What could be worse for a child than to have the Chicken Pox during Christmas time – Right!!?? Well that was exactly what happened to me as a youngster (see that photo – Yes that’s me :)). I so remember that tormenting itch – Oh the agony! Chicken Pox at Christmas time! Man-o-man, of all the luck! But like many things in life, out of despair came wisdom, as it was during that nightmarish holiday that I was exposed to the power of herbal medicine – Calamine. My loving mother completely smothered me in the stuff and, while seemingly ridiculous at the time, it did really help – quite a lot actually. Who would have guessed that, years later, I would now be using the same stuff in lotions that I hand make for my patients. Calamine is most definitely an effective herbal medicine used extensively in Chinese medicine dermatology.
So what is Calamine anyways? It is actually a mineral, called Smithsonite, which is mainly composed of zinc carbonate and ferric oxide. Western medicine has been using it in a liquid suspension since the early 1800’s as a soothing, anti-itch, astringent lotion for insect bites, poison ivy, Chicken pox, eczema, and the like. In Chinese calamine is known as Lu Gan Shi (Stove sweet stone), and seems to be first mentioned in the Wen dai ben cao (Materia medica for external elixirs) written during the song dynasty (960-1279 AD), thus having a long recorded history of use. Today it is widely used in hospital settings throughout the world for helping to dry up damp sores on the skin, generate new flesh (the protective barrier it creates on the skin helps to regenerate new skin underneath), and for stopping itch.
I make a lotion that contains 10% finely ground and sifted calamine, that is based on an old empirical Chinese medicine formula, and is similar to one used by dermatologists around the globe. The lotion itself contains several herbs, including peppermint oil, which is another good anti-itch medicine. My patients find that it is very good at helping to cool down very red and inflamed skin, while also relieving itch (usually within a few minutes). They will usually follow this lotion with a good quality moisturizer so as to counter the overly drying effects of the calamine.
So when people ask me how did a white guy from the suburbs of Vancouver decide to become a Chinese medicine herbalist, I guess I have my Mom to thank. So thank you Mom for exposing me to the power of herbal medicines, especially Calamine!
Wishing you health,
Dr. Trevor Erikson
Copyright © 2019 Dr. Trevor Erikson