Borax, Peng Sha 硼砂Chrysocolla (‘Gold-glue’)Bauraq, Buraq, Burak (Arabic) Peng Sha (TCM) Tankana (Ayurveda) Tsha la ཚ་ལ (Tibetan Medicine) |
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Borax crystals, Kramer Mine, CaliforniaPhoto by Rock Currier
Minerological name:
Hydrated Sodium borate
Parts used:
Purified Salt; Natural and Artificial Borax was used
“Its best form is that which is brittle and extremely white (as ivory)”. (Avicenna)
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Sweet, Salty
TCM regards Borax as Cool.
Avicenna said “Hot and Dry in the Second degree, inclining towards the Third degree in Dryness”. In Tibet it is regarded as Warm and light with a Sweet post-digestion taste.
Properties:
Nature: crystalline lumps
Color: white
Streak: white
Cleavage: poor
Fracture: Conchoidal
Lustre: Vitreous
Tenacity: Brittle
Transparency: Translucent
Hardness: 2–2.5
Specific Gravity: 1.65–1.7
Classifications:
2G. CLEANSING 2H. CARMINATIVES 2U. SUPPURATIVES 2Y. CORROSIVE
3G. EMMENAGOGUE
TCM:
B. Clear Heat
T. External Medicines
Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Toxin:
-internally and topically for throat swelling and pain as in acute tonsillitis, open mouth sores, white draining vaginal lesions
(severe Candidiasis), and dental abscesses.
-Fried Borax is used for Diarrhea and Dysentery in India.
-Food Poisoning (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-various types of inorganic Poison.
-Snake Bites
-throat constriction caused by poisonous Mushrooms (Avicenna)
-with water as an antidote to Catharides (Avicenna)
2. Clears Phlegm, Reduces Nodes and Masses:
-accumulation of internal phlegm such as swellings and subcutaneous nodes (TCM);
-“disintegrates thick humours”. (Avicenna)
-“Native Chrysocolla has a dispersing and consuming quality” (Lexicon of Alchemy).
3. Clears Heat and Phlegm, Stops Cough:
-Cough, Bronchitis, Asthma or Wheezing with phlegm that is difficult to expectorate (West, Ayurveda);
-a few grains sometimes works excellently in stopping irritable Coughs including Whooping Cough and chronic Bronchitis in young children
-Hoarseness of the Voice.
4. Moves the Blood, Promotes Menstruation and Labor (West, TCM, Ayurveda, Tibetan Medicine):
-“Emmenagogue, promoting Menstruation, facilitating Parturition, and favoring the Expulsion of the afterbirth by its specific influence on the Womb”.
-commonly used to Promote Labor; it is used in ‘The Birth Powder‘.
-Purified Borax has long been used in Ayurveda and Tibetan Medicine for delayed Labor and retention of the Fetus.
-Amenorrhea, Menorrhea, Menorrhagia, as well as Puerperal Convulsions
-used as a Contraceptive in India and has been used to induce Abortion.
-“Borax improves the Complexion … However, its excessive use darkens the Color”. (Avicenna)
5. Promotes Urine, Clears Gravel:
-urinary disorders associated with an excess of Uric acid
-Gravel, Stones, Gout, and Uric Acid Diathesis.
6. Promotes Digestion, Clears Dampness and Phlegm (West, Ayurveda, Unani, Tibetan Medicine):
-promotes the digestive fire, clears Dampness of the Digestive system
-used for stomach acidity, loss of appetite, indigestion
-“Make lean by gently washing the body” (West).
7. Calms Wind, Stops Spasms:
-Nervous Disorders (Ayurveda)
-“In resistant cases of Epilepsy it is not employed as frequently as it might be” (Squires)
-effective in Childhood Convulsions.
-“With wine or the Syrup of Hyssop it is useful in Tinnitus”. (Avicenna)
-“an ointment made from it, is useful in the treatment of Paralysis, especially in its advanced stage”. (Avicenna)
-It has also been used to pacify children (although it should not be used for this purpose anymore due to possibility of overdose)
8. Kills Worms and Parasites:
-Worms, especially Tape-worm;
-topically for Ringworm and various Fungal infections.
-“When used along with those medicines which kill the Worms, Borax expels them”. (Avicenna)
-“When a patient is seated near a fire and his abdomen and umbilicus are fomented with Borax, the Worms are killed” (Avicenna)
9. Externally:
-‘Cleanse ulcers, and prevent proud flesh’ (Salmon)
-hot moist compress is a good antiseptic for Wounds.
