What is the "sheep treasure" that people talk about, and what is its usual market price?

There is a folk saying that “cattle have cow bezoar, and sheep have sheep treasure”. It is said that sheep treasure is very expensive and is a rare precious medicinal material seen only once in decades. So what exactly is sheep treasure? What is its usual price?

1. What is sheep treasure?

Folk belief holds that “sheep treasure” exists because cattle have “cow bezoar” in their stomachs and dogs have “dog treasure” in their stomachs, so it is naturally assumed that sheep have “sheep treasure” in their stomachs.

1. Sheep treasure is also called sheep bezoar stone. It was first recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica and has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, and calming fright. It is a rare traditional Chinese medicinal material. According to modern medical identification, sheep treasure is actually a gallstone, kidney stone, or stomach stone. From a medical perspective, this forms when a sheep eats some indigestible, keratinized things while grazing. After these things enter the stomach, they keep rolling, growing larger and smoother, forming a spherical object, all formed over time.

2. Sheep treasure is generally wet when first taken out. Sheep treasure is generally taken from the stomach of sheep over one year old. Sheep treasure is generally spherical, dark brown, similar in size to a table tennis ball, with a smooth surface and textures. After cutting it open, the inside is a material like sheep wool.

2. What is the usual price of sheep treasure?

1. Rumors online say that sheep treasure is priceless, and it is now hyped online at more than 10,000 yuan per gram. The reason the price is high is mainly that some people can slaughter sheep their whole lives without ever encountering a piece of sheep treasure. Since ancient times in China, things are valued for being rare; the rarer the thing, the higher the price. Many people collect it, and it has a certain collectible value. In addition, rumors say that sheep treasure has high medicinal value and is a panacea that can cure all diseases, so sheep treasure has become more and more expensive as it is hyped.

2. In fact, sheep treasure has been hyped up by some merchants. Some illegal organizations use the guise of appraising “sheep treasure” to actually fool ordinary people, so everyone must be careful to avoid being deceived. In addition, apart from “cow bezoar”, other items such as “chicken treasure” and “sheep treasure” have not been included in relevant pharmacopoeia books. Although sheep treasure has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, resolving phlegm, and purging fire, its medicinal effects are not like the folk legend of curing all diseases. At the same time, because sheep treasure is uncommon, hospitals do not often use it to make medicine, so when using sheep treasure as medicine, attention must be paid to safety.

The above is an introduction to sheep treasure. The editor reminds everyone here that although sheep treasure is rare and uncommon and has a certain collectible value, do not believe some rumors, so as to avoid being deceived.