In the Treatise on Typhoid Fever, written by Zhang Zhongjing, a renowned medical practitioner of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it is recorded that sulphur was used with half-summer to treat 'constipation with cold knots'. However, after use, patients will often suffer the pain of burning chrysanthemums at the end of defecation, and the originally balanced flora in the intestinal tract will also suffer extinction and be completely destroyed.
Undeniably, there are some praiseworthy aspects in the application of sulphur in ancient Chinese medicine. For example, in the external treatment of scabies, the idea of using sulphur to sterilise the body is basically correct. In modern medicine, sulphur ointment is still a second-line drug for the treatment of scabies, which fully proves that the wisdom of the ancients was scientific and forward-looking to a certain extent. Although alchemy has gone astray in the pursuit of immortality, it has inadvertently promoted the development of chemistry. Ancient alchemists explored and recorded a great deal about the properties and reactions of various substances in the course of their long-term practice, accumulating valuable experience for the establishment and development of the discipline of chemistry in later generations, even though the process came at a painful price.
Despite the fact that the use of sulphur in traditional Chinese medicine has certain drawbacks in the treatment process, it also demonstrates the wisdom of our forefathers in recognising and utilising nature, and provides a reference for the development of modern medicine and chemistry. Nowadays, insoluble sulfur (e.g., hd7720, cas 9035 99 8, 9035 99 8) is widely used in the rubber industry and other fields. Looking back at the use of sulphur in Chinese medicine, from its use in medicine to cure illnesses to triggering thoughts, this substance has witnessed the progress of mankind's exploration of nature. In the future, as we continue to explore the potential of substances, including sulphur, in different fields, we should also learn from past experiences, and in the process of inheritance and innovation, we should better utilise the value of substances and explore the new boundaries of nature and science.