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Helix, Snails

Wo Niu 蜗牛 (TCM)
Herbario nuovo, 1667
Materia Medica Animalia, Peter Peyto Good, 1853

Helix pomatia
(Photo by H. Zell) (Wikimedia)

Zoological name:
Helix spp.
H. pomatia (Edible or Apple Snail), H. asperea (Common Snail), H. sylvatica (Wood Snail), H. nemoralis (Grove Snail); others include H. vermiculata, H. quaesita, H. ravida, H. similaris, H. hortensis, and H. arbustorum (Shrub Snail)

Parts used:
Whole Snail; Shell

Temperature & Taste:
Cool, moist. Salty, slightly Sweet

Classifications:
3L. ANTI-TUSSIVE
TCM:
B. Clears Deficient Heat

CONSTITUENTS
Rich in protein (higher than Pork) with 20 aminao acids, low Fat content
Calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc, selenium; B-group vitamins, Enzymes

Uses:
FLESH (shell removed) (Cool, moist. Sweet)
1. Clears Liver Heat, Resists Toxin:
-‘Heat of the Liver’. (Schroder)
-relieve drunkenness
-Jaundice (including Black Jaundice)
-antidote to mineral poisons, or against the ill effects of excessive use of mineral medicines. (TCM)
-Spasms from fever
-Insect Bites
-Scrofula, insect Bites, Tumors and Cancers. (TCM, West)

2. Moistens and Nourishes the Yin:
-internal dryness or Yin deficiency; nourishes the Yin of the Kidney, Liver and Lungs in particular;
-Yin deficient heat such as consumption and other chronic wasting diseases
-Schroder noted the simple distilled water ‘strengthens the Liver’.
-Diabetes and diabetes-like disorders; Thirst of Diabetes
-Rickets in children
-suitable for deficiency in those with digestive weakness

3. Clears the Eyesight:
-Dioscorides used the whole Snails (with shell) for Poor eyesight.
-Conjunctivitis (TCM);
-In the West, it was given, even up until more recent times, for 'web in the Eye' (floaters).

4. Moistens the Bladder and Bowels:
-promotes urine when obstructed by heat and dryness
-Whole snails, burnt with their shell, are taken for Incontinence, Dysuria (TCM, West)
-moistens the intestines to promote stool.
-Edema, Dysentery, prolapsed Rectum, Fistula, Piles etc.
-accounted a special medicine for Stones.

5. Clears Heat, Nourish Lung Yin:
-chronic or dry Cough, Asthma, Consumption, spitting of blood, night Coughs
-TCM uses it for Pharyngitis and Laryngitis.

6. Externally:
-heal Wounds of the nerves, Leg Ulcers, Fistulas etc.
-externally for Gouty pain and Arthritic inflammations.
-mashed and applied to ripen Boils, Carbuncles and Abcesses (alone, or with Bile or Myrrh).
-Swelling and pain of the Throat, beat and apply topically. (TCM)


SHELL (Often roasted before use: Cool, dry, Salty)
1. Clears Phlegm and Damp:
-excess phlegm, nasal catarrh, cough
   
2. Clears Stomach Heat:
-Gastric pain, nausea, anal prolapse, rectal fistula;
-in Ayurveda for hyperacidity, and peptic and duodenal colic.
    
3. Clears Stones:
-They were used to ‘cure the Stone’. (Schroder)

4. Externally:
-Ulcers, Burns, Scalds.
-dries wet sores
-applied to clefts or chapped skin (the ashes or powder may be used).
-used in Tooth powders.
-Toothache from caries, apply the burnt shells in powder. (TCM)


PREPARATION:
1. As with Earthworms, Snails were often cleansed by soaking overnight in wine to purge them
2. It was common traditionally to 'cleanse' and fatten snails before using as food or medicine. They can be fed on fresh leaves of Lettuce, Spinach, Balm, Parsley etc. for several days; the Romans fed them on Bran soaked in wine.

DOSE:
Fresh Snails in Decoction: 30–60 grams. Eight Snails can be Boiled in a Quart of Water, without removing the scum. Strain and bottle. A spoonful can be added to any liquid taken. This preparation should be made new every 3 days.
Powdered Snails: 1–3 grams (traditionally 1 dram)
Snails ashes: 2–5 grams

