Witnessed by: TCM

Limonite, of the oxide / hydroxide (hydrated iron oxide; a goethite-dominant mineraloid, not a single species) family. Earthy to nodular brown-yellow masses, often hollow and filled with a fine ochreous powder; native range: weathering crusts and bog and lake deposits over iron-bearing rock, gathered as nodules and earthy masses. Globally recognized as 禹餘糧 yu yu liang, 太乙餘糧 tai yi yu liang in Chinese, and limonite, brown iron ore, brown haematite in English. The part used is the ore, crushed and usually calcined. Dull brown to ochre-yellow, earthy and soft, leaving a yellow-brown streak, gritty and faintly clayey on the tongue.

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.

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