Zhong Ru Shi (Stalactite, Calcite)

Chinese Herb Actions

Chinese Herb Dosage

• What is the typical dosage of Zhong Ru Shi?

  Commonly 3–9 g in decoction, with some materia medica references citing a wider range up to ~15–30 g depending on preparation and formula context. As a hard mineral, it is conventionally decocted first (before the other herbs are added) to extract its constituents, and it is traditionally calcined (fired/processed) to soften its texture and is said to enhance its Lung-warming action.

  Source: multiple online sources. Reference only — not a prescription; mineral herbs require correct processing and are best used under professional guidance.

Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions

• Are there cautions for Zhong Ru Shi?

  Zhong Ru Shi is traditionally contraindicated in Lung-heat or yin-deficiency-with-fire patterns and in cases with hemoptysis (coughing blood) — its warming nature is considered unsuitable where heat or deficient yin (rather than cold) is the underlying pattern. Materia medica sources also caution that excessive or prolonged use can stagnate Stomach qi.

  • Mineral-processing note (reference) — being a raw mineral, correct sourcing, processing (calcining/purification), and decoct-first preparation matter for both efficacy and safety; use under a qualified TCM practitioner.
  • Quality/testing note (reference, class-wide) — mineral-origin TCM materials as a class have documented cases of natural or process-related trace-element load (e.g., lead, arsenic); this is a sourcing/testing consideration common to mineral herbs generally, not a finding specific to Zhong Ru Shi (see Toxicity).

  Source: multiple online sources. Mineral-quality note is a neutral reference disclosure, not a demonstrated finding for this herb specifically.

Chinese Herb Toxicity & Overdose

• Chemically, Zhong Ru Shi is predominantly calcium carbonate, with trace elements (such as iron, copper, potassium, zinc, and manganese) reported in Chinese pharmacognosy references. No dedicated modern toxicology study of Stalactitum specifically was located. As general reference context: surveys of raw TCM materials (not specific to this herb) have found a meaningful minority of samples exceeding Chinese Pharmacopoeia heavy-metal limits, and isolated case reports document lead poisoning from contaminated TCM products — both are class-wide quality-control issues relevant to mineral- and metal-associated TCM materials broadly, not documented findings for Zhong Ru Shi itself.

  Sources: general TCM heavy-metal survey literature — PMC 7883644 (heavy-metal contamination risk assessment across herbal medicines); PMC 4108800 (clinical review of metal-contamination adverse events in TCM, Korea); PMC 9513390 (case report, TCM-associated lead poisoning). None of these study Zhong Ru Shi directly; cited as neutral, class-wide reference context for a mineral-origin herb, not a safety guarantee or a herb-specific finding.

Herb-Drug Interactions

• No dedicated herb–drug interaction studies for Stalactitum were found. Based on its verified chemical composition (predominantly calcium carbonate), the same general pharmacology that applies to calcium-carbonate antacids is a reasonable, chemistry-based caution: calcium can reduce absorption of certain oral medications (e.g., tetracycline/fluoroquinolone antibiotics, levothyroxine, some bisphosphonates) if taken together. (Inferred from known calcium-carbonate pharmacology, not from a Zhong Ru Shi–specific study; flagged for practitioner confirmation.)

Western / Biomedical Research

Chinese Herb Clinical Studies & Research

Provided as research context — a summary of published biomedical study, not a therapeutic or medical claim.

• Is there modern research on Zhong Ru Shi (Stalactitum)?

  Dedicated modern pharmacological or clinical research on Zhong Ru Shi is very limited — no clinical trials were located, and most current characterization is analytical/compositional rather than efficacy-focused.

  • Composition — Chinese pharmacognosy references confirm the drug is mainly calcium carbonate with trace elements (iron, copper, potassium, zinc, manganese); this supports the traditional gastric-acid-neutralizing (antacid-type) rationale but is not itself a clinical efficacy study.
  • Mineral-drug analytical chemistry (2026) — a multi-spectroscopy study characterizing a different mineral drug, Ophicalcitum (蛇含石, She Han Shi), used Stalactitum as a comparison substance and reported the two minerals could be distinguished by calcium/magnesium content via OPLS-DA. This is analytical differentiation between mineral drugs, not a Stalactitum-focused pharmacology or safety study.
  • Heavy-metal quality-control literature (class-wide, not herb-specific) — see Toxicity above; general surveys and case reports address metal contamination across mineral- and metal-associated TCM materials but do not test Zhong Ru Shi specifically.

  Overall, the evidence base for Zhong Ru Shi rests primarily on long-standing materia medica consensus rather than modern clinical research.

  Sources: PMID 41494477 (Ophicalcitum vs. Stalactitum mineral differentiation study, Spectrochimica Acta Part A, 2026); PMC 7883644; PMC 4108800; PMC 9513390 (general TCM heavy-metal literature, cited for context only). Research context, not a therapeutic claim.

Chinese Herb Notes

• What is Zhong Ru Shi combined with, and how does it fit among Kidney-yang tonics?

  Zhong Ru Shi is distinctive among Kidney-yang tonics for pairing a direct Lung-warming, wheeze-calming action with Kidney-yang support — most classic yang tonics (e.g., Rou Cong Rong, Lu Rong) do not carry this dual Lung/Kidney respiratory application in the same way.

  • With Ma Huang and Xing Ren (apricot seed) — for cold-phlegm cough and wheezing/asthma.
  • With Dong Chong Xia Cao (cordyceps) and Ba Ji Tian (morinda) — for Kidney-yang-deficiency patterns such as impotence and weak, cold low back/knees.

  Note: Sources classify Zhong Ru Shi differently by chapter — some materia medica references place it among herbs that relieve coughing and wheezing (matching this site’s current category), while others group it under herbs that tonify yang, reflecting its dual Lung/Kidney action rather than a true disagreement about its effects. An alternate traditional name, E Guan Shi (“goose-tube stone”), refers to a related tubular form of the same mineral drug.

  Source: multiple online sources.