CHINESE HERB: BA DOU

Croton seed

Name

Pinyin name: Ba Dou

Latin name: Fructus Crotonis

English name: Croton Seed, Croton Fruit

Origin

Croton fruit is the ripe fruit of Croton tiglium L., a perennial shrub or small- type tree of the Euphorbiaceae family.

Location and Harvest

It grows wildly in valleys, brook sides and wilderness in India, China and Thailand.

The fruit is gathered when it gets ripe.

Properties

Taste: Pungent

Nature: Hot and toxic

Entering Meridians: Stomach, Lung and Large Intestine

Best Qualities

Brown or grayish brown surface; large, plump, yellowish white and oily kernel

Processing

The ripe fruits are dried in the shade or piled up for 2- 3 days until they become moist and change color, and then dried in the sun. The dried kernels can be ground into powder, plaster or pills.

Major Chemical Constituents

It contains glyceride, 34- 37% oily substance, 18% protein, fatty acids (crotonoleic acid, tiglic acid), alkaloid (crotonoside) and flavonoids such as crotin which is very toxic.

Actions

- Unblock and drastically Cold stagnation

- Drive out water and reduce edema

- Dispel Phlegm and relieve sore throat

- Help heal ulcers and kill parasites

Syndromes

- Abdominal fullness, constipation, distention and pain, food stagnation

- Edema and ascites

- Difficult breathing, wheezing, full of phlegm, fullness and distention in the chest and diaphragm

- Ulcers and malignant sore scabies

Dosage

Pills or powder: 0.1- 0.3 grams per day

Decoction: 1- 2 grams

Contraindications and Cautions

- Forbid to be used during pregnancy and breast feeding

- Contraindicated for weak patients

- No hot foods or drinks should be consumed while administering the herb

·        It antagonizes Qian Niu Xi