Aloe — Classic Formulas
Lu Hui · Aloe
Primary Actions
- Drains Fire and purges the bowels — strong purgative for constipation from Heat accumulation in the Large Intestine; Heat-Dryness type constipation with dry stools, burning sensation, and dark urine; one of the most reliable cold-purgative herbs in the TCM pharmacopoeia
- Clears Liver Fire — ascending Liver Fire with headache, dizziness, tinnitus, red eyes, irritability, and insomnia; bitter-cold nature directly drains excess Heat from the Liver channel
- Kills intestinal parasites — roundworm (Ascaris) and pinworm infestation; classical antiparasitic application combined with purgative action to expel worms
- Clears Heat and resolves toxicity externally — fresh gel or dried powder applied topically to burns, scalds, infected wounds, skin rashes, and herpetic lesions
Classic Formulas
- Dang Gui Long Hui Wan (当归龙荟丸) — major formula for Liver-Gallbladder Fire excess; Lu Hui combined with Dang Gui, Long Dan Cao, Huang Lian, Huang Qin, Huang Bai, Zhi Zi, Mu Xiang, and Da Huang; indications: severe insomnia, agitation, constipation, dizziness, and tinnitus from raging Liver-Gallbladder Fire; one of the classical formulas where Lu Hui is the principal Fire-draining herb
- Geng Yi Wan (更衣丸) — classical two-herb pill for Liver Fire constipation; Lu Hui combined with Zhu Sha (cinnabar); purges Liver Fire and opens the bowels; modern use rare due to Zhu Sha mercury toxicity; Lu Hui alone used as a substitute in current practice
Classical Text References
- Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu (Tao Hongjing, 500 CE): 'Lu Hui is bitter and cold — it purges Fire, kills worms, and clears the bowels; useful when Heat has accumulated and the bowels are blocked'
- Ben Cao Gang Mu (Li Shizhen): 'Lu Hui (芦荟) clears Liver Fire, purges Heat accumulation, kills intestinal insects — it is extremely bitter and cold; do not use in Spleen-Cold or Stomach-Cold patterns; injures the digestive Yang if used inappropriately; the name Lu Hui (芦, reed + 荟, congregate) refers to the exuded juice that dries into the drug'
- DRUG NOTE: The TCM drug Lu Hui is the dried condensed exudate (aloe latex/juice) from the cut leaves of Aloe vera L. Burm.f. (Curacao aloe) or Aloe ferox Mill. (Cape aloe) — NOT the clear inner gel. The dried exudate concentrates anthraquinone glycosides (aloin). The clear inner gel fraction used in cosmetics has negligible aloin content and does NOT share the purgative, uterotonic, or anthraquinone-related contraindications of the TCM drug.