da feng zi

大风子·Semen Hydnocarpi

gynocardia odorata

Toxic

Toxicity graded by American Dragon.

About da feng zi

Da Feng Zi (大风子) is the seed of hydnocarpus, recorded as Semen Hydnocarpi. It is acrid in flavour and hot in temperature, entering the Kidney, Liver and Spleen channels. The catalogue files it among the substances for external application.

Names

Pinyin	da feng zi
Chinese	大风子
Latin Name	Semen Hydnocarpi
English Name	gynocardia odorata·hydnocarpus seed·hydnocarpus seed; gynocardia odorata·Hydnocarpus Seeds
Japanese	dafushi
Korean	daepungja

Classification

Category: External Application
Channels: Spleen, Kidney, Liver
Flavour: Acrid
Temperature: Hot
Family: Facourtiaceae
Species: Hydnocarpus anthelmintica
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Expels Wind, dries Damp, attacks toxicity and kills parasites

Leprosy, used internally or topically; recorded in Chinese sources since at least medieval times
Scabies, applied topically
Tinea (ringworm), applied topically
Syphilis, applied topically
Chronic, non-healing skin eruptions of the Damp-Heat or Wind-toxin type

Combinations

di fu zi + liu huang + zhang nao
Topically for scabies.
qing fen
Topically for leprosy.
hu tao ren
Tinea of the hands, with Da Feng Zi oil and the partner applied topically
bai xian pi + chuan jiao + huang bai
Suppurating sores, bedsores and tinea
fang feng + ku shen + quan xie
Leprosy, taken as a pill

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any Pills and Powders: 0.3-1g	0.3-1 g	—	—	—	—

Cautions

caution Toxic: use is limited almost entirely to the skin, since taken by mouth it causes marked digestive upset
contraindication Heat signs from Yin deficiency
pregnancy Do not use in pregnancy
contraindication Impaired liver or kidney function
contraindication Qi or Blood deficiency, or a weak constitution
caution Not for long-term use

Interactions

Drug interactions

Medicines that strain the liver or can break down red blood cells: theoretical caution should the herb ever be taken internally, given its liver and blood toxicity; no interaction has been shown