Donkey-hide Gelatin, E Jiao 阿胶
Ass-hide glue
E Jiao (TCM)
Animal Hide Gelatin
Taurokolla (Dioscorides, Bull hide Gelatin)
Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563
Parnassus Medicinalis, Joachim, 1658
Donkey Hide Gelatin (E Jiao)
Zoological name:
Equus asinus
Parts used:
Gelatin prepared from boiling ass or donkey skin
Gelatin prepared from animal skin, tendons and bones has been used elsewhere, including in Unani medicine. It shares similar effects but is weaker than Donkey Hide Gelatin.
Temperature & Taste:
Neutral, Sweet
Composition:
Primarily Collagen, with proteins, fats and minerals
Classification:
Uses:
1. Nourishes Blood:
-paleness, dizziness, weakness, feels the cold
-anemia with dizziness (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-palpitations associated with Blood deficiency
-Muscular weakness (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
2. Nourish Blood and Stops Bleeding:
-any type of Bleeding; blood in the Stool or Urine, hemoptysis
-excess menstrual or uterine bleeding
-Uterine Bleeding during pregnancy (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
3. Nourishes and Tonifies Yin:
-insomnia, numbness, spasms, tremors from Blood deficiency (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-Dry cough and blood in the sputum from Lung deficiency or Consumption
GELATIN:
1. Nourishes Blood:
-nourishes Blood and improves Skin.
-“provides radiance”. (Unani)
2. Stops Bleeding:
-used to stop Bleeding (including topically)
-said to have a thick and sticky nature, therefore thickening blood to stop bleeding.
4. Nourishes Yin:
-Joint and Bone disease; nourishes Bones, Joints and Skin.
-stops Cough; “especially beneficial in Lung infections”.
-Gastric Weakness duw to dryness and weakness
-Gelatinous broths were used for Weakness and Wasting by ancient Greeks
-nourishes “Radical [or Innate] Moisture”. (Unani)
–Avicenna viewed gelatin broths as useful for Wasting, Cachexia and as a restorative after Fever.
5. Used in Pharmacy:
-important coating for pills and to form gelatin capsules in modern medicine.
6. Externally:
-applied with Honey to Wounds (it has also been used for wound dressing in modern medicine)
-the solution in water is applied to Burns
-itching, ringworm, eczema and freckles (ground with vinegar and applied) (Unani)
Dose:
Powder (TCM-Donkey, and Unani-generic “Gelatin”): 1–2 grams (best dissolved in water)
3–9 grams; dissolved in hot water and added to herbs that have been decocted and strained; or dissolved in Rice wine.
Comment:
Donkey Hide Gelatin is specifically used in TCM, however, other animal Gelatins with may include boiling hides, tendons and bones of other species, particularly Cow, and is used similarly, though considered weaker. Unani and other systems has used animal Gelatin medicinally, and the uses are similar to those of Donkey Hide Gelatin in TCM. Therefore, both can be considered similar in effect, with the Donkey Hide Gelatin being stronger, particularly in its effect of nourishing the Blood.
Substitute:
In many instances, Bone Broth will have similar functions and effects
Preparation:
‘Soak the donkey-hide, remove the hairs, cut into small pieces, rinse again, decoct with water several times, filter and combine the filtrates. Concentrate the glutinous filtrate (or add a quantity of yellow rice wine, crystal sugar, soya-bean oil, respectively) to thick glue, allow to cool and congeal, cut into pieces, and dry in the air.’ (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
Main Combinations:
1. Blood deficiency with fatigue, pale face, dizziness or palpitation:
i. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Angelica Dang Gui and Codonopsis Dang Shen
ii. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Angelica Dang Gui and Chinese Red Date Da Zao
iii. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Angelica Dang Gui and Rehmannia Shu Di Huang, Paeonia Bai Shao, Astragalus Huang Qi
2. Bleeding from Deficiency:
i. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang
ii. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Chinese Agrimony (Xian He Cao)
iii. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Astragalus Huang Qi, Notoginseng San Qi
3. Dry cough from Heat damaging Lung Yin:
i. with blood-streaked sputum, Donkey-hide Gelatin with Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong, Adenophora Sha Shen
ii. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Almond (Xing Ren), Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi), honey-fried Licorice (Zhi Gan Cao) (as in Bu Fei E Jiao Tang)
iii. Donkey-hide Gelatin with American Ginseng (Xi Yang Shen), Figwort (Xuan Shen)
iv. severe Lung deficiency with coughing blood, Donkey-hide Gelatin with Cordyceps (Dong Chong Xia Cao), Adenophora Sha Shen, Fritillaria Chuan Bei Mu
4. Yin deficiency with Heat:
i. insomnia, irritability, palpitations from Heat damaging Yin, such as after Fever, Donkey-hide Gelatin with Paeonia Bai Shao, Coptis Huang Lian, Scutellaria Huang Qin (as in Huang Lian E Jiao Tang)
ii. chronic low grade Fever, heat in the palms and soles, night sweating, Donkey-hide Gelatin with Paeonia Bai Shao, Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong, honey-fried Licorice (Zhi Gan Cao)
5. Excess menstrual Bleeding, Uterine Bleeding:
i. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Artemisia Ai Ye and Paeonia Bai Shao (as in Jiao Ai Tang)
ii. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Artemisia Ai Ye and Rehmannia Shu Di Huang, Clove (Ding Xiang)
iii. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Artemisia Ai Ye and Eclipta Han Lian Cao
iv. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Deglued Deer Horn (Lu Jiao Shuang) and Cuttlefish bone (Hai Piao Xiao)
6. Irregular Menstruation from cold and deficiency, Donkey-hide Gelatin with charred Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, dry-fried Ginger (Pao Jiang), Codonopsis Dang Shen
7. Restless Fetus and Threatened Miscarriage:
i. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Dipsacus Xu Duan, Dodder seed (Tu Si Zi)
ii. Donkey-hide Gelatin with Chinese Mistletoe (Sang Ji Sheng), Dodder (Tu Si Zi), Atractyloes Bai Zhu
iii. with bleeding or stabbing abdominal pain, Donkey-hide Gelatin with Artemisia Ai Ye
8. Palpitations or irregular Heartbeat from Qi and Blood deficiency, Donkey-hide Gelatin with Licorice, Cinnamon twig (Gui Zhi), Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang
9. Muscular spasms and contractures, Donkey-hide Gelatin with Paeonia Bai Shao, Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong, Oyster shell (Mu Li), Turtle shell (Gui Ban), honey-fried Licorice (Zhi Gan Cao) (as in Da Ding Feng Zhu)
Major Formulas:
Bu Fei E Jiao Tang
Da Ding Feng Zhu
E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tan
Huang Lian E Jiao Tang
Jiao Ai Tang
Jiu Xian San
San Jia Fu Mai Tang
Shou Tai Wan
Wen Jing Tang
Zhi Gan Cao Tang
Cautions:
1. It is heavy, cloying and hard-to-digest. Not used for those with Spleen deficiency with loose stool.
Main Preparations used:
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