Regurgitation, leukorrheal diseases treated with TCM hematite

What is hematite(Dai Zhe Shi)? Sometimes spelled as haematite, it means the mineral form of iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3), which features a rhombohedral system. As one of iron oxides, it is actually a mineral instead of a crystal, which is very different from people’s popular knowledge. And it has a few different varieties, such as iron rose, kidney ore, specularite, and martite. In China the medicinal hematite is mainly produced in Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, Shandong and other places. After mining, it needs to remove the miscellaneous stone and dirt before the use. And it is usually used in the unprocessed, broken form or used in the powder form after quenched with vinegar.

Hematite, or red ochre, is in trigonal crystal system. The crystal usually appears in the shape of thin sheet or plate. It is generally in the aggregates of dense block, kidney, grape, roe, earth, and more. The crystalline forms are iron black or steel gray and the earthy or powdery ones are bright red. The streaks are all cherry red. In addition, crystalline forms have metallic luster while the earthy ones have earthy luster. Hardness is from 5.5 to 6, but the earthy or powdery ones have a smaller hardness, from 5 to 5.3. It becomes magnetic after burned in reduction flame. Hematite is one of iron minerals that are widely distributed globally. It can be formed in a variety of geological processes, but mainly based on the role of hydrothermal deposition effects or regional metamorphism. And the medicinal haematite aggregates, in the shapes of ooid, bean, or kidney, are the products of sedimentation.

Hematite health benefits
Hematite is more than just a gemstone and ornament. As a matter of fact, the hematite magnetic therapy is popular these days. What’s more, it has long been used in herbal formulas to cure various illnesses. And modern pharmacology has provided the evidences for its efficacy.

Modern pharmacology
1. The injection of hematite has little effect on the blood pressure of anesthetized rabbits. It stimulates the bowel and makes bowel hyperactivity. And it also has significant excitatory effect on guinea pig’s small intestine.

2. When in large dose, hematite has inhibition on isolated frog heart.

3. The irony contained promotes the rebirth of the red blood cells and hemoglobin.

4. It calms the central nervous system.