[Study on the mineralogical origin of medicinal galamina based on phase and composition analysis].

Based on the phase and composition analysis of 56 batches of samples, the present paper showed that hydrozincite, just as smithsonite, should be named as the mineralogical origin of medicinal galamina. Galamina was proved to be polymineral aggregation by electron probe micro-analysis, which was constituted by various mineral particulates, such as hydrozincite, smithsonite, zinc oxide, dolomite, etc. It is hydrozincite but not smithsonite that is the current mainstream mineral of commercial galamina. Both hydrozincite and smithsonite should be calcined to turn into zinc oxide when they were used as medicine. As a provider of medical galamina, essentially the zinc oxide, hydrozincite is appropriate.