Croton Bean

The Croton Bean original: 巴豆 (Bādòu); scientific name Croton tiglium originates in the mountain valleys of Ba Prefecture an ancient region encompassing modern-day Chongqing and eastern Sichuan. Today, it can be found throughout Jia, Mei, and Rong Prefectures modern-day Leshan, Meishan, and Yibin in Sichuan Province.

The tree reaches a height of ten to twenty feet. Its leaves resemble those of the cherry or the gardenia, but they are thicker and larger. When they first emerge, they are green, gradually turning yellow or red as they mature. In the fourth lunar month, flowers bloom in spikes. In the fifth or sixth month, the plant bears fruit within a capsule. Each capsule is divided into three valves, and each valve contains a single seed, totaling three seeds per fruit.

The variety produced in Rong Prefecture is considered the finest. The shells of these beans have faint, raised vertical lines resembling threads—ranging from a single line to two or three. These are known as Golden-Thread Croton original: 金線巴豆 (Jīnxiàn bādòu) and are of the highest quality.

Another name for this plant is the Ba Pepper original: 巴椒 (Bājiāo). Its flavor is acrid and its nature is warm. When raw, its property is warm, but when cooked, it is considered cold. It is highly toxic.

It is primarily used to treat:

• Cold-damage disorders and "warm malaria" an ancient term for a type of fever where the patient feels heat more than chills.
• Breaking up Abdominal masses original: 癥瘕 (Zhēngjiǎ); refers to hard or movable lumps in the abdomen caused by stagnation and accumulated fluids, phlegm, or chronic congestion.
• Severe abdominal swelling and water retention.

It acts to scour and cleanse the Five Viscera and Six Bowels a collective term for the primary internal organs in traditional medicine, opening up blockages and clearing the passages for water and grain the urinary and digestive tracts. It removes "evil flesh" necrotic or diseased tissue and eliminates Ghost toxins original: 鬼毒 (Guǐdú); sudden, severe illnesses or seizures historically attributed to malevolent influences and Gu-poisoning original: 蠱疰 (Gǔzhù); a category of lethal diseases traditionally believed to be caused by venomous parasites or toxins. It also treats the cessation of the menses in women and can be used to expel a dead fetus.