Is the toad (lai ha ma) a nationally protected animal? An analysis of its traditional Chinese medicine effects and actions
The toad, also called ha ma. An amphibian, its body surface has many warts, and it contains venom glands within, commonly known as lai ha ma, lai ci, lai ge bao. It is not only an agricultural guardian that preys on pests, but also combines medicinal, health-care and culinary uses in one, and is thus hailed as the “toad treasure”; it is a medicinal animal of very high economic value. So is the toad a nationally protected animal? What are the effects and actions of the traditional Chinese medicine toad?
In May 2017, members of the public reported that someone was catching lai ha ma by a small stream. Forest police then arrived at the scene and arrested Zhang, who was catching lai ha ma with a flashlight, and released the 87 lai ha ma he had caught on the spot. “Catching lai ha ma is also against the law?” Zhang looked puzzled when the police arrested him. After trial, the court found that Zhang had violated hunting regulations and seriously damaged wildlife resources, and he was sentenced to three months of criminal detention in accordance with the law.
After reading the two cases above, I believe many people share the same puzzlement as Zhang: catching lai ha ma and sparrows is also against the law? Sparrows and lai ha ma can be seen everywhere in daily life; however, what many people do not know is that they have already been listed as terrestrial wild animals that are beneficial, or have important economic or scientific research value, and are protected by the state, namely the “three haves animals”.
What are the “three haves animals”?
The “three haves animals” refer to terrestrial wild animals with important ecological, scientific and social value, including sparrows, frogs, geckos, toads (lai ha ma), pheasants, hares and various snakes, altogether more than 1,700 species. Regarding the “three haves animals”, China's Criminal Law and relevant legal provisions stipulate that privately catching 20 or more (individuals) constitutes a crime, catching 50 or more (individuals) is a major criminal case, and 100 or more (individuals) is an especially major criminal case.
In addition, China's Wild Animal Protection Law stipulates that to hunt terrestrial wild animals that are not under key national protection, one must obtain a hunting permit and comply with hunting quota management. Even with legal procedures, it is still not enough; there are also strict rules on when hunting is permitted and what methods may be used to hunt.
The actions of toad-type traditional Chinese medicinal materials
1. Chan su (toad venom) The white secretion from the glands behind the toad's ears and from the skin gland tumors is called chan su. Chan su is a treasure of traditional Chinese medicine. It has effects such as detoxification, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and has new uses such as strengthening the heart, promoting diuresis, fighting cancer, inducing anesthesia, resisting radiation and increasing white blood cells. It can treat heart failure, stomatitis, pharyngitis, sore and swollen throat, skin cancer and so on.
2. Chan yi (toad slough) The surface membrane that a toad naturally sheds, commonly known as chan tui, chan ke. Chan yi is cool in nature, pungent in taste, and slightly toxic. Taken internally, it clears heat and detoxifies, and promotes urination to reduce distension. It can treat conditions such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, liver cancer, uterine cancer, lymphoma, heart failure, hepatitis B, liver ascites and so on.
3. Gan chan (dried toad) That is, toad meat. Cold in nature, pungent in taste, toxic. Gan chan can detoxify and heal sores, dissolve accumulations and transform masses, and is a good medicine for treating infantile malnutrition. Taken internally it is good at attacking, and applied externally it is good at drawing out. In recent years, it has been used to treat leukemia, cirrhosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, tumors, esophageal cancer, chronic bronchitis and so on.
Others such as toad skin, toad head, toad tongue, toad liver and toad gallbladder also have certain medicinal value.
Records of the toad in medical books
1. Si Min Yue Ling: “Treats malignant sores and abscesses.”
2. Bie Lu: “Treats genital erosion, abscesses and pestilence, malignant sores, and wounds from mad dog bites.”
3. Yao Xing Lun: “Kills malnutrition worms, treats scrofula and malignant sores. Burn to ash and apply to all itching, wormy, spreading sores.”