-mouthwash and gargle for Mouth Ulcers, Stomatitis, Gingivitis, Pharyngitis, Tonsillitis, and sore Throat (1 in 5 of water, or Rosewater, Myrrh Tincture can be added; or 1 dram mixed with 1 oz. of honey as an ointment)
-Stiff and Swollen tongue (TCM)
-as a wash or as drops for acute Conjunctivitis, eye injuries and various eye irritations.
-blown into the ear for suppuration
-as a spray or drops for Hay-fever (allergic rhinitis).
-itching or chapping of the skin; itching of the genitals. (1 in 40 to1 in 15 of water)
-wash for Acne, Freckles, Urticaria, Erysipelas, Vitiligo, Ringworm, Scabies etc. (1 in 40 of water)
-Painful and inflamed Piles (1 in 8 with water or ghee)
-Sore Nipples (wash of 1 in 8 of water, or as an ointment 1 in 8 of ghee)
-douche in Vaginitis, Leukorrhea. (1 in 5 of water)
-as a wash for Swollen Testicles in Infants. (TCM)
-as an injection for Cystitis and Gonorrhea. (1 in 5 of water)
-warm compress is a good application to Gout and painful Joints.
-Ringworm (wash of 1 in 16 of vinegar)
-to resolve glands and tumors (paste of borax, alum and milk curd in applied)
-Foot and Mouth disease. (1 in 5 of water as a wash)
-applied to blisters, and put into shoes for foul smelling feet (similarly in TCM and West; Powders, washes and compresses may be used; often with Rose water or Honey for external use)
-traditionally applied to loose Teeth to help their removal. (Unani)
-topically to promote Hair Growth
Dose:
“Generally Borax is not taken orally unless special reasons warrant it”. (Avicenna)
Borax Powder: 250mg–1 gram per dose (500mg–2 grams daily for an adult)
Dehydrated Product (Ayurveda): 125–250mg
Comment:
1. Note that the Traditional product is often impure and contains admixture. This should be taken into account when Borax is used in its modern form which is far more pure.
2. Borax was formerly much used in children’s medicines for conditions such as thrush, teething pain, and as a sedative. The abuse of and overdoses associated with such drugs made its use in children fall out of favor.
Preparation:
Roasted Borax:
In Ayurveda, it is usually roasted until it is dehydrated and swells before taking internally.
Likewise it was burnt in the West: “Borax is put in an earthen pot to be placed on fire and then it is roasted inside”. (Avicenna)
Correctives:
According to Daoist texts, the following are capable of subduing Borax: Anemarrhena Zhi Mu, Perilla Zi Su Ye, Polygonaum He Shou Wu.
Main Combinations:
Gynecology & Obstetrics:
1. To promote Menstruation, facilitate Birth, and for Infertility, combine Venetian Borax with Cassia wood, Saffron, Amber, Mistletoe (as in Powder of Borax)
2. Amenorrhea, Obstructed Menstruation:
i. Borax (1 dram), dissolve in Peppermint Water (5 oz.), add Syrup of Marshmallow (2 oz.). Dose: 1 teaspoonful twice daily. (Sundelin)
ii. Borax with Savin, Myrrh and Dittany of Crete
iii. Borax with Myrrh, Saffron, Amber, Sagapen (Gazophylacium Medico-Physicum, Woyts, 1746)
iv. Borax with Cinnamon and Saffron taken with Mugwort infusion
v. Borax with Myrrh, Birthwort, Saffron, made into pills with Pennyroyal oil (as in Emmenagogue Pills)
3. Dysmenorrhea:
i. from Plethora, Borax (1 dram), Balm Water (4 oz.), Bitter Almon Water (1 dram). Mix. Dose: 1 teaspoonful. (Sobernheim, 1840)
4. To Promote or accelerate Birth:
i. and for suppressed Menstruation, combine Borax and Cinnamon (Ayurveda)
ii. Borax with Cassia wood, Saffron, Myrrh and Amber (as in Birth Powder)
iii. Borax (1 dram), Saffron (½ scruple), Cinnamon oil (2 drops). Mix to form a powder. Divide into 2 equal parts, take one part hourly.
