Chuan Bo Shi

Chuan Bo Shi is a mineral substance in Chinese materia medica, most often identified as a borate-bearing rock from Sichuan, in some references corresponding to natural borax (sodium tetraborate, Na2B4O7·10H2O) or to related boron-containing mineral salts. The crude material appears as colorless to white translucent crystalline aggregates or as a soft, soapy, slightly efflorescent crust on rock surfaces. Classically used externally to clear heat-toxin, dry damp lesions, and treat phlegm-heat throat disorders, mineral borate preparations are now recognized to be toxic on chronic internal exposure: boron compounds are reproductively toxic and accumulate with repeated dosing. Modern Chinese medical practice has largely confined Chuan Bo Shi to external topical use and strongly discourages internal administration; ingestion can produce nausea, vomiting, dermatitis, and renal injury. All plant-fields are set null as this is a mineral.