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Snake Slough, She Tui 蛇蜕Snake Skin
She Tui (TCM) Sbrul lpags (Tibetan) |
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Snake Slough at the Chengdu Herbal Medicine Market (Adam, 2016)
Zoological name:
Various species have been used as a source of Snake Slough
TCM mainly uses members of Colubridae (the largest family of Snakes, found Worldwide), especially:
Parts used:
Slough shed from various Snakes, washed and sun-dried.
"The flesh of female serpent is the best while the best slough is obtained from a male serpent". (Avicenna)
Temperature & Taste:
Neutral, Sweet, Salty
Constituents:
Collagen
Various species have been used as a source of Snake Slough
TCM mainly uses members of Colubridae (the largest family of Snakes, found Worldwide), especially:
- Elaphe carinata (King Ratsnake)
- Elaphe taeniura (Beautiful Ratsnake)
- Elaphe dione
- Zaocys dhumnades (Black Snake)
Parts used:
Slough shed from various Snakes, washed and sun-dried.
"The flesh of female serpent is the best while the best slough is obtained from a male serpent". (Avicenna)
Temperature & Taste:
Neutral, Sweet, Salty
Constituents:
Collagen
Uses:
1. Settles Wind, Stops Spasms:
-Childhood Convulsions, Seizures, Epilepsy
-'good for treating 120 kinds of Infantile Convulsions'. (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing)
-playing with the Tongue, difficulty Speaking, shaking of the Head. (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing)
2. Resists Poison, Clears Toxic Swellings:
-Eczema, Psoriasis, skin lesions, Itching; some old TCM texts said 'all skin disorders'.
-internally and topically for Toxic Swellings including Breast Abscesses, Scrofula and Tumors
-acute Sore Throat, Pharyngitis; 'all disorders of the Throat and Tongue' (Grand Materia Medica, TCM)
-Sublingual Swellings
-Malaria
-ashes were given for Diarrhea and Dysentery with Blood
-traditionally for negative effects of Evil Spirits, Gu [parasite] toxin, and Malarial Fever (old TCM)
3. Clears the Eyesight:
-'brightens the Eyes'. (Ming Yi Bie Lu)
-Pterygium; Corneal opacity; Nebula; Cataracts; superficial visual obstructions.
-Dioscorides used Snake Slough in Eye medicines
4. Kills Worms:
-Worms and Parasites (TCM, West)
5. Promotes Labor:
–promotes labor, expels the Placenta. (Tibetan Medicine, TCM)
-has been used to correct transverse presentation,
6. Externally:
-As a paste to Abscesses, Malignant Boils, and hard Tumors (West)
-‘Tumors with a hard mass and no pus can be treated with a paste made from the drug for application every night’ (Holy Prescriptions, TCM).
-Genital Warts and Sores (TCM)
-Itching, Ringworm (TCM, West)
-Leukoderma (Vitiligo) (ashes mixed with oil and applied) (TCM)
-"sbrul lpags (snake skin) cures sha khra (vitiligo)" (Four Tantras, Tibetan Medicine)
‘The powder thereof causes the Hair to Grow’. (A Compleat History of Animal and Minerals, Robert Lovell, 1661)
-the Slough was wrapped around the waist to promote Birth in the West.
-applied topically to all types of Headaches (English and European Folk Medicine)
-burnt powder may be blown directly onto the Throat for Sore Throat, Pharyngitis etc.
-topically to Red and Blood Shot eyes
-Stye, a small piece soaked in vinegar is applied, changing every 24 hours. It usuallu heals in 1–3 applications. (TCM)
-apthous mouth ulcers (decoction topically)
-'Mouthwash prepared after boiling the serpent slough in vinegar, is useful in Toothache'. (Avicenna)
-'Serpent slough decocted with wine and instilled in the ear, cures ear-ache', (Avicenna)
-in oils for Ear diseases (ear pain, otitis media, poor hearing and tinnitus)
-Running Sores of the Ears
-Hemorrhoids (TCM)
Dose:
For internal use, the stir-fried, wine-fried, or ashed material is used.
Powder of the prepared Slough: 300–600mg in pills or powder
Slough in Decoction: 1.5–3 grams
Of the Ashes: 1–3 grams
Preparation:
1. Stir-fried Snake Slough:
Stir-fried in a dry pan until yellowed. This facilitates powdering, reduces toxicity, and enhances absorption.
2. Wine-fried Snake Slough:
Pieces of Snake Slough are steeped in Wine (Yellow Rice Wine), 15% of their weight until well soaked. Then they are stir-fried in a wok until dry and yellowish. This facilitates powdering, enhances the effect of dispelling Wind, and importantly, reduces the offensive smell. Mostly used for Childhood Convulsions, Eczema, dry and itchy skin conditions and superficial visual obstructions.