iv, Borax with Pearl and Saffron (Wirtzung)
v. Cassia Lignea, Cinnamon (2 drams each), Borax, prepared Amber (1 dram each), Saffron (½ dram), Oil of Cinnamon (3 drops). Powder. (Dispensatorium medico pharmaceuticum Palatinatus, 1764)
vi. Venice Borax (½ oz.), Cassia Lignea, Turmeric (1 dram each), Savin wood rasped, prepared Amber (½ oz. each), Bone of a Stags Heart, Mistletoe, Wallflower leaf (1 scruple each). Powder. Dose: 1 scruple–½ dram. (Pharmacopoeia Wirtembergica, 1798)
5. Leukorrhea, Alum ½ oz., Borax 2 oz., mix and add a teaspoonful to a pint of warm water to use as a douche.
6. As an oral contraceptive, Borax has been combined with equal parts of Long Pepper and Embelia ribes, taken in doses of 15 grains. (Ayurveda)
Urinary:
7. Gravel, Stones:
i. add 1 tablespoonful each of Borax and Cream of Tartar to 1 pint of water; the dose is 2 tablespoonful every 4 hours (Vitalogy)
ii. Borax 1 dram, Sodium bicarbonate and Saltpeter half dram each; divide into 6 doses to be taken morning and night.
8. Urethritis, Cystitis, stricture of the Urethra and Gonorrhea, roasted Borax is mixed with equal parts of Cumin and Camphor (as in Karpooradhi Churna or Ayurveda)
Digestion:
9. Poor appetite, flatulence, chronic constipation:
i. roasted Borax is combined with Aloe, Black Pepper and Henbane seed (as in Pills of Borax of Unani)
ii. with Black Salt, Sal Ammoniac, Long Pepper, Black Pepper, Ginger and Asafetida (as in Powder of Borax of Unani)
10. Colic, Borax with Cuming, or with Decoction of Rue and Dill. (Avicenna)
Other:
11. Bronchitis, Asthma:
i. combine with Black Pepper (Ayurveda)
ii. Borax (5 grains), Black Pepper (3 grains), Honey (1 spoonful), take as a dose.
iii. combine equal parts of roasted Borax, Ginger and Clove (as in Lavangadi Churna)
iv. Cough, Bronchitis, Asthmatic Bronchitis, Pneumonia from Phlegm-Heat, Fritillaria Chuan Bei Mu, Antelope horn (Ling Yang Jiao), Cow Bile (Niu Dan), Musk (She Xiang), Aloeswood (Chen Xiang), Tabasheer (Tian Zhu Huang), calcined Borax (Duan Peng Sha). This is a patent medicine.
12. Consumption: Borax, Burnt Alum are taken with betel leaf. It stops the consumptive cough and increases weight. (Ayurveda)
13. Food Poisoning, Borax, Licorice (4 oz. each), soak in Sesame oil (600 mls.). When needed. take a small cupful of the oil. The longer it stands the better it is. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
14. Syphilis, Borax, Peppermint, Fritillaria Bei Mu, Chebula (He Zi) (Chinese Materia Medica, Stuauoft)
15. Snake Bite, 4 grams of roasted Borax are given followed by Treacle and Ghee. (Ayurveda)
16. Impotence, Borax (5 grains) taken with Betel leaf (Ayurveda)
Topically
17. Stomatitis, mouth or gum inflammations, swellings, Mouth Ulcers, including teething:
i. blow powdered Borax directly onto the part and apply to the cheeks..
ii. use as a gargle (10 grains to 1 oz. of water)
iii. Borax with Alum (TCM)
iv. mix Borax with Myrrh Tincture and Rose water for topical application.
v. mix Borax with Myrrh Tincture and Honey for topical application.
vi. Aptha and mouth inflammations in children, Borax (1 dram), Syrup of Mulberry (or Honey of Roses) (1 ½ oz.). Mix. (Sobernheim, 1840)
18. Swollen and Sore Throat:
i. blow powdered Borax directly onto the Throat with a quill.
ii. pain and selling of the Throat, powder equal parts of Borax and Mirabilite, mix with honey and hold in the mouth, swallowing the saliva little by little. (Zhi Zhi Fang, TCM)
iii. equal parts of Borax and Salted Plum (Mume) are powdered and formed into pills teh size of a Fox Nut (Pea size). Hold a pill in the mouth and swallow the saliva little by little. (Jing Yan Fang, TCM)
19. Stiff and Swollen Tongue, sprinkle Borax powder onto a slice of fresh Ginger, then rub the tongue with the Ginger. (Pu Ji Fang, TCM)
20. Laryngitis, Borax with Coptis Huang Lian, Pearl powder, Bile and Bezoar. (TCM)
21. Ringworm, mix Borax in equal amounts of alcohol and cider vinegar for topical application.
22 Scabies, mix roasted Borax in Coconut oil for topical application. (Siddha)
23. Erysipelas, mix Borax with Sandalwood oil to apply topically. (Ayurveda)
24. Sore and inflamed Eyes, mix Borax in Rose water and Camphor water to apply topically.
25. To prevent Hair Loss, add 1 oz. Borax and ½ oz. Camphor to 1 liter of boiling water, mix; apply once weekly to prevent hair loss.
