Zào Xīn Huáng Tǔ (灶心黄土) — Oven earth / stove earth
On this page
- Overview
- Properties
- Actions and indications
- Key formulas
- Modern research
- Incompatibilities
- Cautions and contraindications
- Treatment at my clinic
1. Overview
Zào Xīn Huáng Tǔ (灶心黄土) — Terra Flava Usta — is known in English as Oven earth / stove earth. It belongs to the category of herbs that warm the middle and stop bleeding in the Chinese Materia Medica and is used in Chinese herbal medicine both as a component of classical herbal formulas and within tailored prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
I prescribe Zào Xīn Huáng Tǔ as part of bespoke herbal formulas from pharmaceutical-grade granules sourced from Sun Ten in Taiwan — independently tested to the highest international quality and safety standards. Herbs are never prescribed individually outside a properly balanced formula; they are always combined with other herbs selected to match the patient’s individual TCM pattern. Online consultations are available for patients who cannot attend my clinic in person.
2. Properties
| Pinyin name | Zào Xīn Huáng Tǔ |
|---|---|
| Chinese characters | 灶心黄土 |
| Latin name | Terra Flava Usta |
| English name | Oven earth / stove earth |
| Nature | Warm |
| Flavour | Acrid |
| Channels entered | Spleen, Stomach |
| Category | Warm the interior |
3. Actions and indications
Principal actions
- Warms the middle burner and stops bleeding
- Harmonises the Stomach and stops vomiting
- Warms the Spleen and stops diarrhoea
Indications
- Bleeding from Spleen deficiency-Cold, including blood in the stool and uterine bleeding
- Vomiting from Stomach Cold, including vomiting in pregnancy
- Chronic diarrhoea with cold limbs
4. Key formulas containing Zào Xīn Huáng Tǔ
Zào Xīn Huáng Tǔ is an ingredient in a number of classical formulas. The following are among the most important:
See the full Chinese herbal medicine formula directory for detailed information on all 332 classical formulas.
5. Modern research
Oven earth is the baked earth from the base of a traditional wood-fired stove, rich in silicates. Its action is largely physical and warming; it is the principal herb of Huang Tu Tang for deficiency-Cold bleeding.
6. Incompatibilities
The classical Ming-dynasty texts Shi Ba Fan (Eighteen Antagonisms) and Shi Jiu Wei (Nineteen Mutual Inhibitions) record herb pairs that should not be combined. Modern practitioners treat these as strong cautions rather than absolute contraindications.
No classical incompatibilities are recorded for Zào Xīn Huáng Tǔ in the Shi Ba Fan or Shi Jiu Wei.
7. Cautions and contraindications
Modern sourcing is inconsistent and it is now infrequently used; a warming Spleen tonic is often substituted. All gastrointestinal or uterine bleeding requires medical investigation before herbal treatment.
Pattern contraindications
Not appropriate for bleeding from Heat, where cooling the Blood is required instead.
Modern drug interactions
No specific drug interactions are well established for Zào Xīn Huáng Tǔ at normal prescribed doses. As with all Chinese herbs, tell your herbalist about every prescribed medication so the formula can be reviewed for interactions and adjusted where necessary.
Important: Chinese herbs should always be prescribed by a fully qualified herbalist who is a member of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM). Never self-prescribe or self-administer Chinese herbs without professional guidance. Dr (TCM) Attilio D’Alberto is a member of the RCHM and the British Acupuncture Council with over 25 years of clinical experience.
8. Treatment at my clinic
I rarely use Zào Xīn Huáng Tǔ in modern practice; where the classical pattern applies I prescribe a suitable warming Spleen formula instead, alongside conventional investigation.
Online Chinese herbal medicine consultations are available for patients throughout the UK and internationally, with herbs dispensed by post. Visit the prices page for consultation fees.
Return to the Chinese herb directory or the Chinese herbal medicine main page.
Prefer to be treated from home? Chinese herbal medicine online consultations are available throughout the UK and worldwide. After a full video consultation, Dr (TCM) Attilio D'Alberto formulates a bespoke herbal prescription and posts your Chinese herbs directly to your door.
