The efficacy and function of realgar powder

Anyone who has watched "The Legend of the New White Snake" knows that an important factor in the appearance of White Snake was drinking realgar wine. Simple realgar wine is made by adding realgar powder into the wine. Its function is to detoxify and kill insects. It is because snakes are afraid of realgar that White Snake will appear. Friends who need to buy realgar powder can go to the pharmacy to buy it. In addition to killing insects, what other functions and effects does realgar powder have?

Realgar is a mineral. Realgar powder is the powder form of realgar ore, and its main component is AS2S2. The colors range from bright yellow to reddish, but yellow is the most common, so it is called realgar. AS2S2 is non-toxic, but it generates As2O3 (arsenic) after oxidation, and in general it is partially oxidized, so it is toxic. Available at Chinese medicine stores.

Realgar is the common name for tetraarsenic tetrasulfide (As4S4), also known as realgar, golden stone, and cockscomb stone. It is usually an orange-yellow granular solid or orange-yellow powder, soft and brittle. It often coexists with orpiment, also known as arsenic trisulfide (As2S3), stibnite, and cinnabar; when heated to a certain temperature, it can be oxidized in the air into the highly toxic ingredient arsenic trioxide, also known as arsenic.

Arsenic tetrasulfide is one of the arsenic sulfide minerals, containing about 70.1% As. It is a monoclinic crystal system, and single crystals are small columnar or needle-shaped, but they are rare; they are usually dense granular or earthy blocks. It is orange-red, and the streak is light orange-red. Hardness 1.5~2, density 3.5~3.6g/cm3. Brittle, low melting point. When heated with charcoal fire, white smoke of arsenic trioxide with a garlic smell will be emitted.

Realgar is mainly produced in low-temperature hydrothermal deposits, and often coexists with orpiment, stibnite and cinnabar; realgar produced in hot spring sediments and sulfur volcanic fumarole sediments often coexists with orpiment. The orange-red, transparent to translucent realgar crystals appear gorgeous and rich. The columnar crystals vary in length and thickness, grow in multiple directions, and have a peculiar shape. When set against the backdrop of white calcite and other symbiotic minerals, they are colorful and constitute an overall natural beauty. Be careful to protect realgar crystals from weathering.

use:

1. It is mainly used for detoxification, killing insects, drying dampness and removing phlegm, and stopping malaria. However, nowadays people generally avoid using it if possible, because it is a toxic mineral medicine after all.

2. Do not use realgar to repel mosquitoes, because realgar will turn into arsenic after being exposed to high temperatures, which is highly toxic.

3. There are many friends who like to camp outdoors in the wild. Realgar powder should be indispensable. It can drive away centipedes, mice, and other small animals that are dangerous to humans but difficult to detect.