Orpiment, Auripigmentum, Xiong Huang 雄黄

Auripigmentum: Arsenicum (Dioscorides): King’s Gold: King’s Yellow: Yellow Arsenic
Old names include Haritala, Adarnech, Alernet, Albimec, Althanacha (Ayurveda)
Hartal, Zarnikh (Unani)
Xiong Huang (TCM)
 Picture Picture
Picture Arsenicum
Hortus sanitatis, 1491

Picture Exotic Mineralogy, Sowerby, 1811

Picture Orpiment (Adam, 2019)
Mineralogical Name:
Arsenic Trisulphide, As2S3

Parts used:


Prepared mineral

Temperature & Taste:


Hot, dry, Pungent, Very Toxic

Classification:


2F. PURIFYING    2K. RESOLVENT    2U. SUPPURATIVES    2Z. CICATRIZING
TCM:
T. External Medicines

Uses:


1. Resists Poison:
-acute infection including Influenza
-protects during Epidemics (Tibetan)
-Chronic Malaria, diarrhea, and various other toxic conditions,
-Fevers, to alleviate Syphilis, Leprosy, and other chronic skin conditions including Erysipelas
-Blood disorders, Chronic Fevers (Ayurveda)
-‘consumes abnormal growths’. (Galen)
-There is a type of Orpiment used in India called Godanta Haritala; it is found in long bars, is very soft, looks like Cow’s teeth, is heavy and yellow with blue streaks in the center. This type is made into Bhasma and is used in the treatment of Cancer and Leprosy. (Mukherji)

2. Dries Damp, Clears Toxin, Kills Parasites (TCM, Ayurveda, West):
-Boils, Sores, Carbuncles, toxic insect bites
-Worms and various Parasites.
-various Malignant Sores and Scabs.

3. Clears Phlegm, Stops Cough and Wheezing:
-Phthisis, purulent Phthisis, and Asthma in Europe.
–Bhasma is used in Ayurveda for Pulmonary Phthisis, Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis, and Influenza.

4. Warms the Yang:
-Increases Appetite (Bhasma; Ayurveda, Tibet)
-The sublimed product has been used in TCM to make the body light, promote Longevity, and prevent Senility.
-Urinary incontinence
-used for Fear, such as that coming from Ghosts. (Ayurveda)
-Epilepsy (TCM)

5. Externally:
i. Avicenna regarded it highly for Herpes and other chronic skin conditions.
ii. it has long been used topically as a cautery for Cancer.
iii. applied as a depilatory


Purification of Orpiment (Ayurveda):
Any of the following methods may be used:
1. Orpiment is broken into small pieces, wrapped in cloth into a ball, and cooked in Dola Yantra for 3 hours with Lime Water (or Kanji mixed with Lime). Then it is cooked again in Dola Yantra for 3 hours with the juice of Benincasa hispida, then for another 3 hours with Sesame Oil, and lastly with a Decoction of Triphala.
  The pieces are then well washed with warm water, dried in the Sun, and then powdered and kept for use. This is a preferred method of preparation by many modern physicians.
2. Powder and impregnate with Lime Water 7 times to purify.
3. Place a mass of Orpiment rolled in a linen in a heap of Quicklime stones, and smearing it with Ass’s urine or boiling water. Repeat the process from 10 to 100 times as far as possible, changing the stones every time.
4. Any of the following liquids can be used by steaming the Orpiment in Dola Yantra: Benincasa cerifera juice; or a solution of the ashes of the Sesame plant; or with water with dissolved with Lime.
5. Pieces of Orpiment can be digested in the juice of Cucumber and the alkaline water from the ashes of Sesame.

To Fix and Subdue Orpiment, the following herbs have been listed in Daoist texts:
Rehmannia Di Huang, Kochia scoparis Du Zhou, Siberian Motherwort (Yi Mu Cao), Burnet (Di Yu), Acanthopanax Wu Jia Pi, Benincasa cerifera (White Gourd) juice, Rhododendron sinense Yang Bu Shi Cao.

