Alum is a commonly used medicinal herb for detoxifying, killing pests, and relieving itching. It is a crystalline substance produced by processing and refining alunite, a sulfate mineral belonging to the alunite group.When used externally, it has detoxifying, insecticidal, drying, and anti-itching effects, and is primarily used to treat eczema, scabies, rectal prolapse, hemorrhoids, and suppurative otitis externa. When taken internally, it has hemostatic, antidiarrheal, and wind-phlegm-eliminating effects, and is primarily used to treat chronic diarrhea, bloody stools, metrorrhagia, and epilepsy with delirium.
Alum
Alum is a commonly used medicinal herb for detoxifying, killing pests, and relieving itching. It is a crystalline substance produced by processing and refining alunite, a sulfate mineral belonging to the alunite group.When used externally, it has detoxifying, insecticidal, drying, and anti-itching effects, and is primarily used to treat eczema, scabies, rectal prolapse, hemorrhoids, and suppurative otitis externa. When taken internally, it has hemostatic, antidiarrheal, and wind-phlegm-eliminating effects, and is primarily used to treat chronic diarrhea, bloody stools, metrorrhagia, and epilepsy with delirium.
Chinese Name : 白矾
Latin Name : Alumen
Aliases : Alum Stone, Yu Nie, Yu Ze, Li Shi, Bai Jun, Ming Fan, Xue Fan, Mica Alum, Raw Alum
Authentic Producing Area : Mainly produced in Gansu, Shanxi, Hubei, Anhui, and Zhejiang
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Taste: sour and astringent; nature: cold; enters the Lung, Spleen, Liver, and Large Intestine meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
When used externally, it has the effects of detoxifying, killing parasites, drying dampness, and relieving itching; when taken internally, it has the effects of stopping bleeding, relieving diarrhea, and eliminating wind-phlegm.
Indications
For external use, it is primarily used to treat eczema, scabies, prolapsed rectum, hemorrhoids, and suppurative otitis externa; for internal use, it is primarily used to treat persistent diarrhea, bloody stools, metrorrhagia, and epilepsy with delirium.
Usage and Dosage
For internal use, 0.6–1.5 g. For external use, apply an appropriate amount as a powder or dissolve in water to wash the affected area.
Precautions
This herb has an astringent taste and is difficult to swallow; excessive internal use may cause vomiting.
Chemical Constituents
The main component is potassium aluminum sulfate hydrate [KAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O].
Pharmacological Actions
When used externally, white alum has antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-trichomonal effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica*: “Treats fever and chills, diarrhea and dysentery, leukorrhea, genital ulcers, eye pain, and strengthens bones and teeth.”
2. *Ben Cao Meng Quan*: “Stops diarrhea, relieves toothache, washes away prolapsed rectum and astringes the intestines, and applied as a poultice to abscesses to draw out pus and reduce swelling.”
3. *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Alum has four uses: to induce vomiting and expel phlegm caused by wind-heat, due to its sour and bitter properties that promote purgation; to treat various types of blood-related pain, rectal prolapse, vaginal prolapse, and sores, due to its sour and astringent properties that promote contraction; to treat phlegm-retention, diarrhea, metrorrhagia, and conjunctivitis, due to its astringent properties that dry dampness;treating sore throat, boils and abscesses, poisoning by witchcraft, and snake and insect bites and stings, due to its ability to neutralize toxins.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. To treat stroke-induced collapse and phlegm-induced mental confusion, combine it with Zhuya Zao to enhance its ability to eliminate phlegm and restore consciousness, thereby inducing the expulsion of phlegm and saliva to revive the patient, as in the Xisui Powder from the *Shengji Zonglu*.
2. To treat epilepsy with excessive phlegm, sudden collapse, and foaming at the mouth, combine it with Curcuma to resolve phlegm and open the orifices, as in the *Benshi Fang*’s *Bai Jin Wan*.
