“Stone Materia Medica” Floating on the Sea Surface

Sea Floating Stone, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal material, comes in two forms. Some are the skeletons of moss animals in the Phylum Bryozoa, commonly known as “stone f lowers,” while others are porous rocks formed by volcanic eruptions. Sea Floating Stone has a salty taste and a cold property. It is believed to have the effects of clearing the lungs and transforming phlegm, softening hardness and resolving nodules, and promoting urination and relieving strangury. It is primarily used to treat conditions such as phlegm heat cough and wheezing, scrofula, goiter, blood strangury, and stone strangury.

Salt, known as the “King of Flavors,” is an essential part of daily life, primarily composed of sodium chloride. Sodium is a necessary element for maintaining the normal functioning of the human body. The earliest salt used in China was obtained by boiling seawater, and in the “Rites of Zhou”, there were mentions of “salt officials” responsible for salt administration at the time. Table salt has a salty taste and a cold nature, and it is known for its effects in inducing vomiting, cooling blood, detoxifying, and softening hardness. It is used to treat conditions such as food retention in the upper abdomen, abdominal distension and pain,phlegm retention in the chest, urine retention and constipation, qi strangury, blood in the urine, bleeding gums, sore throat, toothache, cataract, ulcers, and injuries from poisonous insects. However, it should be avoided by individuals with coughs and excessive thirst, as well as those with edema. FEr5G/aLfjwHaL31bUK/rNJvttsIck1vIcDL5JAUh088ahwovjBWroODfBJfPNO9