3. Licorice & Wine Prepared Snake Slough:
Wash Snake Slough well with Licorice decoction, then with Wine (5% of the weight), stir-fry to dryness in a wok.
4. Vinegar Prepared Snake Slough:
Steep in vinegar, then stir-fried to dryness. (Lei Gong's Cannon)
5. Ashed Snake Slough:
Snake Slough is dry-fried or burned in a sealed pot until ashed. It is then powdered, sieved and kept in a well stopped glass jar.
Or cover the Slough with Salt and Clay, then calcine it. (Li Shi Zhen)
Or seal in a bottle using Salt and Clay, calcine it, then grind to powder.
6. Jelly of Snake Slough:
Sometimes in Western formulas, the Jelly of Snake Skins was called for; this is a jelly formed the same as that of Deer Horn, by long boiling of the Slough, then concentrating the decoction to the thickness of Honey, or presumably so it could be dried once cooled. It was sometimes added to medicines used to clear poison and pestilence.
7. A method from Li Shi Zhen:
Wash the Slough with decoction of Gleditsia Zao Jia, then wrap it around a bamboo stick. Soak in either wine, vinegar or honey, then stir-fry until it becomes yellowish.
Substitute:
Cicada Slough has similar effects. Both have a signature of 'shedding' skin diseases and superficial visual obstructions just as the Snake/Cicada shed their skin. Both are also used for Wind conditions such as Childhood Convulsions.
For internal use, the stir-fried, wine-fried, or ashed material is used.
Powder of the prepared Slough: 300–600mg in pills or powder
Slough in Decoction: 1.5–3 grams
Of the Ashes: 1–3 grams
Preparation:
1. Stir-fried Snake Slough:
Stir-fried in a dry pan until yellowed. This facilitates powdering, reduces toxicity, and enhances absorption.
2. Wine-fried Snake Slough:
Pieces of Snake Slough are steeped in Wine (Yellow Rice Wine), 15% of their weight until well soaked. Then they are stir-fried in a wok until dry and yellowish. This facilitates powdering, enhances the effect of dispelling Wind, and importantly, reduces the offensive smell. Mostly used for Childhood Convulsions, Eczema, dry and itchy skin conditions and superficial visual obstructions.
3. Licorice & Wine Prepared Snake Slough:
Wash Snake Slough well with Licorice decoction, then with Wine (5% of the weight), stir-fry to dryness in a wok.
4. Vinegar Prepared Snake Slough:
Steep in vinegar, then stir-fried to dryness. (Lei Gong's Cannon)
5. Ashed Snake Slough:
Snake Slough is dry-fried or burned in a sealed pot until ashed. It is then powdered, sieved and kept in a well stopped glass jar.
Or cover the Slough with Salt and Clay, then calcine it. (Li Shi Zhen)
Or seal in a bottle using Salt and Clay, calcine it, then grind to powder.
6. Jelly of Snake Slough:
Sometimes in Western formulas, the Jelly of Snake Skins was called for; this is a jelly formed the same as that of Deer Horn, by long boiling of the Slough, then concentrating the decoction to the thickness of Honey, or presumably so it could be dried once cooled. It was sometimes added to medicines used to clear poison and pestilence.
7. A method from Li Shi Zhen:
Wash the Slough with decoction of Gleditsia Zao Jia, then wrap it around a bamboo stick. Soak in either wine, vinegar or honey, then stir-fry until it becomes yellowish.
Substitute:
Cicada Slough has similar effects. Both have a signature of 'shedding' skin diseases and superficial visual obstructions just as the Snake/Cicada shed their skin. Both are also used for Wind conditions such as Childhood Convulsions.
Main Combinations:
Heat and Toxin, Swellings
1. Rashes, Chronic Eczema and itchy Skin from Wind-Heat:
i. Snake Slough, Cicada Slough (Chan Tui), Rehmannia Shu Di Huang, Dang Gui (TCM)
ii. Snake Slough is combined with Viper flesh
2. Amoebic Dysentery, burn Snake Slough to ashes and give 2–3 grams with Sugar Syrup three times daily. (Barefoot Doctors Manual)
3. Throat inflammation and pain:
i. take 3 grams of the powder with milk. (Xin Jing, TCM)
ii. burn small pieces of Snake Slough and inhale the smoke.
iii. wrap a salted plum in Snake Slough and hold in the mouth, swallowing the saliva.