26. Toothache, make small pills of Borax and Black Pepper and insert into a hollow tooth. (Ayurveda)
27. Sunburn, dissolve Borax in Rose water and apply.
28. ‘Most reliable’ for Liver spots: Borax (½ dram), Orange Flower water, Rose water (½ oz. each). Mix. Apply 3–4 times daily. (Hufeland)
29. To cleanse and beautify the skin: Benzoin (1 dram), Bitter Almond blanched (6 drams), form an emulsion with Rose Water (8 oz.), dissolve in Borax (2 drams)
30. Rabid Dog Bites, apply Borax mixed with pig fat (Avicenna)
31. Worms: ‘when a patient is seated near a fire and his abdomen and umbilicus are fomented with Borax, the worms are killed’. (Avicenna)
32. Prurigo of the Labia or Anus, Borax (3 grams in 100 mls of water) is used as a wash.
Major Formulas:
Birth Powder
Powder for Severe Sore Throat
Powder of Madder (Salmon)
Powder for Evil Complexion of the Heart (Isaac)
Auscpicious Conqueror (Bkra shis rnam rgyal) (Tibetan)
Bo Ying Compound (TCM)
Boladi Vati (Ayurveda)
Great Death-defying Pills (Maha Mrutyunjaya Rasa) (Ayurveda)
Pomegranate All Inclusive Pill (Se ‘bru kun ‘dus) (Tibetan)
Sea Buckthorn 19 (Star bu bcu dgu) (Tibetan)
Six White Formula (Dkar po drug sbyor) (Tibetan)
Cautions:
NOTE: it should be noted that some traditional preparations will use an impure product, meaning if pure Borax is used, a lessen quantity is required.
‘Generally not used internally unless special reasons warrant it’. (Avicenna)
1. Toxic in overdose. Overdose can be fatal.
2. Not used during pregnancy (excepting to induce Labor)
3. Avoid internal use in children. Monitor external use and limit to several days use without a break. However, it should be noted that Borax is used in some infantile formulas, including Bo Ying Compound. In this case is forms a small percent of the whole formula and is therefore in small dose.
4. Should not be used in full doses for more than 2 weeks without a break.
5. Long term contact (5-6 years) has been associated with hair loss and desquamation of the skin. Long term use can also cause Kidney dysfunction.
6. “its excessive use darkens the Color”. (Avicenna)
Toxicity:
1. Toxicity studies of Boron showed toxicity to rats at around 9.6mg/kg/day (NOT Borax).
2. Toxic to children, and despite being very useful for several children’s diseases, is best avoided internally in children.
3. It has been demonstrated that Boron toxicity are not reached even with “extreme occupational exposures” (see here)
Main Preparations used:
History:
There is a very good article on the History of Borax from the Indian Journal of Chemical Technology here.
Salmon, Seplasium:
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‘It is brought to us from Armenia, Macedonia, and Cyprus, being found there in the Mines, both of Silver, and Brass, or Copper; it is a mineral Salt, consisting of some Earthy parts, and an Acid Spirit’. ‘It is two fold, either Mineral or Native, and Factitious or Official’. ‘The Mineral or Native is a kind of Mineral Salt found like Sand in the veins of Brass, Silver or Gold; one sort of it is called Viride Terra, Green Earth, a saline stone and kind of Painters Green, wherewith Goldsmiths used to solder Gold, from whence the name Chrysocolla [‘Gold glue’] ie. auriglutinum, Gluten Auri comes; but at this day it is scarcely known to us’. ‘Horstius saith, the Armenian is best, which is of a Leek color, but of a sedge color says Pliny; of a Nitrous taste, with a little bitterness, and is found in the Brass mines, and the worser that which is found in Gold mines’. ‘It is heating, hinders the growing of Excrescencies, and moderately biting, it conduces much to the healing of Ulcers, but is not safe to be taken inwardly’. |
‘The factitious, which is that which is mostly sold in the Shops, is either simple or compound; the simple is also twofold. 1. That which is made of Boy’s urine, put in a Brass Mortar and set in the extreme heat of the Sun, and ground or stirred so long with a Brass Pestle, till it comes to the thickness of Honey or of Ointment. This cures old hollow and sordid Ulcers, which are of difficult cure, being either used alone, or mixed with other things: But this is rare in the Shop’. ‘The second simple factitious kind is made of Sal Nitre and boiled Urine, mixed together and coagulated: It opens obstructions powerfully, provokes Urine, and the Terms [menstruation], and brings away the Birth’. ‘The compound Factitious sort, is thus made: Sal Nitre, Tartar calcined, Sal ammoniac, Common Salt, Gum Arabic, of each 1 oz. Roch Alum, Mastic of each 0.5 oz. Powder all apart, mix, dissolve all in Boys Urine, filter and coagulate by boiling to a Salt. Given in White Wine or Cinnamon Water, it provokes the Terms, brings forth both Birth and Afterbirth, takes away stoppage of Urine, and excites Venery. Dose: 1 scruple–0.5 dram’. |
–Gene expression alterations of human liver cancer cells following borax exposure.
