Natural Herb Library

Calcareous Tufa

Chinese
石灰华
Pinyin
Shi Hui Hua
Latin
Calciosinti
Scientific specimen plate of Calcareous Tufa, Calciosinti, showing porous tufa mass, broken fragments, powder, and diagnostic mineral details.
Botanical plate by Kodi .

Known in TCM as Shi Hui Hua (石灰华), this sweet, cool herb enters the Lung and Liver. Traditionally, it clears Heat and benefits the Lung - used in Tibetan and regional minority-medicine traditions for Lung Heat, cough, and hot inflammatory respiratory disorders, most often applied for cough, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Modern research has identified Calcium among its active constituents.

Part used: Calcium silicate

Also Known As

Calciosinti

Latin: Calciosinti | Pinyin: Shi Hui Hua | Chinese: 石灰华

TCM Properties

Taste
sweet
Temperature
cool
Channels
Lung, Liver

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Clears Heat and benefits the Lung - used in Tibetan and regional minority-medicine traditions for Lung Heat, cough, and hot inflammatory respiratory disorders.
  • Stops cough and supports recovery from hot lung disease - extended to pediatric pneumonia, irritative cough, and feverish pulmonary conditions in traditional formula use.
  • Assists wound healing and retreats jaundice - a lesser but recurring traditional role in ethnic-medicine references for hot sores, tissue injury, and jaundice patterns.

Secondary Actions

  • Shi Hui Hua belongs more to Tibetan and minority-medicine formula traditions than to mainstream single-herb Han TCM dispensing.
  • It is usually powdered and incorporated into compound preparations rather than featured as a famous standalone decoction herb.

Classic Formulas

  • Jiu Wei Shi Hui Hua San (九味石灰华散) - Tibetan formula tradition used for pediatric pneumonia, high fever, agitation, and cough in hot lung disorders.
  • Ba Wei Shi Hui Hua Wan (八味石灰华丸) - regional Tibetan formula line used for heat-type edema, cough, wheezing, oliguria, and weakness with fluid retention.
  • Shi Hui Hua with safflower, terminalia fruit, and aromatic spices - a recurring ethnic-medicine combination pattern for clearing Heat while supporting the Lung and moving constrained pathology.

Classical References

  • Chinese encyclopedia and regional Chinese herb references identify Shi Hui Hua as a characteristic Tibetan mineral medicinal rather than a mainstream Han pharmacopoeia decoction herb.
  • Traditional summaries consistently describe it as slightly sweet and cool, with the core actions of clearing Heat and benefiting the Lung; some regional references also add wound-healing and jaundice-relieving uses.
  • IMPORT NOTE: the source XLSX supplied the Latin 'Calx Pulveratum', which is too generic and can suggest powdered lime. Tibetan materia medica references instead identify this drug as calciosinti, a calcium-carbonate-rich tufa or travertine material. This record follows the Tibetan medicinal identity rather than quicklime or caustic construction lime.

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) - the dominant mineral component of medicinal calcareous tufa
  • Calcite and related carbonate mineral phases - the main crystalline matrix of the drug
  • Trace magnesium-containing carbonates and silicate impurities - minor natural mineral contributors that vary by deposit source
  • Porous sedimentary mineral matrix - a physical rather than phytochemical feature relevant to powdering and traditional processing

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Patterns without Heat, Lung irritation, or jaundice-type indications
  • Unsupervised substitution with caustic lime or non-medicinal mineral powders

Cautions

  • Because the historical naming overlaps with broader lime terminology, authenticated medicinal material is essential; Shi Hui Hua should not be confused with industrial lime products
  • Dedicated modern safety literature on this standalone Tibetan mineral drug is sparse, so internal use should remain practitioner-guided
  • Mineral medicines can vary in impurity burden by source deposit, making quality control important
  • MSK page not found - drug interaction data not available from Memorial Sloan Kettering integrative medicine database

Conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Calcareous Tufa used for?

Calcareous Tufa is traditionally used to Clears Heat and benefits the Lung - used in Tibetan and regional minority-medicine traditions for Lung Heat, cough, and hot inflammatory respiratory disorders., Stops cough and supports recovery from hot lung disease - extended to pediatric pneumonia, irritative cough, and feverish pulmonary conditions in traditional formula use., Assists wound healing and retreats jaundice - a lesser but recurring traditional role in ethnic-medicine references for hot sores, tissue injury, and jaundice patterns..

What are other names for Calcareous Tufa?

Calcareous Tufa is also known as Calciosinti. In TCM: 石灰华 (Shi Hui Hua); Calciosinti.

Is Calcareous Tufa safe during pregnancy?

The safety of Calcareous Tufa during pregnancy has not been established. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before use.

What are the contraindications for Calcareous Tufa?

Calcareous Tufa should not be used in: Patterns without Heat, Lung irritation, or jaundice-type indications; Unsupervised substitution with caustic lime or non-medicinal mineral powders. Consult a qualified practitioner before use.