“`json
{
“title”: “Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite)”,
“content”: “
Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) (Flat and long strips, bluish-grey, longitudinal streaks, glossy, heavy but soft, easily peeled off, fibrous when crushed, silky smooth) nn【Naming】n
n 【Source】n
Classified as a medium grade substance in the Divine Husbandman’s Classic of Materia Medica.
n 【Commonly Used Degree】n
E
n 【Origin】n
Asbestos-like minerals containing silicate.
n 【Characteristics】n
It is long or flat and long, varying in size. The whole body is milky white, bluish-white to bluish-gray, or forms a longitudinal pattern of alternating bluish-white and bluish-gray, sometimes with yellowish-brown, and has a luster. It is heavy but soft in texture, easy to peel off, has a fibrous fracture, easily splits longitudinally, and becomes fibrous when crushed, with soft and smooth silk. It is elastic, itchy when attached to the skin, and not easy to remove. It has no odor or taste.
Calcined Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite): The color is similar to Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite), but slightly darker. Most of them are crushed into fine powder, with hair-like fibers or small flakes in powder form. This product has no odor and a very faint taste.
n 【Processing】n
1. Raw Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) 2. Calcined Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite)
n 【Identification】n
“Newly Revised Materia Medica”: “It is good if it still contains mica that is green and moist.” “External Terrace Secret Essentials”: “Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite)… the white one is good, the black one is not suitable.” “Illustrated Materia Medica”: “The Tang commentary says: This stone is good if it is white and has a texture similar to a wolf’s fang, and still contains mica that is green and moist”, “When combining medicines, it should be burned and quenched with water, and the condensed white one is superior”, “The one with white color, clear texture, and bright like a wolf’s fang is superior.” “Classified Collection of Medical Prescriptions”: “Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) is genuine if it bubbles when placed in a water bowl.” “Compendium of Materia Medica”: “[Shi Zhen said] Nowadays, the one that is light and loose like a wolf’s fang with cloud head and rain foot is considered good”, “Wang Jianping’s classical technique says that the yellow-white one that is red, heavy, and thick is good”, “The one that disappears suddenly when placed in heavy snow is genuine.” “Compilation of Experienced Prescriptions”: “Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) must be bright like heron feathers to be genuine.” “Seeking Truth in Materia Medica”: “The one with cloud head and rain foot, heron feather color, white and moist is good.” “Newly Compiled Effective Prescriptions”: “Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) is good if it trembles when exposed to the sun.” “Discernment of Good and Bad”: “The one that is glossy, white in color, soft, and has a bundle-like needle texture is superior.”
This product is not graded; the best is the one that is needle-shaped, gray-white in color, glossy, soft in texture, easy to crush, and pure without impurities.
This product:
(1) Thin transparent sheets can be seen after grinding.
(2) It turns red when burned in a flame without melting. After removing from the flame, the burned part turns slightly yellow. There is no odor when burning.
(3) It is difficult to melt when burned with a blowpipe and does not conduct heat.
(4) Insoluble in acid.
(5) If it contains impurities inside, it will produce a small amount of gas bubbles when placed in glacial acetic acid, formic acid, and other high-concentration acidic solutions. However, this chemical reaction does not occur if there are no interspersed stones.
(6) After calcination and quenching, it appears bluish-brown.
(7) It causes severe itching when applied to the skin.
Note:
1. The Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) of medicinal materials is slightly different from the Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) referred to in mineralogy. The medicinal material Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) is still a transparent amphibole (tremolite) that is closely similar to the mineralogical Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite). Mineralogical Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) is a shiny green and gray fibrous, radiating, or acicular transparent crystal with physical properties similar to tremolite. Its composition is calcium magnesium iron silicate Ca(Mg, Fe+2)3(SiO3)4, and its color deepens as the iron content increases.
2. Its sources include Actinolite and Actinolite asbestos. The former is commonly found in various metamorphic rocks, monoclinic crystal system, and the crystals are in the form of long columns, needles, and hairs. However, it usually forms fine radial, rod-shaped, or fibrous aggregates. The color ranges from light green-gray to dark green, with a vitreous luster. Hardness 5.5~6. Specific gravity 3.1~3.3. Transparent to opaque, brittle. The latter is fibrous Actinolite, characterized by its excellent parallel fibrous structure, with fibers of varying lengths, brittle, white, light green, and light brown. Silky luster. It has extensibility, toughness, fire resistance, and acid resistance.
3. Yin Qi Shi: Often coexists with Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite). In some areas, Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) is often used together with Yin Qi Shi, and its functions are also similar. After being unearthed, the soil, mud, and gravel are cleaned and used for medicinal purposes. Its original substance is talc schist, generally green or from gray to white. The hardness is particularly small, and it feels slippery to the touch. It is densely fine scaly to coarsely scaly. Talc schist is mostly composed of talc, and also often contains carbonates, chlorite, mica, and a small amount of other minerals. It is sold in Sichuan, Hubei, Shandong, Henan, Beijing, and other places. Its appearance is irregular chunks of varying sizes. The whole body is silver-gray and slightly green. It has luster, a smooth but uneven surface, and the fracture surface shows a layered pattern. It is soft and loose, easy to break, and can be twisted into thin flakes or short fibers with your hands. The powder attached to the hands has a smooth feel and is not easy to fall off. It does not turn red when burned with fire and easily conducts heat. It has a slight odor and a bland taste. The medicinal material is best if it is green in color, soft and easily broken, and the broken particles are flaky.
Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) and Yin Qi Shi are not only different in sales habits, but also confused in name. For example, the same sample is called Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) in Sichuan, but Yin Qi Shi in Hubei; another sample is called Yin Qi Shi in Hunan, but Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite) in Beijing and Henan.
n 【Chapter】n
Minerals
n ”
}
“`
