Pangolin Scale, Chuan Shan Jia 穿山甲
Chuan Shan Jia (TCM)
Chinese Pangolin Scale
Manis pentadactyla
Popular Science Monthly Volume 21 (1882)
Zoological name:
Manis pentadactyla
Parts used:
Scales
The scales of the tail were said to be strongest.
Temperature & Taste:
Cold, dry. Salty
Classification:
XXX
Uses:
1. Moves the Blood, Resolves Stasis:
-Amenorrhea, Dysmenorrhea
2. Clears Heat and Toxin, Resolves Swellings
-Toxic Sores, Swellings and Abscesses
-suppurative lesions
-also traditionally for Malarial illness
-“dissolve swelling associated with an obstruction-illness, and they drain pus and blood”. (Li Shi Zhen)
-“eliminate phlegm malaria with alternating sensations of cold and heat”. (Li Shi Zhen)
3. Clears Wind-Damp, Opens the Channels
-Painful obstruction of the muscles or joints
-stiffness and spasms of the limbs that prevents flexion or stretching
-“They open the passage through the conduits and vessels”. (Li Shi Zhen)
4. Promotes Lactation:
-insufficient lactation due to Blood Stasis
5. Calms the Mind, relieves Fright:
-Traditionally for Fright, Fear or weeping due to fright
-also for “Demons” or “Goblins” causing women or children to cry
6. Externally:
-ashes are applied to toxic sores
Dose:
Prepared Powder: 1000–1500mg.
Preparation:
They are never used in their raw state.
1. Roasted Pangolin Scales:
They are roasted in a pan or stir-fried until yellow
This makes them less cold, easier to powder, and more gentle on the stomach.
2. Burnt Pangolin Scales:
They may be burnt to ashes
3. Vinegar-prepared Pangolin Scales:
When roasted or stir-fried with Vinegar, they are stronger to resolve stasis
4. Urine-prepared Pangolin Scales:
Traditionally they were sometimes stir-fried with Boy’s urine
5. Other preparations:
They can also be fried in oil, stir-fried with Earth, or fried with Clam shell powder.
Substitute:
1. Vaccaria Wáng Bù Liú Xíng is an accepted vegetable substitute
2. Wingless Cockroach (Tu Bie Chong)
Main Combinations:
1. Abdominal Masses from Blood Stasis, Pangolian scales Chuan Shan Jia with Zedoary (E Zhu) and Sparganium San Leng
2. Gynecological tumors of masses, roasted Pangolian scales Chuan Shan Jia with sand until yellow, then remove from the sand, powder, and take 6 grams of the powder with wine.
3. Wind-Damp painful obstruction Pangolian scales Chuan Shan Jia with Dang Gui, Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Notopterygium Qiang Huo, Ligusticum Chuan Xiong
4. Boils and Wounds, Aconitum Fu Zi, Ginger juice, Dragons Blood (Xue Jie), Sesame seed (Hei Zi Ma), Flowers of Sulphur, Pangolian scales, formed into Pills (Chinese Materia Medica, Stuauoft)
5. Syphilitic skin lesions: Agkistrodon Bai Hua She, Turtle shell (Gui Ban), Pangolian Scale stir-fried (Chuan Shan Jia), Wasp nest (Feng Fang), Calomel, Cinnabar (equal parts). Powder, mix with paste of Chinese Red dates (Da Zao) and form pills the size of a Parasol seed. Take 7 pills three times daily with tea. After it has cleared, take decoction of Smilax Tu Fu Ling. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
6. Insufficient lactation, Pangolian scales Chuan Shan Jia with Astragalaus Huang Qi
7. Insomnia and unsettled Spirit, Pangolian scales Chuan Shan Jia with Zizyphus seed (Suan Zao Ren) and Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang
Major Formulas:
Zhen Ren Huo Ming Yin (Elixir of Vitality for the Living)
Cautions:
1. Not used during Pregnancy
2. Not used for open sores
CITES listing:
It is critically endangered and was removed from the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition)
Main Preparations used:
Prepared Pangolin Scales (usually roasted)
Click the above Tabs for more information on this medicine