–What can we learn from epidemiological studies on chronic boron exposure?
–The effects of boron on some biochemical parameters: A review.
–Boron chemicals in diagnosis and therapeutics.
ANTI-VIRAL:
–The current progress in the use of boron as a platform for novel antiviral drug design.
–Letter to the Editor: Boron enhances the antiviral activity of the curcumin against SARS-CoV-2.
–Could boron be used as coronavirus inactivation agent?
ACNE:
–Yashada bhasma (Zinc calx) and Tankana (Borax) inhibit Propionibacterium acne and suppresses acne induced inflammation in vitro.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY:
–Inflammatory response, growth, and thyroid hormone concentrations are affected by long-term boron supplementation in gilts.
IMMUNOMODULATORY:
–Proteomic Analysis of Rat Duodenum Reveals the Modulatory Effect of Boron Supplementation on Immune Activity.
–Dietary boron supplementation enhances sperm quality and immunity through influencing the associated biochemical parameters and modulating the genes expression at testicular tissue.
HYPOTHYROID:
–Investigation of the effect of boron on thyroid functions and biochemical parameters in hypothyroid induced-rats.
CARDIOPROTECTIVE:
–Role of sodium tetraborate as a cardioprotective or competitive agent: Modulation of hypertrophic intracellular signals.
CARDIORESTORATIVE:
–Boron improves cardiac contractility and fibrotic remodeling following myocardial infarction injury.
NEUROPROTECTIVE:
–Neuroprotective effects of dietary borax in the brain tissue of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to copper-induced toxicity.
PROMOTES BONE GROWTH:
–Borax induces osteogenesis by stimulating NaBC1 transporter via activation of BMP pathway.
EFFECT ON OVARY:
–Protective Effects of Boric Acid Taken in Different Ways on Experimental Ovarian İschemia and Reperfusion.
INCREASES TESTOSTERONE:
–Effects of dietary boron supplementation on the testicular function and thyroid activity in male goats: Involvement of CYP17A1 gene.
ENHANCES SPERM QUALITY:
–Dietary boron supplementation enhances sperm quality and immunity through influencing the associated biochemical parameters and modulating the genes expression at testicular tissue.
GASTRIC ULCER:
–Boric Acid Alleviates Gastric Ulcer by Regulating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation-Related Multiple Signaling Pathways.
OBESITY:
–Suppressive Role of Boron on Adipogenic Differentiation and Fat Deposition in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.
DIABETES:
–Boron containing compounds promote the survival and the maintenance of pancreatic β-cells.
–The effects of boron on some biochemical parameters: A review.
DIABETIC WOUNDS:
–Boron promotes streptozotocin-induced diabetic wound healing: roles in cell proliferation and migration, growth factor expression, and inflammation.
PROTECTS FROM HEAVY METALS:
–The protective effect exerted by dietary borax on toxicity metabolism in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) tissues.
–Neuroprotective effects of dietary borax in the brain tissue of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to copper-induced toxicity.
–Borax Supplementation Alleviates Hematotoxicity and DNA Damage in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Exposed to Copper.
–Borax counteracts genotoxicity of aluminum in rat liver.
–Effects of boric acid and borax on titanium dioxide genotoxicity.
CANCER:
–Borax-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells involves p53, Bcl-2, and Bax.
–Anti-cancer effect of boron derivatives on small-cell lung cancer.
–Cytotoxic Effect of Boron Application on Glioblastoma Cells.
–Investigation of cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of disodium pentaborate decahydrate on ovarian cancer cells and assessment of gene profiling.
CHEMOTHERAPY TOXICITY:
–The Effect of Boric Acid and Borax on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, ER Stress and Apoptosis in Cisplatin Toxication and Nephrotoxicity Developing as a Result of Toxication.
–Boron, a Trace Mineral, Alleviates Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats.
HAIR GROWTH:
–Sodium pentaborate pentahydrate promotes hair growth through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and growth factors.