Witnessed by: TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani
Croton (Croton tiglium), of the Euphorbiaceae family. Small evergreen tree or shrub with ovate leaves and three-lobed capsules; native range: tropical Asia — India through southern China and the Malay archipelago. Globally recognized as jayapala / dantibija in Sanskrit, jamalgota in Hindi, ba dou (巴豆) in Chinese, habb-us-salatin / dand in Arabic, and purging croton, purging nut in English. The part used is ripe seeds (and the expressed fixed oil). Oval brown seeds the size of a coffee bean under a brittle coat, oily white kernel within; nearly tasteless at first, then a scorching, acrid, lingering burn in the throat.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
CROTON
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Croton
- Scientific name
- Croton tiglium L.
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
Form
- Part used
- ripe seeds (and the expressed fixed oil)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent (acrid, caustic)
- Ayurveda
- pungent (katu, acrid and caustic)
- Western
- acrid
- Unani
- acrid · pungent
Temperature
- TCM
- hot
- Ayurveda
- heating (atyushna — extreme)
- Western
- hot
- Unani
- hot & dry (4th degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Stomach · Large Intestine · Lung
- Western
- bowels · intestines · skin
- Unani
- stomach · intestines
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- drastically purges cold accumulation, drives out congested phlegm and water, disperses cold and unblocks the bowel; externally corrodes toxic sores
- Ayurveda
- tikshna virechana (drastic purgative), bhedana (breaks up masses), krimighna (anthelmintic); externally rubefacient
- Western
- drastic hydragogue cathartic; the oil a powerful counter-irritant, rubefacient and vesicant
- Unani
- mushil-e-qawi (violent purgative), muhallil (resolvent of hard swellings), jali; the oil a blistering external agent
Cautions
Contraindications: pregnancy and lactation, weakness and deficiency, heat and yin-deficient states, any inflammatory bowel condition; not for the young, old or debilitated
Toxicity: severe — a single unpurified seed can cause violent vomiting and bloody purging, collapse and death; the oil blisters skin and eyes, and its phorbol esters are potent tumour promoters (co-carcinogens). Handle with extreme care; incompatible with Qian Niu Zi (morning glory seed) in TCM
Interactions
- Western
- diuretics: compounded fluid and electrolyte loss from violent catharsis
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