3. To treat acute laryngeal obstruction caused by phlegm, with airway obstruction and difficulty breathing, it is made into pills with soapberry juice or used in combination with dried silkworm.
4. To treat phlegm-retention-induced wheezing and coughing, with distension and fullness in the chest and diaphragm, it is combined with Pinellia, Cyperus, and ginger juice—herbs that dry dampness, transform phlegm, regulate qi, and relieve chest distension.
5. To treat abscesses, carbuncles, and malignant sores, combine it with Huang Dan to enhance its detoxifying and ulcer-resolving effects, as in the *Wei Sheng Bao Jian*’s *Er Xian San*.
6. To treat mouth and tongue ulcers, grind dried alum with Huang Dan or cinnabar into a powder and apply it topically.
7. To treat swollen and painful gums, combine it with bee hives to make a powder, decoct it in water, and use the solution for gargling.
8. To treat nasal sores caused by internal heat that are purulent and foul-smelling, decoct dried alum with raw rehmannia and kudzu root, then instill the solution into the nose to clear heat and eliminate turbidity; for nasal polyps accompanied by loss of sense of smell, mix dried alum powder with face cream and apply topically, or combine it with realgar to form a fine powder and apply directly to the polyps to corrode them.
9. To treat sudden-onset conjunctivitis with unrelenting pain, mix calcined alum powder with egg white and apply it to the eyelids to clear heat and relieve pain, as described in the *Shenshi Yaohan*’s “Nian Tong San” (Pain-Relieving Powder).
10. To treat suppurative otitis media with pus discharge, mix this product with animal fat to form a powder and blow it into the ear to detoxify and promote wound healing, as described in the *Ben Shi Fang*’s “Hong Mian San” (Red Cotton Powder).
11. To treat itchy scabies, it is commonly combined with sulfur, mercuric oxide, and other herbs.
12. To treat all types of stubborn dry and wet tinea, apply this product alone mixed with rice vinegar, or mix it with pomegranate peel or sheep’s-foot root after pounding and grinding to enhance its antiparasitic and anti-itching effects.
13. To treat chronic diarrhea due to deficiency in the elderly, combine it with Chebulic Myrobalan to astringe the intestines and stop diarrhea, as in the *Shenghui Fang*’s Chebulic Myrobalan Powder.
14. To treat persistent dysentery, combine this herb with sulfur and potassium nitrate to warm the kidneys and spleen and eliminate food stagnation, as in the *Shenghui Fang*’s White Alum Pills.
15. To treat hematemesis, hemoptysis, hematochezia, and metrorrhagia, combine it with astringent hemostatic agents such as gallnut, charred human hair, and catechu to enhance therapeutic efficacy.
16. To treat bleeding from external injuries, in addition to using it alone, it may be combined with frankincense and colophony, ground into a powder, and applied topically to astringe and stop bleeding.
Related Compatibility
1. White Alum combined with Realgar: White Alum detoxifies, kills parasites, dries dampness, and relieves itching; Realgar detoxifies and kills parasites. When used together, these two herbs enhance their detoxifying, antiparasitic, dampness-drying, and itch-relieving effects. Externally, this combination is suitable for treating eczema, damp sores, scabies, tinea, and skin itching.
2. White alum combined with sulfur: When applied topically, white alum detoxifies, kills parasites, dries dampness, and relieves itching; sulfur detoxifies, kills parasites, and treats sores. When used together, their detoxifying, antiparasitic, dampness-drying, and itch-relieving effects are enhanced, making them suitable for scabies, eczema, damp sores, and skin itching.
3. White Alum Combined with Indigo Powder: White alum clears heat and dries dampness; indigo powder clears heat, cools the blood, and detoxifies. When used together, these two herbs can clear heat, dry dampness, cool the blood, and detoxify, making them suitable for treating damp-heat jaundice.