Dose:


1. Always begin with lower doses, increasing as needed.
2. Tolerance is increased with repeated administration.
3. Diet while using Arsenic preparations should include milk, ghee, butter, sugar, and Honey. While taking Arsenic preparations, avoid salts, sours, pungent and spicy foods including Chili.
4. Triphala, Chebulic Myrobalan or other mild laxative can be taken intermittently to avoid toxic accumulation.
Powder of prepared ORPIMENT: 2–6mg, increased gradually if needed.

Main Combinations:


1. As a Yang tonic, to Heat the body, and for Impotence, it is combined with purified Sulphur in Ayurveda.
2. Asthma, Oripment made into pills with Pine resin (Avicenna)
3. Urinary incontinence, Orpiment, Ginger, steamed cake and Salt (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
3. Leucoderma:
i. Vernonia seed (4 parts), Orpiment (1 part), form a paste with Cow’s Urine and apply to the white patches
ii. Oxidised Copper, Orpiment, Garden Cress, burnt (but not slaked) Lime, Potash, equal parts. Steep in child’s urine (or vinegar) for 4 days in the sun. Apply to the part after washing with Urine or Vinegar (Sabur ibn Sahl’s Dispensatory)
4. Itchy skin diseases, Eczema, Psoriasis, Madder, Triphala, Lacca, Turmeric, Orpiment, Sulphur (equal parts), Sesame oil (4 times the weight of the rest). Mix, expose to the sun. Applied topically. (Ayurveda)
6. Severe Boils and Abscesses, apply Orpiment powder mixed with Egg yolk (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
7. Cancer:
i. Nightshade juice mixed with Orpiment applied to open Cancers was said to be very effective
ii. Orpiment and Vitriol topically
iii. Orpiment (1 dram), Verdigris (2 drams), White Wine (1 pint). Infuse them, pour off the clear water and boil down to one-third. Apply topically with a little Rose water. (Platerus Golden Practice of Physick, Plater, 1664)
iv. Quicklime, Pepper, Orpiment, Arsenic, Vinegar, Honey (as in Powder for Cancer of Galen)
8. As a depilatory, Orpiment, Lime, applied topically. (Galen, Unani)

Major Formulas


Powder for Cancer (Galen)
Powder for Polyps
Powder for Warts
Troches of Orpiment
Electuary for Quotidian, Tertian and Quartan Fever (Galen)
Plaster for Hard Tumors of the Uterus

Cautions:


1. Very toxic. Avoid overdose. Do not heat as the oxide is very poisonous. Toxic doses cause myocardial, gastrointestinal and renal damage.
2. Not used in Pregnancy, during Breastfeeding or in the very young.
3. Not suitable for use in Yin deficiency due to its strong Heating nature.
4. Use cautiously in Hot constitutions although it is used for Fever and Hot Toxic conditions for short periods.
5. Not suitable for long-term use. Arsenic is an accumulative poison, accumulating in the bone, skin, nails and hair. Tolerance develops with continued use. Don’t use for more than 2 weeks without a break in treatment.

Toxicity.
1. 125mg of unpurified Arsenic may cause death in some people.
2. Acute Arsenic poisoning manifests with severe diarrhea, vomiting and prostration.
3. Chronic Arsenic poisoning (as seen in dyers and painters in the past) manifests with cough, nose and throat irritation, diarrhea, headache, skin eruption and tremors or paralysis.

Antidotes:
1. In Ayurveda, cases of Toxic effects caused by the intake of Orpiment is treated with Cumin and Sugar, or the juice of Benincasa cerifera.
2. A paste of Catechu in Milk, or repeated doses of Catechu in water is used for Arsenic poisoning. (Ayurveda)
3. Black Pepper is used in Ayurveda for Arsenic poisoning; 90 grains of the powder of Black Pepper is taken in 4 oz. of butter; or an infusion is taken.
4. Pine Kernel Oil is speedily given; 1 lb. is taken, and then vomiting is procured. (West)
5. Herb Paris (True Love) or Viper flesh were both used for Arsenic poisoning in the West.
6. Salmon said a strong Lixivium of Sal. Regale or Tartar is taken as an antidote.
7. In more modern time: Freshly made moist Ferric Hydroxide or large amounts of calcined Magnesia; emetics; Mucilaginous drinks, Olive or Carron Oils; stimulants if prostrated.

Main Preparations used:


Various preparations of Orpiment have been used