This product is a sulfide mineral of monoclinic crystal system. Single crystals are plate-shaped or short columnar, and aggregates are flake-shaped, kidney-shaped, earth-shaped, etc. The plate cleavage is extremely complete. The Mohs hardness is low, 1.5 to 2, and the specific gravity is 3.49. Lemon yellow, bright yellow streaks, grease luster to diamond luster. Similar to natural sulfur, but natural sulfur does not have complete cleavage.

Orpiment often coexists with Realgar and is the main mineral raw material for extracting arsenic and making arsenic compounds. The world's famous producing areas are Archal in Macedonia, Rukumis in Georgia (the largest crystal can reach 5 cm), Saxony in Germany and Utah in the United States. It is also produced in Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Shaanxi and other places in China.

Mineral ore

Mineral ore

[Property]

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

[Efficacy]

drying dampness, killing worms, removing toxin.

[Indications]

Treat scabies, malignant sores, snake bite disease, epilepsy, cold phlegm, cough and asthma, insect accumulation and abdominal pain.

[Documentation]

1. Benjing: "It tastes pungent and mild. It is mainly used to kill baldness, scabies, generalized itching, pathogenic qi and other poisons."
2. Leigong Paozhi Lun : "Orpiment, the one that is as soft as rotten gold is better, the one with stone and black as iron color is not suitable."
3. Bielu: "Orpiment, the Shengwudu Valley, and Realgar Tao Hong-jing said: "Today, those who come out of Wudu Qiuchi are called Wudu Qiuchi yellow, and the color is small red. Those in Funan Linyi are called Kunlun yellow, and the color is like red." Gold is like mica and armor, which is what the painter values. It has the name of male and female, and the yin-yang of the same mountain. "
4. Yaoxing Lun: "Orpiment, do not take it with soup."

[Usage and Dosage]

External use: Grind into powder and apply. Oral administration: take into pills or powder.

[Precaution]

Avoid taking this product due to Yin deficiency, blood deficiency and pregnant women. Depei Bencao: "Contraindicated for those with yin deficiency and dryness of blood."

[Modern Pharmacology]

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