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Palmae Fructus (Areca Catechu) / Crotonis Fructus (Croton Seed)

**Palmae Cortex (Zongluo Pi)**
Taste: Bitter, astringent. Nature: Neutral.
Functions: Stops epistaxis (nosebleed), breaks up masses (accumulations). Treats intestinal wind with bloody and white dysentery, metrorrhagia (uterine bleeding), and leukorrhea. (All should be carbonized to retain their properties). When carbonized, it becomes astringent.
It is appropriate for use in cases of excessive blood loss where stasis has been completely cleared. It works better when used together with disordered hair (Luankou). Old, decayed palm fiber is especially excellent for medicinal use. For persistent lower gastrointestinal bleeding, take half a jin (approx. 300g) of Palmae Cortex and one Trichosanthes fruit (Gualou), carbonize them, and take two qian (approx. 6-10g) per dose, mixed with rice water.

[Discussion]
Palmae Cortex is used to stop hematemesis (vomiting blood) and epistaxis. The world generally attributes its efficacy to its bitter and astringent nature. However, can blood extravasation be stopped merely by bitterness and astringency? Moreover, if it can stop bleeding, how can it also break up masses? One must understand that the bark of this tree forms one ring per section; the bark is harvested every twenty days and regenerates upwards. Thus, transformation leads to generation. This aligns well with the generation and transformation of blood in the human body. Furthermore, its bark contains fibrous hairs arranged in a crisscross pattern like weaving. When peeled and separated into threads, it resembles the intricate yet orderly network of blood collaterals in the human body. Reviewing medical texts regarding its indications, it is used frequently for lower bleeding. It likely functions by guiding blood that does not follow the meridians back to their proper course. Its merit lies beyond mere bitterness and astringency. The Heart governs blood, and the Liver stores blood; thus, the "Blood Organ" is also the "Wind Organ." When blood cannot harmonize and return to order, it is because the Wind Organ's pathology affects the intestines and stomach. If it relied solely on bitterness and astringency, how could it appropriately treat intestinal wind?
In cases of sudden hematemesis where stasis is just beginning to move, metrorrhagia where lochia has not exhausted, damp-heat dysentery, early-stage intestinal wind, or active leukorrhea, Palmae Cortex should not be used abruptly.

