Properties: Salt, neutral
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Directs Qi downwards
Chronic cough and asthma
- Promotes urination
Stranguria
- Soothes the Liver and improves eyesight
Nebula
In ancient times it was worshipped as a divine medicinal and described as having some miraculous effects. Some Daoists took bat eyes and gall in the hope of acquiring special physical abilities, particularly good
eyesight and night vision.
- Resolves Toxicity
Incised wounds
Scrofula
Malaria
Infantile malnutrition
Gonorrhoea
- Aids fasting
Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as Fu Yi (伏翼 "concealed wing") as part of the middle class of animal parts which can, with protracted taking, make one happy, elevated, and worry-free. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).
Suggested Daily Dosage: Made into powder or pills.
Cautions: Do not take overdose.
Has been relegated to Obsolete Substances due to likelihood of it being the source of over 60 zoonotic viral diseases, including being suspected as the origin of SARS and SARS-CoV-2 (Cui, Li & Shi, 2019) as well as the Ebola, Marburg, Nipah and Hendra viruses.
Does not appear in any formulae listed on this site
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, has been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
