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Duck, Anas

Baj (Unani)
Ortus Sanitatis, Cube, Johann von, 1501

Botanical name:
Anas spp. and related
.. 1. A. platyrhynchos domesticus (Common Domestic Duck)
  2. A. galericulata is the Mandarin Duck.            

Parts used:
Flesh, Fat

Temperature & Taste:
Duck Meat: Warm and Moist. Sweet
Avicenna said 'It is hotter than all other domestic fowls'.

Uses:
MEAT (Warm, Moist. Sweet):
1. Clears Heat, Nourishes the Yin:
-infantile convulsions
-Liver heat condition such as headache, especially if the Yin is deficient.
-Coughs and Coughing of Blood associated with Yin deficiency
-Hot sensations of the body, sudden depression with fever, or for Edema from Yin deficiency. (TCM)
-Fattens the body, increases Semen, and Sexual Power (Avicenna)

2. Nourishes the Stomach;
-nourishes and strengthens the Stomach (TCM)
-recommended for griping of the guts in West
-'meat of duck, if digested, is the lightest but the most nutritive food'. (Avicenna)

3. Resists Poison:
-An antidote to all mineral poisons. (TCM)
-Opium poisoning (TCM)


BLOOD (Cool. Salty):
1. Resists Poison (TCM, West)
-A general Antidote to Poisons (esp. Gelsemium, as well as metals: Arsenic, Gold and Silver).
-given for all types of Parasites, and bacillary dysentery in children. (TCM, West)

2. Nourishes and Moves the Blood:
-Apoplexy and sudden collapse; said to revive a person who has drowned. (TCM)
-Also used for hemorrhage, and eye injuries. (West)


BRAIN (Warm)
1. Warms Kidneys, Increases Yang:
-Impotence, Infertility (in man or women)

EGG:    
1. Clears Heat, Nourishes the Liver:
-Liver heat headaches.
2. Clears Heat, Nourishes the Lungs:
-used for coughs or coughing of blood from heat or Yin deficiency

FAT (Warm and Moist. Sweet):
"Its fat is better than the fats of all other birds". (Avicenna)
1. Nourishes Yin:
-Used for general weakness and edema.
-clears the Complexion
2. Warms, Stops Wind, Eases Pain:
-'A great Anodyne, and of good use against Cold distempers of the nerves'. (Salmon, Schroder)
-'very useful in removing pain and the irritation in deeper parts of the body'. (Avicenna)

FECES (From a White Duck. Cool. Dried and powdered):
1. Clears Heat, Resists Poisons, Clears Swellings
-applied with egg white to very painful and inflamed boils.
-Taken internally for hardening of the Breast,
-overuse of Mineral drugs (TCM, Ben Cao Gang Mu).
-bitings of venomous beasts. (Salmon)
2. Externally:
-Dried Duck dung mixed with Vinegar and applied cures Tinea.

LIVER (Cool):
1. Strengthens the Liver:
-Stops Leakages ('fluxes') coming from Liver weakness,
-'Strengthens the Liver exceedingly' (Salmon)


Dose:
See Chicken for Dosage guidelines.:

Main Combinations:
1. Tonic Duck Soup:
i. Duck cooked with Astragalus Huang Qi, Dang Gui
ii. Duck cooked with Lycium Gou Qi ('Goji') and Cordyceps
2. Swollen painful Breasts from coagulated Milk, Duck fat, Suet, Storax, Cumin, Dill seed, Wormwood, Oil fo Wormwood, make a plaster and apply topically.

Major Formulas:

Cautions:
1. The flesh is not recommended for Spleen deficiency or Hemorrhage. Over-consumption of the flesh can cause Qi stagnation.
2. Culpeper said all Duck meat, except for that of the Green Duck, is hard of Digestion; but being digested, it will give good nourishment.
3. Avicenna noted that some say it induces Fever when eaten by those of a hot temperament.

Main Preparations used: