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Croton Seed (Ba Dou)
⚠ Not for home use. Croton seed (Ba Dou) is toxic in the wrong dose. It is a violent purgative; a few seeds can be fatal. In Chinese medicine it is used only after special processing and only on a licensed practitioner’s prescription. Do not buy, prepare, or take it on your own. This page is kept for reference.
巴豆
Croton seed (Badou)
Pharmaceutical Name: Semen Crotonis
Botanical Name: Croton tiglium L.
Common Name: Croton seed
Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing
Part Used: The ripe seeds are gathered in autumn, dried in the sun and ground into powder.
Natural Properties & Taste: Pungent and very toxic
Meridians: Stomach and large intestine
Therapeutic Effects:
1. To drain accumulated cold downward.
2. To transform water and reduce edema.
3. To resolve phlegm and benefit throat.
Indications:
1. Abdominal pain and constipation due to cold or retention of food in the intestines. Croton seed (Badou) is used with Rhubarb (Dahuang) and Dried ginger (Ganjiang) in the formula Sanwu Beiji Wan.
2. Retention of milk in babies, profuse sputum and infantile convulsions. Croton seed (Badou) is used with Medicated leaven (Shenqu), Arisaema tuber with bile (Dannanxing) and Cinnabar (Zhusha) in the formula Baochi San.
3. Ascites. Croton seed (Badou) is used with Apricot seed (Xingren).
4. Pharyngitis, excessive sputum blocking the windpipe, rapid breathing and even suffocation. The powder of Croton seed (Badou) is blown into the throat to cause vomiting.
5. Boils and carbuncles. Croton seed (Badou) is used externally.
Dosage: 0.1-0.3 g
Cautions & Contraindications: This herb is contraindicated during pregnancy. It must not be mixed with the herb Pharbitis flower (Qianniuhua). No hot food or drinks should be consumed while administering the herb.
Traditional use is not proof of safety or effect. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using any herb if you are pregnant, nursing, or take medicine.
