Talc – 1 lb (454 g)

Talc, known in Chinese as 滑石 (Huáshí) and scientifically as Talcum, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Talc carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Talc helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Talc provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Talc has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Talc, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This herb is also known as Ye Shi, Tuo Shi, Cui Shi, Hua Shi. It is a silicate mineral from the talc group, Talc. It is produced in Liaoning, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and other regions. It can be harvested year-round; remove mud and impurities before use.

[Properties] Taste: sweet, bland; nature: cold. Enters the Bladder, Lung, and Stomach meridians.

[Actions] Promotes urination and unblocks strangury; clears heat and relieves summer heat; dispels dampness and promotes healing of sores.

[Applications]
1. Used for damp-heat strangury syndrome, difficult urination, and edema. For heat strangury with painful, inhibited urination, often combined with Che Qian Zi (Plantaginis Semen), Mu Tong (Akebiae Caulis), etc.; for sandy or stone strangury, can be combined with Jin Qian Cao (Lysimachiae Herba), Hai Jin Sha (Lygodii Spora), etc.; for bloody strangury, can be combined with Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix), Che Qian Cao (Plantaginis Herba), Sheng Ou Jie (Nelumbinis Rhizoma), Xiao Ji (Cirsii Herba), Pu Huang (Typhae Pollen), etc.; if damp-heat is constrained causing swelling and edema, often combined with Fu Ling (Poria), Zhu Ling (Polyporus), Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma), etc.
2. Used for summer-heat vexation and thirst, summer-damp diarrhea. For summer-heat vexation with thirst, fever with sweating, irritability, thirst, short and reddish urination, vomiting or diarrhea, often combined with Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix), Bo He (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba), Zhu Sha (Cinnabaris), etc.; formulas include Liu Yi San, Ji Su San, Yi Yuan San; for summer-damp diarrhea, can be combined with Huo Xiang (Agastaches Herba), Pei Lan (Eupatorii Herba), Zhu Ru (Bambusae Caulis in Taenias), Ban Xia (Pinelliae Rhizoma), etc.; if damp-warm disease pathogen is in the Qi level with lingering fever, body pain, no thirst, short reddish urination, often combined with Huang Qin (Scutellariae Radix), Tong Cao (Tetrapanacis Medulla), Fu Ling (Poria), etc.; formula example: Huang Qin Hua Shi Tang.
3. Used for skin damp sores, eczema, and prickly heat. For damp sores and eczema, can be combined with Duan Shi Gao (Calcined Gypsum), Lu Gan Shi (Calamine), etc.; for prickly heat, can be combined with Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix), Bo He (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba), Bing Pian (Borneol), etc.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 10–20 g; or incorporated into pills or powders. External use: appropriate amount, ground into powder and mixed or applied as a paste.

[Cautions] Contraindicated in cases of spleen and stomach deficiency, heat disease with fluid injury, or spermatorrhea. Use with caution during pregnancy.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents include hydrated magnesium silicate. Also contains impurities such as iron, sodium, potassium, calcium, aluminum, etc.
2. Pharmacological actions: Talcum powder applied to the skin can make the skin smooth, dry, and soft. Externally applied to damaged or inflamed skin, it can adsorb chemical irritants or toxins, producing a protective effect. When taken internally, it can protect the gastrointestinal mucosa, exert antiemetic and antidiarrheal effects, and block absorption of toxins in the gastrointestinal tract. A 10% talcum powder suspension inhibits Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi; it has mild inhibitory effects on Neisseria meningitidis.
3. Clinical reports:
1) Urinary tract inflammation: Using a ratio of Pu Huang (Typhae Pollen) 7 parts to Talcum 3 parts, for gross hematuria, 10 g once per dose; for microscopic hematuria, 5 g once per dose, every 4–6 hours. Treated 300 cases of acute glomerulonephritis, acute and chronic pyelonephritis, acute cystitis, urethritis, urinary stones, and other secondary urinary bleeding; results: rapid effect in 243 cases, marked effect in 46 cases, effective in 11 cases; total effective rate 100%. [Zhong Yi Za Zhi, 1988, 29(7):43]
2) Prostatic hypertrophy: Sheng Huang Qi (Astragali Radix) 100 g, Talcum 30 g, decocted with appropriate water, mixed with 3 g amber powder, taken in two doses on an empty stomach. Treated 52 cases: cured 38, improved 13, ineffective 1; total effective rate 98.1%. [Xin Zhong Yi, 1987, 19(10):54]
3) Dysentery: Huang Qi 50 g decocted, juice taken with equal amounts of Talcum and white sugar, one dose daily before sleep. Treated 21 cases: cured 16, improved 3, ineffective 2; cure rate 76.19%, total effective rate 90.48%. Strong patients may omit Huang Qi. [Xin Zhong Yi, 1983, (10):48]
4) Infant diaper dermatitis: Talcum and Qing Dai (Indigo Naturalis) ground finely in a 5:1 ratio, externally applied to infant buttocks; powder applied each diaper change, once per change; for pustular eczema, combined with Huang Lian (Coptidis Rhizoma) and others. Treated 25 cases, 3–7 days treatment, total effective rate 100%. [Xin Zhong Yi, 1987, 19(12)]
5) Malignant pleural effusion: Talcum powder 4 g, saline 40 ml, lidocaine 5 ml mixed to form a suspension, injected into pleural cavity via drainage tube, tube clamped, patient repositioned repeatedly for 2 hours, drainage resumed; tube removed when drainage <150 ml within 24 hours. Treated 44 cases: cured 36 (81.8%), markedly effective 6 (13.7%), ineffective 2 (4.5%); total effective rate 95.5%. [Yi Shi Jin Xiu Za Zhi, 2001, 24(7):21] 6) Postpartum urinary retention: Fine Talcum powder 50–60 g soaked in boiling water until warm, stirred and settled; 200–250 ml turbid liquid taken once, 1–2 times daily as needed. Treated 30 cases with satisfactory results. [Xin Zhong Yi, 2001, 33(7):38] Addendum: Talcum powder (Huashifen) is made by selecting, purifying, pulverizing, and drying Talcum. Its properties, actions, applications, and dosage are the same as Talcum. When used in decoctions, it is best wrapped in a cloth bag.