4. Ben Cao Shi Yi: “For those with warm disease who develop spots, take one, pound fresh and squeeze out the juice to take, or burn to powder and take; for mad dog bites with madness and near death, make into minced raw fish dish and eat, eat several meals in succession.”
5. Ben Cao Bei Yao: “Induces sweating and reduces fever, removes dampness and kills worms.”
The medicinal value of the toad
The toad is fishy in taste, warm, and toxic. It enters the heart meridian and has effects such as detoxification, pain relief and opening the orifices.
1. To treat all sores and swellings, carbuncles, scrofula and other diseases that do not heal for months and are about to become cold fistulas: one toad (use without head), stone sulfur (separately ground), frankincense (separately ground). Costus root and cinnamon (remove coarse bark), half a liang each, one exposed honeycomb (burn to ash and use). Grind the above six ingredients into powder, mix the medicinal powder with one liang of clear oil, place in a porcelain bowl, simmer in a double boiler inside a pot, stirring without stopping, until it becomes a paste, spread on silk and apply. When clear water comes out, replace with new medicine; for severe sores, spread the medicine thickly and apply. (Chan Chu Gao from Sheng Ji Zong Lu)
2. To treat dorsal carbuncle swelling and toxin that has not yet formed: take one live toad, tie it and place it on the sore for half a day; the toad will surely become dazed; then change to another one, as before, and that toad will surely stagger; change to another one again, and when the toad remains as usual, then the toxin has dispersed. If the condition is severe, take one live toad, or two or three, cut open and place with the belly while hot against the sore; before long it will surely stink unbearably; change two or three more times and it will heal. (Yi Lin Ji Yao)
3. To treat sores in the tongue and mouth: one fen of chalcanthite, one fen of dried toad (roasted). Grind the above into powder, each time take a small bean-sized amount and sprinkle it on the sore; after a long while, rinse with five sheng of newly drawn water, until the water is used up. (Chan Fan San from Sheng Hui Fang)
4. To treat furuncle toxin: one zhi chu, seven grains of black pepper, one slice of fresh ginger. Put the above medicines into the toad's abdomen, then place in a clay pot or earthen jar, burn slowly until charred and grind into fine powder. Take five li each time, twice a day. (Ji Lin Zhong Cao Yao)
5. To treat cold mass in the abdomen, yin binding of water and grain, retained phlegm below the heart, stuffiness and fullness in both hypochondria that sounds when pressed, and counterflow harming food and drink: one large toad (remove skin and abdominal contents, cut into pieces), mirabilite (one sheng for adults, seven ge for ordinary people, five ge for thin and weak people). Boil with six sheng of water and take four sheng; take one sheng per dose, and if after one dose there is no bowel movement, take another sheng; if there is a bowel movement, then take it once every nine or ten days. (Bu Que Zhou Hou Fang)
6. To treat tetanus: two liang and a half of frog, cut and mash into mud, add one liang of Sichuan pepper, stir-fry with wine until hot, then add two cups and a half of warm wine, remove the residue and take; effective when the whole body sweats. (Qi Xiao Liang Fang)
7. To treat the five gan and eight dysenteries, sallow complexion and emaciation, craving to eat soil, and unwillingness to take milk or food: one large dried toad (burned and kept in its nature), one qian of Chinese honeylocust (remove skin and sinew, burn and keep in its nature), three qian of clam powder (water-ground), one qian of musk. Make into a bundle, and form into pills with paste the size of millet. Take thirty or forty pills each time on an empty stomach with rice water, twice a day. (Wu Gan Bao Tong Wan from Quan Ying Fang Lun)
The difference between toads and frogs
The toad is also called lai ha ma. Frog tadpoles are lighter in color and have longer tails; toad tadpoles are darker in color and have shorter tails. Frog eggs are laid in clumps, while toad eggs are laid in strings. Generally speaking, those with relatively smooth skin, relatively slender bodies and good at jumping are called frogs, while those with relatively rough skin, relatively bulky bodies and not good at jumping are called toads.