Yang Tonics
Ge Jie (Gecko) in TCM
Naming
Ge Jie (Gecko)——Hai Yao Ben Cao (Materia Medica of Sea Herbs)
The Processing of 蛤蚧
Origin
The dry body removed internal organs of the animal Gekko gecko Linnaeus of family Gecko.
Location
Mainly produced in Guangxi, Yunnan and Guangdong provinces in China.
Harvest
Captured all the year round.
The actual smell and taste
Raw meat smell, slightly salty.
Best quality
Whole large, fat body with tail.
Processing
Sliced, baked after infiltrated by millet wine, removed the head, feet and scales before use. Unprocessed or stir-baked with liquor.
The Effect of 蛤蚧
Property
Sweet, salty, neutral; kidney and lung meridians entered.
Actions
Tonify kidney yang, nourish kidney essence, tonify lung qi, and relieve cough and dyspnea.
Indications
A. Cough and dyspnea of deficiency type due to deficiency of both lung and kidney
It is an important herb that is indicated for dyspnea of deficiency type due to deficiency of both lung and kidney, failure of kidney to receive qi, because it can relieve cough and dyspnea through tonifying kidney yang and lung qi. It is usually combined with lung and kidney-tonifying, cough and dyspnea-relieving herbs, for instance, it is used with Ren Shen, Hu Tao Rou and Wu Wei Zi. For strain cough due to lung deficiency caused by chronic disease, it is combined with herbs to tonify lung, nourish yin, dispel deficiency heat, dispel phlegm to relieve cough, for instance, it is used with Ren Shen, Zhi Mu, Bei Mu and Xing Ren in the formula Ren Shen Ge Jie San from Wei Sheng Bao Jian.
B. Impotence and premature ejaculation with thin semen due to deficiency of kidney
It is indicated for impotence and premature ejaculation with thin semen due to deficiency of kidney yang and insufficiency of kidney essence, because it can treat impotence through tonifying kidney and nourishing essence, securing the original essence. It could be used as alcoholic preparation singly or combined with other herbs to tonify kidney, nourish essence, tonify yang, for instance, it is used with Lu Rong, Hai Gou Shen, and Yin Yang Huo.Besides, it is suitable for weak, prematurely senile due to kidney deficiency because it can tonify and strengthen the organism.
Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 5~10 g; smashed into powder, 1~2 g per time, 3 times a day, or made into alcoholic preparation, pill or powder. For saving herb, it is appropriate to use as pill or powder.
Sources and further reading
We cite classical materia medica and modern reference works. This article is health education, not medical advice.
- Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), Han dynasty.
- Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen, 1578.
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia, current edition — identity, quality and safety monographs.
- NCCIH and WHO reference material on traditional medicine safety.
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