Shi Gao (CaSO₄·2H₂O (hydrous calcium sulfate))

☯ TCM Properties

Category: clearing_heat

Temperature: cold

Taste: pungent, sweet

Meridians: lung, stomach

Functions:

Clears Heat and Drains Fire; Eliminates Irritability and Relieves Thirst; Clears Lung Heat; Clears Stomach Heat; Promotes Tissue Regeneration and Heals Sores

Botanical Description

Shi Gao is not a plant but a naturally occurring mineral, the hydrous calcium sulfate gypsum (CaSO4 . 2H2O). It occurs as massive, fibrous or crystalline aggregates in sedimentary evaporite deposits and is mined in many parts of China, particularly Hubei, Anhui, Shandong and Henan provinces. In its raw medicinal form it is presented as irregular, heavy, white to pale grey-white blocks, often with a faintly silky or fibrous fracture and a chalky texture; pure specimens are translucent on thin edges. The material is largely odourless and tasteless, with a hardness of about 2 on the Mohs scale, easily scratched by a fingernail. For use as Sheng Shi Gao it is simply broken into pieces, while Duan Shi Gao is prepared by calcining the raw mineral until it loses its water of crystallisation and becomes a friable, dehydrated, anhydrous form.

Dosage

Form	Amount	Frequency	Duration	Population	Notes
decoction	6-15g	Daily	—	—	—

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional Chinese Uses

Shi Gao (gypsum fibrosum, calcium sulfate) is a very cold, pungent-sweet mineral herb that powerfully clears Internal Heat and Heat from the Qi level of the body. It is the primary herb for high fever with intense thirst, profuse sweating, and a rapid, surging pulse — the classic Yangming Heat presentation. It also clears Lung Heat for cough and wheezing with Heat, and topically treats burns, eczema, and inflammatory skin conditions. It must be decocted first for internal use.

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Shi Gao