This product belongs to the monoclinic sulfide mineral. Single crystals are plate-like or short columnar, while aggregates are flaky, kidney-shaped, or earthy. The plate-like cleavage is extremely perfect. It has a low Mohs hardness of 1.5 to 2 and a specific gravity of 3.49. It is lemon yellow in color with a bright yellow streak and a greasy to adamantine luster. It is similar to native sulfur, but native sulfur does not have perfect cleavage.

Orpiment often coexists with Realgar and is the main mineral raw material for extracting arsenic and manufacturing arsenic compounds. Famous world production sites include Allchar in Macedonia, Rukumi in Georgia (where crystals can reach up to 5 cm in size), Saxony in Germany, and Utah in the United States. It is also produced in Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Shaanxi in China.

Orpiment ore

Orpiment ore

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid, neutral, toxic. Benjing: "acrid, neutral." Gangmu: "acrid, neutral, toxic." Depei Bencao: "act on liver meridian Yin." "

bubble_chart Efficacy

Drying dampness, killing worms, removing toxin.

bubble_chart Indications

Treats scabies, malignant sores, snake and insect bite diseases, epilepsy, cold phlegm cough and asthma, and abdominal pain caused by parasitic infestation.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Benjing: "Pungent in taste and neutral in nature. It is mainly used for treating malignant sores, baldness, scabies, killing toxins, lice, generalized itching, and various pathogenic qi toxins."
2. Leigong Paozhi Lun: "Orpiment, the soft and golden-like ones are the best. Those mixed with stones or black like iron are not suitable for use."
3. Bielu: "Orpiment is found in the valleys of Wudu, on the same mountain as Realgar, growing on its shady side, and can be collected at any time." Tao Hong-jing: "Nowadays, the Orpiment from Wudu Qiuchi is called Wudu Qiuchi yellow, with a slightly reddish color. The one from Funan Linyi is called Kunlun yellow, with a golden color and a texture like mica, highly valued by painters. According to this, it has both male and female names, and since it grows on the same mountain's yin-yang sides, for medicinal purposes, the one from Wudu is considered superior."
4. Yaoxing Lun: "Orpiment should not be taken in decoction."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

For external use: Grind into powder and apply topically. For internal use: Take in pills or powder form.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

Contraindicated for those with blood deficiency and pregnant women. Depei Bencao: "Contraindicated for those with yin deficiency and blood dryness."

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

Orpiment mainly contains arsenic trisulfide (As₂S₃), and usually contains impurities such as Sb₂S₃, FeS₂, SiO₂, and mud.