**Crotonis Fructus (Badou)**
Originates from Ba and Shu regions. (Produced in Jiazhou, Meizhou, and Rongzhou). It resembles a bean, hence the name. It is divided into male and female types. Tight and small ones are female; those with ridges and pointed ends are male. Male fruits have a harsh and potent nature and are called Gangzi (also written as Jiangzi). Female fruits are slightly milder. (According to Li Shizhen). Croton seeds from Rongzhou have longitudinal wrinkles on the shell, slightly raised.
Taste: Pungent. Nature: Hot. Toxicity: Highly toxic.
Raw form is fierce; cooked form is mild. It induces vomiting (if the heart is not removed, it causes nausea) and purges. In terms of floating/sinking and ascending/descending, it achieves sinking through floating and descending through ascending. Qi is thin, taste is strong; it belongs to Yang within Yin. It enters the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian and Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. Genkwa Flos (Yuanhua) acts as its guide. It is inhibited by Radix Scutellariae (Huanglian), Rhizoma Imperatae (Lugen), Rhizoma Zizaniae (Gugen), fermented soybean paste (Jiangchi), and cold water. It is incompatible with Semen Pholiastae (Qianniuzi).
Indications: Guides qi and eliminates accumulations. (Do not use if there is no cold accumulation in the stomach). Removes stagnant cold from the zang-fu organs, treats cold pain in the heart and abdomen, qi and blood stagnation, zheng jia masses, hard accumulations and retained fluids, tan pi (phlegm masses), fright epilepsy, abdominal distension with edema, injuries caused by raw, cold, hard foods, and all pathological diarrhea and obstruction. It cleanses the five zang and six fu organs, opens blockages, promotes the passage of water and grain, treats throat bi (obstruction) and deafness, removes evil flesh, unblocks amenorrhea in women, and induces abortion. It does not benefit the male yin.
For acute conditions, used as an agent to open the pathways of water and grain, remove skin, heart, membrane, and oil, and use raw. For chronic conditions, used as an agent to dissolve hardness and grind down accumulations, stir-fry until smoking turns purple-black. It can both unblock the intestines and stop diarrhea, a fact unknown to the general public. (Citing Hao Gu)
Croton seed develops according to the transformation of old Yang qi. Its nature is extremely rigid and urgent, entering the abdomen like fire. (Jiegu referred to it as the General who seizes the gates and breaches the walls). It can only be used to counter excessive Yin-cold that has formed a state of hard coagulation and blockage, where Yang fire has diminished and remains unlit like dead ash. Croton seed descends following the nature of water, and heat assists the Qi of fire, achieving two benefits with one application. If Wood, Earth, Metal, or Water elements are deficient, even if there are signs suitable for purging, using Croton seed will cause Wood to be more suppressed leading to distension, Earth to sink and fail, Metal to become dry and inflamed, and Water to become depleted and knotted. (Citing Lu Bu Yuan)
All things born combining with the Solar Fire Qi are toxic. Croton seed is born during the peak of Summer Yang (Six Yangs) and matures in the Autumn Metal month. It inherits the rapid nature of Fire and the rigidity of solid Metal, hence its high toxicity.
Zhang Zhongjing's Sanwu Bai San (Three-Ingredient White Powder), treating Cold-Shi Jie Xiong (Cold-Excess Chest Binding) with restlessness, fullness, and no fever: Croton seed 1 fen, skin and heart removed, roasted black. Jiegeng 3 qian, Beimu 3 qian. Grind the latter two into powder, add Croton seed, pound in a mortar, mix with warm water, and take. Strong adults take half qian, weaker individuals reduce the dose. If the disease is above the diaphragm, vomiting will occur; if below, diarrhea will occur. If no diarrhea, drink a cup of hot porridge; if diarrhea is excessive, drink a cup of cold porridge. For sudden deafness and ear blockage, wrap one Croton seed in paper, prick holes for ventilation, and insert into the ear for effect. After abscesses ulcerate, if foul tissue does not fall off, use single Croton seed, stir-fry until smoke ceases, retain properties, grind into paste, and apply externally to draw out toxins, remove stasis, and generate new tissue.
For acute throat bi, use with calcined alum, remove Croton seed, use only alum, grind fine, and insufflate into the throat to discharge hot toxic saliva, relieving the throat.
For obstruction of urination and defecation, mix Croton seed with oil and Radix Scutellariae (Huanglian) 0.5 liang each, pound into cakes. Apply scallion and salt juice to the umbilicus, place the cake on top, moxa for fourteen moxibustions, until bowel movement occurs.
For cold-phlegm asthma, take one piece of Qingjupi (Green Tangerine Peel), unfold it, insert one Gangzi (Male Croton), tie tightly with hemp thread, roast over fire to retain properties, grind into powder, mix with ginger juice, and sip with wine.
For Han Pi (Cold Masses), undigested food retention, and fecal impaction: Take one sheng of Croton kernel and five sheng of clear wine, boil for three days and nights, grind thoroughly, combine with wine, simmer gently, and form pills the size of pea seeds. Take one pill with water. To induce vomiting, take two pills.
For stagnation-induced diarrhea and dysentery, abdominal pain with tenesmus: Remove skin and tips of Apricot Kernels (Xingren), remove skin and heart of Croton seeds, forty-nine of each. Roast together to retain properties, grind into mud, melt wax, and form pills the size of mung beans. Take two or three pills, decocted with Radix Scutellariae (Dahuang) soup. Take every other day. Can add Sanbaocang (Barn Soil) 3 qian.

