Lapis Armenius, Azurite

Armenian Stone
Lapis Ligurius; Melochites
Hajar Armani (Unani)
Mthing sngon  མཐིང་སྔོན་ (Tibetan)
Picture Hortus sanitatis, 1491

 Picture Ortus Sanitatis, Beck, 1517
Picture Azurite crystals
Photo by Parent Gery (Wikimedia)

Mineralogical name:
Azuritum

Parts used:


Washed and prepared stone

Temperature & Taste:


Neutral (slightly Cool), Dry. Sweet, Sour, slightly Toxic

Uses:


1. Clears Wind-Phlegm, Calms the Mind and Spirit:
-Apoplexy, Convulsions, Migraine, Vertigo, Epilepsy and Convulsions etc (West)

2. Purges Melancholy Humor:
-Madness, Lunacy, Frenzy, Foolishness, Melancholy
-Melancholy diseases, Leprosy, Fibroids, Cancer
-“Strongly purges Black Bile and is a stronger purgative than Lapis Lazuli” (Avicenna)

3. Emetic:
-unwashed, it is also emetic (classical).    

4. Clears Sights, Benefits Eyes:
-red, swollen, sore eyes
-superficial visual obstruction
-corneal opacity

5. Resists Poison:
-In Old TCM, Azurite was used in medicines for poison insect and snake bites

6. Externally:
-applied topically for blurry vision (Ben Cao Gang Mu)


Preparation:


Washed Azurite
  Azurite is powdered and washed 14-16 times in water, it will only purge downward, and has no emetic actions; otherwise, it is both emetic and purgative. Often, Rose water was preferred for the washing, or at least the final trituration after washing, and letting it dry upon the stone powder to give it a pleasant scent.
  “The water treated stone is not emetic, but the untreated one is an emetic”. (Avicenna)

Comment:


“After its (therapeutic) recognition, the use of Black Hellebore for the treatment of melancholic diseases was abandoned”. (Avicenna)

Dose:


Prepared (washed) Powder: 500mg–3 grams

Substitute:


1. Lapis Lazuli and Azurite were used very similarly.
2. Azurite was recommended as a substitute for Black Hellebore by Avicenna. This suggests the latter could be used as a vegetable substitute for Azurite.

Main Combinations:


1. To Purge Melancholy:
i. Azurite with Dodder, Agaric and Polypody to purge Melancholy
ii. Azurite with Hiera Picra, Dodder, Agaric, Scammony, Clove, made into Pills with Honey of Roses
2. Melancholy, Frenzy and Epilepsy, Azurite with Mace and Saffron
3. Red and painful eyes:
i. Azurite with Vitex Man Jing Zi topically (TCM)
ii. Azurite, Picrorhiza Hu Huang Lian, Sophora Ku Shen (TCM)
4. Painful and inflamed Ears, Azurite with Realgar and Scutellaria Huang Qin (topically)

Major Formulas:


Pills of Azurite (Mesue)

Cautions:


1. Only the prepared (washed) mineral is used. Toxic in overdose
2. Very drying, not used in Yin deficiency.
3. “It is unsuitable for the Stomach”. (Avicenna)
4. “Taken internally, if it be not washed in accord with all of the rules of the physicians, is a vomiting poison and subversive of the whole body, but properly prepared it is of value in the treatment of the melancholy passion” (De venenis, Petrus, 1487)

Main Preparations used:


Prepared Powder