like a Virgin
Antidotum Haemagogum (Nicholas)
Tooth Powder to Whiten the Teeth (Wirtzung)
Ping Xiao Capsules

Cautions:


1. Toxic in overdose. It is most used externally.
2. Only used internally in cases with Heat, Damp and/or Phlegm.
3. Long-term use was said to damage the Bones. (Sheng Nong, TCM)

Toxicity:


Overdose causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and shock in severe cases.

Drug Interactions:


Incompatible with Ephedra Ma Huang (classical TCM)

Main Preparations used:


Purified Alum; Burnt Alum
  • Extra Info
  • History
Salmon, Seplasium:
Roch Alum
‘It is called in Hebrew Nether; in Greek, Stypteria; in Latin, Alumen; and this mentioned in this Chapter Alumen Rupeum & Ruspeum, Alumen Scissile & Scissum; in English, Alum, and Roch or Stone Alum; in Arabic, Sceb.’

‘It is brought to us out of Germany, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and other parts of Africa; it is made of the Salt of a Mineral Saturnine Earth, and the best is that which is reddish and clear’.

‘There are many kinds of it according to Authors, but excepting two of them (which we will treat of in this book) they are rather other kinds of Salts, and Stones than kinds of Alum. Those two, which we consider as Alum, are either Roch Alum … or the factitious and common’.

‘It is only a Salt substance of a Mineral Earth, participating of the Nature of Lead; having in it self an Acid Spirit, and a harsh Caustic Salt, being found ready prepared by Nature, and condensed in veins of Aluminous Earth’.

‘Its virtues are to dessicate, astringe, incrassate or thicken; it is not much used inwardly without prepar-ation, though by some it is given against Agues. But it is much used in Gargarisms [gargles] against rawness, soreness, ulcers, cancers and pains of the Lips, Gums, Mouth, and Throat, and chiefly in the Swelling and Inflammation of the Amygdala, or Almonds of the Ears; as also against the Falling, Swelling, or Inflammation of the Uvula; it cures Ulcers of the Privities, Eyes, &c.’

‘It is good against the Quinsy, rottenness and putrefaction of the Gums, proceeding from either Scurvy, or Scorbutic taint, or the Venereal Disease or Infection’.

‘It is also a good Resolutive, taking away Swellings and Edematous Tumors of the Knees, Legs, and Feet, being made into a bath either alone, or mixed with a little white Vitriol, and so used very hot, for a pretty while together; for it allays the Inflammations, and heat of the Spirits, irritated or attracted into these depending parts, by much going, toil, weariness, or indisposition of Body’.

‘Take Roch Alum, White Vitriol [zinc sulphate] both in powder 1 oz.; dissolve them in spring water, and filter; and keep for use. It cures all manner of Tetters [eczema], Ringworms, Herpes, Scurf, Morphew, or other breakings out in any part of the body, if daily washed therewith 2 or 3 times a day, for 20 or 30 days together, you may put the water into a basin, which set over a chafing dish of coals, and wash therewith for half an hour, as hot as you can endure it’.

‘It is said to be a good Diuretic, a dram of it being dissolved in a quart of water, and a glass of it given now and then. This Alum Water is of excellent use, also to cleanse Wounds and Ulcers with’.

Burnt Alum: Put a piece or pieces of Alum upon an Iron Plate, or into a Fireshovel, and put it over the Fire till the phlegm and spirits are evaporated away, and the Alum becomes light, spongy, and white. It is very good to consume by degrees, and without pain, the moist and spongy flesh, and excrescences in Wounds or Ulcers, and their Lips (commonly called Proud Flesh); it also hinders corruption, desiccates and resolves Humid Tumors. Being dissolved in Epulotical Waters, it
wonderfully advances Cicatrization and Reunion of the solution of continuity’.

‘From Burnt or Calcined Alum, you may extract a Salt thus: Put it into a Cucurbit, put on it Rain water, so much as to cover it 6 inches over; digest in Ashes till it begins to boil, stirring it often with a wooden slice, then filtrate, and evaporate in a glass or white Earthen Basin in B.M. till it begins to skin; put it into a cool place, or Cellar, and let it shoots into crystals, or otherwise you may evaporate to dryness. This Salt is more active than burnt Alum, because it is separated from its Earth, and therefore may be given in much lesser quantity, and for the same purposes’.

‘It may also be given internally, to such as have a Stomach stuffed with tough Phlegm, Slime, or other filthiness which dulls and spoils the Appetite; for it cuts, attenuates, and expels such excrements, either by stool or vomit. The dose is from 6 grains to 12, or 15 in Broth, Posset drink, Ale, or any proper decoction. They that have not, or cannot get the Salt, may make use of the Burnt Alum in the same manner, but in somewhat larger dose’.

‘Alum also dissolved in Decoction for Clysters [Enemas], has been profitably given against all sorts of Fluxes, as Diarrheas, Dysenteries, Lienterias, and the Hepatic Flux; for by the Lacteal Vessels, some parts of its Virtue is admirably communicated to the Blood’.

‘Caesalpinus also saith, that Aluminous Waters do mightily bind, strengthen the Stomach weakened by Vomiting (which is a Note worth observation); stop Fluxes, as also Fluxes of the Womb; prevent Abortion or Miscarriage, helps Ulcers of the Mouth, Stomach, Bowels, and Bladder; Inflammations of the Gums (as a Gargarism [gargle]), as also Catarrhs, being drunk or inwardly taken’.

‘An Aluminous Bath heals all outward exulcerated parts, especially if troubled with Defluxions, or Runnings, Bleeding at the Fundament [anus], the Hemorrhoids or Piles, and excellently takes away or represses superfluous Sweating, or Sweating caused through Faintness or Weakness, and of such as are in Consumption. Sweaty feet often washed in a strong Solution of Alum and [White] Vitriol very hot, are perfectly cured thereby’.

Factitious or Common Alum
It comes from the same places as Rock Alum. It is prepared by evaporation of Aluminous Mineral Water, or by extracting the Alum from Earths and Stones which contain Alum.

‘Dioscorides saith, it purges, clears the Eyes, helps moist Gums, Ulcers of the Mouth, Apthae commonly called Thrush, Ulcers, and runnings of the Ears, Scurf, Lice, Knits, smell of the Armholes, and expels the Fetus’.

‘It is also good against the Itch, Tetters, Ringworms, Leprosy, Phagedens, Kibes, Chilblains, Dropsy, Burnings, &c. It helps the roughness of the Eyes, and with vinegar softens the hair. Made into an Ointment with Lead, it helps fluxes of Blood, putrifying Ulcers, hard Cicatrizes, and gallings of Infants’.

‘In a word, it has all the Virtues of the former and may be applied to the same intentions, and used after the same manner; but it is not so strong’.