4. Mumps, cook 6 grams with eggs and give as a dose. (TCM)
5. Breast Abscess, take burned Snake Slough with wine. (Chan Ru, TCM)
6. Scrofula: "The flesh and soup, prepared after discarding both extremities of the serpent, prevents the growth of scrofula. Similar is the property of its slough.". (Avicenna)
7. Tumor of the Salivary Gland, Snake Slough, Scorpion, Wasp Nest (TCM)
8. Lymph gland Tuberculosis, make a hole in an egg, blow out the white, fill with 2 grams of powdered Snake Slough, then cook on a fire. Take the dried yolk and snake slough 3 times daily. This has been effective when continued for 70-90 days. (TCM)
Diseases of the Eye & Ear
9. Superficial Visual obstructions, Pterygium and Corneal opacity:
i. to stop sudden onset of nebula and corneal opacity, wash Snake Slough, cut into pieces, then mix with wheat flour and form a cake. Stir-fry the cake until scorched, then powder and take 3 grams after a meal twice daily with warm water. (Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang, TCM)
ii. Snake Slough with Cicada Slough (Chan Tui), Tribulus seed (Ci Ji Li)
10. Cataracts, Snake Slough, Borneo Camphor, Vermillion (topically) (TCM)
11. The ashes of it mixed with Oil of Roses is dropped in for running sores of the ears (West)
12. Ear pain or Toothache, Slough is soaked in wine or vinegar and taken.
13. Sudden Ear pain, including thast with discharge of pus or fluid, blow powder of burnt Snake Slough into teh ear. 'This is a proven secret recipe'. (Yang Gong Yi Fang Zhai Yao, TCM)
14. Otitis Media (any of the following can be used after washing the ear with diluted hydrogen peroxide)
i. Snake Slough powder with Borneo Camphor (2%). Powder and blow into the ear. (TCM)
ii. Snake Slough ashes are mixed with Sesame oil and dropped into the ear.
iii. prepared a tincture of Snake Slough and Honeycomb. Drop into the ear.
15. Loss of Hearing, Oil of Bays and Snake Slough were combined for topical application. (West)
Other:
16. Epilepsy in children, Snake Slough, Uncaria Gou Teng, Rhubarb (Da Huang), Asarum Xi Xin, Astragalus Huang Qi, Grasshoppers (as a decoction)
17. Suppression of Urine, Dysuria:
i. burn Snake Slough, powder, and take with wine. (TCM)
ii. Snake Slough, Hosta plantaginea (2 parts each), Clove (one part). (Chinese Materia Medica, Stuauoft)
18. Transverse presentation and to promote Labor:
i. take a dose of stir-fried Snake Slough powder with wine. (Qian Jin Yao Fang, TCM)
ii. take 6 grams of the calcined powder with decoction of decoction of Siberian Elm bark (Yu Bai Pi)
iii. to promote Labor, make an infusion of Snake Slough and wash the vagina with it. (Bao Jian)
Externally:
19. Blood shot eyes, Itching, and ‘the falling of the hair’, apply with Bulls bile. (West)
20. Pyogenic infections:
i. mix Snake Slough ash with water and apply. (Qian Jin Yi Fang, TCM)
ii. mix Snake Slough ash with Pig Bile and apply. (Zhou Hou Fang, TCM)
21. Sores on the heads or faces of infants, or for Eczema of the ears, mix Snake Slough ash with Pig fat to make an ointment and apply topically. (Zi Mu Mi Lu)
22. Carbuncle as hard as stone, but without pus, apply a piece of Snake Slough 'and it will disappear overnight'. (Qian Jin Yao Fang, TCM)
23. Chronic malignant Boils, a slough is burnt and mixed with lard for external application, and another is burnt and taken in wine. (Qian Jin Yao Fang, TCM)
24. Vitiligo:
i. rub the part with a Snake Slough several hundred times, then throw the Slough into the grass and walk away. (Wai Tai Mi Yao, TCM)
ii. mix Snake Slough ash with Vinegar and apply. (Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang, TCM)
iii. mix Snake Slough ash with Oil and apply. (TCM)
25. Genital Warts and Sores, Snakes Sloughs with Figs were applied. (West)
26. Ulcers, Snake Slough, Bees, Centipedes boiled in Sesame oil and applied topically on paper.
Major Formulas:
Paraquilegia 6 (Mde'u 'byin drug pa) (Tibetan)
Cautions:
1. Not used during Pregnancy. (Although it has been used to calm the Fetus in pregnancy)
2. Despite being traditionally regarded as toxic, it has low toxicity.
Main Preparations used:
1. Not used during Pregnancy. (Although it has been used to calm the Fetus in pregnancy)
2. Despite being traditionally regarded as toxic, it has low toxicity.
Main Preparations used: