Chan Tui: Chinese Herb Guide

Name

Chan Tui (Periostracum Cicadae) ——Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Shen Nong’s Herbal)

The Processing of Chan Tui

Origin

Shell of insect Cryptotympana pustulata Fabricius during eclosion of family Cicadidae.

Location

Most regions in China.

Harvest

Collected in summer and autumn.

The real smell and taste

Less smell, bland taste.

Best quality

Light and complete body with shining yellow color.

Processing

Unprocessed.

The Effect of Chan Tui

Property

Sweet, cold; lung, liver meridians entered.

Actions

Disperse wind-heat, relieve sore throat and produce sound, relieve itching and promote eruption, improve vision and remove nebula, extinguish wind and relieve spasms.

Indications

A. Wind-heat exterior syndrome and warm diseases at the defense system

Being able to dispersing wind-heat and expelling pathogens to release exterior, it can be used together with wind-heat-dispersing herbs such as Bo He, Ju Hua, to treat exterior syndrome and warm diseases at the defense system manifested by fever, headache. For it’s good at dispersing wind-heat to ventilate lung, relieve sore throat and produce sound, it’s often used inconjunction with exterior-releasing and sore-throat-relieving herbs such as Bo He and Niu Bang Zi to treat the above diseases with wind-heat stagnated in the lung with symptoms of hoarse voice or itching and sore throat, cough.

Also being able to dispel wind-heat and relieve itching, it can be used together with wind-dispelling and itching-relieving herbs such as Jing Jie, Bo He, Fang Feng to treat pruritus caused by pathogenic wind stagnated in the exterior. For example, the formula Xiao Feng Sanin Wai Ke Zheng Zong.

B. The initial stage of measles without adequate eruption

Being able to promote eruption and dispel wind-heat, it can be used with exterior-releasing and eruption-promoting herbs such as Ju Hua, Niu Bang Zi to treat inadequate eruption due to wind-heat tightening the exterior.

C. Blood-shot eyes with nebula

Being able to clear liver-heat to improve vision and remove nebula, it is often used in conjunction with liver-heat-clearing and eyesight-improving herbs such as Ju Hua, Jue Ming Zi for blood shot eyes with lacrimation and nebula.

D. Syndrome of stirring of liver wind, spasms and clonic convulsions

Being able to relieve spasms by subduing liver wind, it can be indicated for syndromes of stirring of liver wind such as chronic or acute infantile convulsions and tetanus. For it is cool and cold, and able to clear liver fire, it's indicated for liver wind due to liver heat. It is often used together with liver-heat-clearing and liver-wind-extinguishing herbs such as Niu Huang, Gou Teng. For tetanus, it is often used together with wind-dispelling and spasm-relieving herbs such as Tian Nan Xing, Quan Xie, Tian Ma.

Besides this, modern research proves that it is also effective in treating infantile morbid night crying for it has the action of soothing spirit.

Dosage and Administrations

Decoct 6~15g, or pound the single herb and take the infusion. Commonly use a small dosage, but for convulsions it should be used in large dosage.