**Attached Cases**
An elderly woman suffered from drinking-water disease and loose stools for five years. Pain occurred immediately upon consuming meat, oily foods, or cold items. She took various medicines for spleen regulation, lifting, and astringency, but diarrhea worsened after ingestion. Pulse was deep and slippery. This was due to long-term spleen and stomach injury causing cold accumulation stagnation. The method should be to purge with hot medicine, so cold leaves and diarrhea stops. Fifty pills of Croton seed encapsulated in wax were administered. Two days later, stool was blocked, no diarrhea, and her condition resolved. Whenever Croton seed is used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and stagnation, there are often cases where the patient does not purge but the disease is cured. This is because the medicine matches the disease and is combined appropriately. Improper use violates the warning against light usage damaging Yin.
A young woman, in the height of summer on a cool night, suffered from heart pain starting from the right hypochondrium extending to the xiphoid process depression, and connecting to the lower breasts, waist, back, and shoulders, with bone-segment distending pain. The right hypochondrium and heart pain were most severe. Occasional nausea and vomiting. Initially suspected cold pathogen constriction from the cool night causing qi stagnation; dispelling cold and moving qi herbs failed. Suspected cold stagnation with郁火 (depressed fire); adding herbs to dissipate depressed fire also failed. Took Jiawei Zhu Huang Wan (Modified Boiled Yellow Pill) and recovered instantly. Prescription: Curcuma Longa (Jianghuang) 3.5 qian, Realgar (Xionghuang) 3 fen, De-oiled Croton Paste (Ba Shuang) 8 fen (pure de-oiled). Grind into fine powder, make pills with vinegar paste the size of millet grains. Deficient patients take seven pills, excess patients take eleven pills, taken with ginger soup. According to the classics, "When pathogenic qi is exuberant, it is excess." Only this pungent-hot formula can guide it. Previous medications dispersed cold but did not reach the disease. Jianghuang and Boswellia Serrata (Ruxiang) were used because cold damages blood.

[Discussion]
The Croton tree is planted in western lands. Its leaves replace old with new in mid-summer, flowering into spikes at this time, and forming fruit capsules shortly after. It inherits the Metal of Earth Qi and receives the Fire of Heaven Qi with extreme specialization. Its fruit ripens and falls gradually in July and August. This is Metal transforming into Fire, Fire concluding in Metal. It exclusively receives blazing fire Qi and absolutely rejects cold water Qi. Metal alone receives Fire Qi, while the Water of its offspring has no part in it. Therefore, its biased nature is indeed toxic. Nothing dries things more than fire; thus, it can ulcerate有形 (tangible matter), damage True Yin, and exhaust body fluids. Since the specialized Fire Qi is uniquely utilized by Metal, and Metal governs descending, following the fiercest Fire, it is the General who seizes the gates. Raw Croton retains Metal and removes Fire toxicity, promoting water/grain passage without damaging zang-fu. Cooked Croton follows Fire to restrain Metal's sharpness, grinding hard accumulations without being violent. The Ben Jing statement about cleansing the five zang and six fu organs implies raw use corresponds to "cleansing" (dang) and cooked use to "refining" (lian). Metal transforms into Fire, directly governing descending to penetrate the lower jiao, all acting from Yang into Yin to utilize the power of Old Yang. Zhongchun's description of "Yang within Yin entering Hand and Foot Yangming" is close to this. Only by using supreme Yang to break Yin knots is it a counter-treatment for all cold stagnation and long-standing blockages.
This drug burns muscles upon contact. A small amount rubbed on skin causes blisters quickly. How much more so for the tender intestines and stomach? Swallowing it slowly moves through, inevitably causing ulceration. Why wait for purging to consume True Yin? In desperate acute cases, borrowing its ability to open pathways, it must be cooked thoroughly, pressed to remove all oil, limited to a few fen, and never overdosed. (Citing Zhong Chun)

[Processing]
If membranes are not removed, it damages the stomach. If the heart is not removed, it causes vomiting. Soaking in Agarwood-scented water allows it to ascend and descend. Combined with Dahuang, purgative action slows due to mutual inhibition.
For processing, crush, remove oil completely, pack in white silk bag, boil in Licorice root water, bake dry, or grind into paste. Ri Huazi stated that for pills and powders, stir-frying is inferior to removing heart and membrane, boiling in changed water five times for one boil each. Regarding Croton's fire toxicity, water is what inhibits it. Changing water and boiling reduces fire toxicity. Stir-frying removes smoke only removes Metal's violent Qi, but Fire nature remains. Metal fears Fire, and Croton loves Fire. Treatment methods should aim for precision. Some use kernels, some shells, some oil. Some use raw...

**Croton Oil**
Treats wind-stroke phlegm syncope, qi syncope, sudden evil invasion, and throat bi.
For all acute conditions with throat obstruction and locked jaw: Grind Croton seed, wrap in cotton paper, press to extract oil, make a candle, light it, blow out, and fumigate the nose. Or insert hot smoke into the throat to discharge phlegm or evil blood, restoring consciousness. For spontaneous bleeding from the tongue, fumigate above and below the tongue to stop bleeding.