Main Combinations:
1. Chronic Cough, Consumption, Wasting from Yin deficiency:
i. Consumption: take a quart of Snails, break their shells and wash well in water. Then boil in half a gallon of Milk until boiled to half. Take half a pint every morning. (Natura exenterata, Philiatros, 1655)
ii. Snails with Barley, Dates, Raisins, Licorice, Coltsfoot and the 4 Cold Seeds (as in Syrup Against Consumption)
iii. Snails with Coltsfoot, Plantain, Licorice, Elecampane and the 4 Cold Seeds (this was distilled)
iv. Snails with Coltsfoot, Hyssop, Maidenhair, Comfrey (distill)
2. Throat Inflammation:
i. wrap a Snail in Silk cloth, soak in water, then hold in the mouth to swallow the juice. (Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang, TCM)
ii. beat 7 Snails with 3 salted Plums to a paste, wrap in Silk, hold in the mouth and swallow the juice. (Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang, TCM)
ii. put 10 snails into a jar, add salt and seal the jar. The snails will turn into juice which can be taken to relieve acute sore throat. (Tang Shi, TCM)
3. Bleeding from Heat: wash the Snails well in hot water, bruise them, express the juice and mix with an equal quantity of Syrup of Violets, taken in doses of 1–2 spoonfuls in a suitable broth. (Nouveau Formulaire Medicale et Pharmaceutique, 1820)
4. Hectic Fevers (Yin-deficient Fever), Snails with Yarrow, Agrimony, Betony, Elecampane, Chicory root (to be distilled)
5. Weakness in children, add Snails, Rose, Rosemary and Marjoram to Cow Milk; distill, and add Sugar to taste.
6. Stones, ashes of Egg shells are mixed with ashes of Snails and taken in doses of 1 dram with a suitable decoction.
7. Strangury, Dysuria, Stoppage of Urine and Stones:
i. Dysuria, beat a Snail to a paste and apply below the umbilicus, and rub repeatedly. (Jian Yi, TCM)
ii. twice the weight of dried and powdered Snails is mixed with dried and powdered Bees. This is taken with Parsley water.
8. Bladder pain, A few Snails with shells was steeped in wine with a little Myrrh. Drink a little several times daily. (Dioscorides)
9. Thirst of Diabetes, steep 14 Snails in water overnight and drink in the morning. (TCM)
10. Wounds, beat Snails with Myrrh and Frankincense to be applied (Dioscorides)
11. Hemorrhoids, sprinkle Camphor over 10 shelled Snails; leaves for half a day, beat, and apply.
12. Prolapse of the Rectum, stir-fry 100 Snails, grind to powder. Simmer 3 grams of this powder with 15 grams of Magnetite in one cup of water until reduced to half. (Dan Xi, TCM)
13. Boils, Abscesses and Carbuncles:
i. beat fresh Snails with Salt and apply.
ii. Snail flesh and Ox Bile is made into a plaster.
14. Scrofula with Ulceration:
i. burns 7 Snails and 7 Cloves, powder, and apply. (Wei Shi Fang, TCM)
ii. beat Snails with Calomel, mix with Pig Marrow and apply. (Wei Shi Fang, TCM)
15. To clear the eyesight: 'Gather red snails and seeth them in clean water, and gather off the grease, and put it in a Vial, and annoint therewith the eyes earely in the morning and late in the evening.' (Natura exenterata, Philiatros, 1655)


Cautions:
Generally Safe.
1. Cool and moist, so should be used carefully in people with Cold and Damp constitutions, or weak Digestion. Dried Snails or the distilled water of them is less cold and moist.

Main Preparations used:
Syrup of Snails; Distilled Water of Snails

1. Decoction of Snails:
i. Snails, shells removed (20), Crabs bruised (2), Water (2 pounds). Bruise together the snails and crabs, then boil for 2 hours in a water-bath, and strain when cold. (Pharmacopoeia Gallica, 1818)
ii. Snails, bruised (30), quarters of Rennet Apples (6), dried Prunes (9), Spring Water (2 pounds). Boil, strain, clarify with egg white. (Niemann)
iii. Snails (30), Veal (6 oz.), Water (6 pounds). Boil to 2 pounds. (Pharmacopoeia extemporanea, Augustin, 1822)

2. Syrup of Snails:
Garden Snails, gathered in the morning, shell removed, and cut 1 lb.,, Sugar candy in fine powder half lb. Mix them and put into a Hippocrates Sleeve in a Cellar so it may fall through as a Syrup.
Dose: 1 spoonful every hour for Consumption and Lung ulcers (Bateana)

3. Pectoral Broth:
i. Calf Lungs chopper (4 oz.), Sheep Heart chopped (half), Snails (6), Water (2 pounds). Boil down to three-quarters and add in the last 15 minutes Iceland Moss (4 drams), strain. (Nouveau Formulaire Medicale et Pharmaceutique, 1820)
ii. Calf Lungs (8 oz.), Snails (8), Elecampane (1 dram), Endive (half handful), Male Speedwell, Ground Ivy (of each a pinch), boil in sufficient water. (Formulaire de Montpellier, 1822)

4. Artificial Asses Milk:
i. Snails (6), Deer horn shavings, Pearl Barley, Sea Holly root (3 drams each), Water (2 pounds); boil to half and add Syrup of Maidenhair (1 oz.) (Pharmacopoeia Hannoverana, 1819)