Ba Dou (Croton Seed)

This product is a more commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. It was first published in the "Shennong Materia Medica" and listed as the next grade.

Alias: Jiangzi, fat rat.

Source: This product is the dried ripe fruit of Crotontiglium L., an evergreen tree of the Euphorbiaceae family, wild or cultivated. 

Origin: Mainly produced in Yibin, Chang'an, Xingwen, Wanxian, Hechuan and other places in Sichuan, Fujian, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and other provinces. Harvested in autumn when the fruit is ripe. Use as kernels or creams.

Trait identification: the capsule is oval or obtuse triangular. It is about 2cm long, about 1.5cm in diameter, the shell is pale yellow-green or gray-yellow, slightly rough, and has 6~8 longitudinal linear shallow grooves. The shell is brittle, often cracked from the grooves, or three or four petals, each with a seed (Xi known as Bami). The seeds are slightly oblate-oval, resembling castor beans, with few patterns, the seed coat is brownish-yellow, with a kind of umbilicus at one end, a junction at the other end, and a raised seed ridge between the two. The seed coat is thin and brittle, and the yellow-white seed kernel can be seen when the seed coat is opened, and the two pieces of endosperm are thick and oily. There are two thin cotyledons in the center. No spicy fragrance. Very poisonous. It is better to have full particles, white seed kernels, and no oil.

Main ingredients: fatty oil, protein. Protein contains croton, toxin, etc.

Processing: Usually use as cream.

Taste: spicy, hot.

Meridians: stomach and large intestine meridians.

Efficacy: clear chill accumulation, clear water and swelling.

Main Uses: gastrointestinal cold stagnation, abdominal distension and pain, phlegm and edema, etc. External use for the treatment of scabies.

Clinical application

1. Cold accumulation constipation: This product is hot and pungent in nature, can reduce cold accumulation, and open intestinal occlusion. It can be used alone with croton cream added into capsules, or with rhubarb and dried ginger made into pills, suitable for cold and food accumulation, obstruction of the intestines, obstruction of stool, abdominal distension and pain, rapid onset of illness, and unfailing qi and blood, such as used in San Wei Bei Ji Wan ("From Jin Kui Yao Lue").

2. Ascites distention: This product has a strong effect of removing water and reducing swelling. To treat ascites distention, you can use croton with almonds as a pill such as used in ("Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang"). In modern times, this product is used with alum, Shen Qu as pills, such as in “Jiang Gong Wan”, for the treatment of advanced schistosomiasis liver cirrhosis ascites.

3. Laryngeal paralysis and phlegm obstruction: This product can dispel phlegm and improve pharynx to facilitate breathing. For the treatment of throat paralysis, phlegm and saliva obstruction of the airway, dyspnea, and even suffocation to death, croton can be used alone, peeled, threaded into the throat, pulled out of the susper; in modern times, it is used for diphtheria and laryngitis to cause laryngeal obstruction, and croton cream is blown into the larynx to cause vomiting, discharge phlegm and salivation, so that the obstruction symptoms can be relieved. Those who treat phlegm and saliva congestion, chest and diaphragm suffocation, and cold sweat of the limbs it tends to be used with fritillary and bellflower, such as in “San Wu Xiao Bai San” from ("Shang Han Lun"). In addition, children with phlegm, milk food and even palpitations can use this product to drop lightly, which can be used to remove phlegm and eliminate accumulation, and is often used with Dan Nan Xing, Zhu Sha, Liu Shen Qu, etc., such as in “Wan Ying Bao Chi San from ("National Formulary of Traditional Chinese Medicine").

4. Carbuncle swelling and non-ulceration, scabies and malignant sores: This product has the effect of eroding carrion and treating sores for external use. For the treatment of carbuncle and pus, it is often applied externally with frankincense, myrrh, Mu Bie Zi and other boiling ointments to erode the skin and promote the destruction of ulcers and pus;

Dosage: Take pills and pills, 0.1~0.3g each time. Most are made into cream to reduce toxicity. Appropriate amount for external use. 

Note: Croton is very poisonous, and it is used to make cream, which is called croton cream. There are three ways to make it:

(1) Take the croton kernel and roll it into a fine mud shape, wrap it in multiple layers of paper that can absorb oil, put it on the iron plate, heat it at the bottom, so that the oil is diffused and penetrated into the paper by heating, and repeatedly change the paper several times until most of the oil disappears, and the remaining slag is crushed finely, which is the croton cream.

(2) Beijing production method: squeeze to remove oil, to the oil content of about 15%, and grind finely.

(3) Tianjin method: light determination of the oil content of croton kernels, add an appropriate amount of starch, and roll together to make the oil content 25%.

Contraindications: This product is toxic, and it should not be used lightly if it is not a cold emergency. It is contraindicated for pregnant women and frail patients. This product is afraid of morning glory (Meaning when used together the morning glory, the herb’s effectiveness decreases).

Case study: aortic valve insufficiency, tricuspid insufficiency, and mitral regurgitation

Patient: Mr. Wu, male, age 41

Date of first appointment: June 2, 2020

Chief complaints: Chest tightness, paralysis, aphasia, difficulty opening mouth, paralysis of the limbs, fatigue of the whole body, unable to walk for more than an hour. Hospital diagnosis: aortic valve insufficiency, tricuspid insufficiency, and mitral regurgitation

TCM diagnosis: pulse thin and choppy, tongue dark red with obvious blood stagnation spots, coating yellow and greasy

TCM syndrome differentiation: stagnant liver qi, stagnant qi and blood

TCM treatment: 1. Acupuncture and Tui Na treatment

2. TCM prescription. Huang Qi 80g, Dang Gui Wei 10g, Chi Shao 10g, Di Long 10g, Chuan Xiong 5g, Hong Hua 10g, Tao Ren 10g, Zhen Di Gen 10g, Ji Xue Teng 10g. To make decoction, one dose a day for 3 consecutive days. Plus San Qi powder 3g, to take with water, twice a day for 3 days. 

First follow-up date: June 5, 2020

TCM treatment: 1. Acupuncture and Tui Na treatment once a day for 10 consecutive days

2. 99% vegetarian diet, no alcohol, no dairy, no rich food such as meat and fish.  

3. TCM prescription. Huang Qi 60g, Dang Gui Wei 10g, Chi Shao 10g, Di Long 6g, Chuan Xiong 5g, Hong Hua 10g, Tao Ren 10g, Xi Huang Cao 10g, Da Huang 6g, Zhi Shi 10g, Ze Xie 10g, Dan Shen 10g, Chai Hu 10g, Gua Lou Pi 10g, Jiu Bai 3g, Qian Hu 6g, Ji Geng 3g. To make decoction, one dose a day for 5 consecutive days. Plus San Qi powder 3g, to take with water, twice a day for 5 days. 

4. green rhyme cell physiotherapy quantum machine 1 hr per day for 10 consecutive days.

Disclaimer: All above articles are for reference only. If patients are interested, please consult a professional practitioner Traditional Chinese Medicine for a consultation.