Medicinal Identification
1. Raw White Alum vs. Calcined White Alum: Raw white alum excels at detoxifying, killing parasites, drying dampness, relieving itching, clearing heat, and reducing inflammation.It is used for eczema, scabies, epilepsy, stroke, and sore throat; when applied topically, it detoxifies and promotes wound healing, and is used for skin tags, hemorrhoids, and rectal prolapse. Calcined alum has reduced sour and cold properties, with a diminished emetic effect, while its astringent, wound-healing, tissue-regenerating, hemostatic, and necrotic-resolving effects are enhanced.Used for eczema and damp sores, suppurating otitis externa, genital itching and leukorrhea, chronic diarrhea, bloody stools, metrorrhagia and menorrhagia, epistaxis, and nasal polyps.
2. White Alum and Sulfur: Both herbs have a sour taste and can be used topically to detoxify, kill parasites, and relieve itching; they are used for scabies, eczema, and skin itching.White alum is cold in nature; when taken internally, it can stop bleeding and treat diarrhea, and is used for vomiting blood, nosebleeds, bleeding from external injuries, as well as chronic diarrhea and dysentery; it can also clear heat and reduce inflammation, and is used for stroke-induced phlegm-induced syncope and mania caused by phlegm obstructing the heart orifices.Sulfur is warm in nature and toxic; it is a key medicine for treating scabies. When taken internally, it can also tonify fire, strengthen yang, and promote bowel movements; it is used to treat impotence and cold feet caused by deficient kidney fire and deficiency-cold in the lower jiao, as well as deficiency-induced wheezing, cold asthma, and deficiency-cold constipation.
Related Medicines
Epilepsy Pills (medication for epilepsy), Bai Ling Tincture for topical application, Otitis Solution, and Oral Ulcer Powder.
Related Prescriptions
Two-Ingredient Toxin-Removing Powder (*Taiping Shenghui Fang*), White Gold Pills (*Ben Shi Fang*), and Jade Pass Pills (*Jingyue Quanshu*).
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with traditional Chinese medicine should first consult a licensed TCM hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional pattern differentiation and issue a prescription.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
It can be harvested year-round. Crush the raw mineral, dissolve it in water, filter the solution, heat and evaporate the filtrate to concentrate it, and allow it to cool; the resulting crystals are this product.
Processing Methods
1. White Alum: Take the raw material and remove impurities. Crush it before use.
2. Calcined Alum: Take small pieces or coarse powder of purified white alum, place them in a pot, and heat over high heat until melted. Continue calcining until the material expands, becomes brittle, and is completely dry. Remove from heat, let cool, and grind into a fine powder.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container in a dry place, protected from dust.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
This product appears as irregular lumps or granules. It is colorless or pale yellowish-white, transparent or translucent. The surface is slightly smooth or uneven, with fine, dense longitudinal ridges and a glassy luster; it is hard and brittle. It has a faint odor and tastes sour, slightly sweet, and extremely astringent.
Properties of Processed Slices
This product appears as irregular lumps, granules, or powder; it is white or pale yellowish-white and lacks a glassy luster. The surface of the irregular lumps is rough, uneven, or honeycomb-like. It is light in weight, loose and brittle in texture, easily crumbled by hand, and has a granular feel. It has a faint odor and tastes slightly sweet but extremely astringent.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
Trigonal crystal system. Crystal forms are fine rhombohedra or plates, typically occurring as dense masses, fine grains, or earthy masses. Colorless or white, often with traces of pale yellow or pink.Streak is white. It has a vitreous luster; specimens with parallel cleavage planes sometimes exhibit a faint pearly luster, while massive specimens have a dull luster or a faint waxy luster. The fracture is conchoidal; in massive specimens, it is lamellar or irregular. Hardness is 3.5–4. Specific gravity is 2.6–2.9. It is brittle.
Distribution Area
It is found in Gansu, Hebei, Anhui, Fujian, Shanxi, Hubei, Zhejiang, and other regions.