The source is from the juice of the base of the leaf of a perennial evergreen plant, Aloe ferox Mill, Berger, family Liliaceae, and the juice is further concentrated and made into a kind of dried extract. The medicinal material is mainly produced in Africa and cultivated in the areas of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, etc. of China. All year round the juice out of the cut leaves is collected, put in a pot and decocted into thick extract that is poured into a container and cooled, added in pill or powder for being used.

Medicinal Properties: Bitter in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the liver and large intestine meridians.

Actions: Purge the bowels, clear away fire from the liver and kill worms.

Application
1. It is used for constipation due to heat stagnation, especially suitable for constipation due to sthenic-heat ac-companied with the flaring of heart-fire and liver-fire with restlessness and insomnia since it can clear liver-fire. It is usually combined with Zhusha (Cinnabaris), such as Gengyi Wan (Pill).
2. For overabundance of fire in the liver meridian manifested as constipation, bloody urine, dizziness, hypochondriac pain and convulsion, it is usually used together with Longdan (Radix Gentianae ) , Huanglian ( Rhizoma Coptidis), and Qingdai (Indigo Naturalis), etc., such as Danggui Long Hui Wan (Pill).
3. For infantile malnutrition and accumulation of worms with abdominal pain and it is usually combined with paraciticides, Dangshen (Radix Codonopsis), Baizhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) and others that can tonify the spleen.
In addition, it is used externally for chronic eczema, sore and fistula.

Usage and Dosage:
2 - 5g is added to pill or powder for oral use; just right amount for external use.

Notes:
Contraindicated in a case to the patient with deficiency of the spleen and stomach, poor appetite and loose stool, and pregnant women since it is extremely bitter in flavor.v