Da Huang

[Guest guest]

Dear Group,

 

I have a question regarding Da Huang. We know it has astringent as well as

purging properties. I have been under the impression that first it purges,

then it astringes, which is what makes it so valuable as a purgative, in that

it contains its own safeguard. I got this information from the book Rhubarb:

The Wondrous Drug, by Clifford Foust (1992, Princeton U. Press). Anyway, the

question is: Bensky says that in " small doses of less than 0.3g/kg " (page 117

of Revised Materia Medica), " the effect of tannin outweighs the purgative

effect and causes constipation. " According to my calculations, then, a person

weighing 150 pounds (68 kg), would still be experiencing the astringent

(tannin) effect with 20 grams of Da Huang! And we never use 20 grams of it!

Is something wrong with my reasoning?

 

Karen, can you help out here?

 

Julie