What are the effects and uses of hedgehog skin?
Hedgehog skin is the skin of the hedgehog animal. According to the record of hedgehog skin in the "Compendium of Chinese Materia Medica": hedgehog skin is a less commonly used Chinese medicine, first recorded in the "Shennong Bencao Jing", listed as a middle-grade drug, originally named wei pi (hedgehog skin), and is an astringent medicine. It is generally not used raw; in clinical practice its fried preparation is mostly used. Now let us take a look together at the effects, uses and medicinal value of hedgehog skin!
The effects of hedgehog skin
1. For stomach duct pain: hedgehog skin has the effect of moving qi and relieving pain, so it can be used for stomach duct pain caused by disharmony of the liver and stomach. Hedgehog skin can be used alone, roasted dry, ground into powder, and swallowed one qian each time, twice to two times a day; it can also be used in combination with bai zhu (Atractylodes macrocephala rhizome), bai shao (peony root), xiang fu (Cyperus rotundus rhizome), xiang yuan pi (citron peel) and the like.
2. For hemorrhoids with bloody stool, rectal prolapse and other conditions: hedgehog skin can resolve stasis and stop bleeding, and has a special strength in treating hemorrhoidal diseases. When used to treat hemorrhoids with bloody stool, it is often used together with huai hua (Sophora japonica flower), di yu (Sanguisorba officinalis root) and the like; when used for rectal prolapse, it can be used together with qi-tonifying drugs such as huang qi (Astragalus membranaceus root) and the like.
3. For spermatorrhea, enuresis and other conditions: hedgehog skin also has the effect of securing essence and reducing urination. When used for spermatorrhea and enuresis, it is often combined with drugs that tonify the kidney and astringe essence, such as yi zhi ren (Alpinia oxyphylla fruit), mu li (oyster shell), qian shi (Euryale ferox seed) and the like.
4. Stomach pain, vomiting: hedgehog skin can resolve stasis and relieve pain. For treating long-standing stomach pain with qi and blood stasis accompanied by vomiting, it can be used alone, roasted dry and ground into powder, and taken with yellow wine, or used together with drugs such as yan hu suo (Corydalis yanhusuo tuber), xiang fu (Cyperus rotundus rhizome) and the like.
5. Resolving stasis and relieving pain, astringing and stopping bleeding: hedgehog skin has the effects of resolving stasis and relieving pain, and astringing and stopping bleeding.
The effects of hedgehog skin
[Nature and flavor] Bitter, neutral.
[Meridian entry] Enters the intestine and stomach.
[Functions] Directs qi downward and relieves pain, cools blood and stops bleeding. Treats regurgitation of food, abdominal pain and hernia, intestinal wind and hemorrhoidal fistula, and spermatorrhea.
[Usage] Oral administration: decoct in water, 2~3 qian, or include in powder preparations. External use: grind into powder and sprinkle on, or mix and apply.
1. "Ben Jing": "Mainly treats the five types of hemorrhoids, genital erosion and bleeding, red and white five-colored blood discharge that does not stop, and genital swelling and pain extending to the lower back and back; it is killed by boiling in wine."
2. "Bie Lu": "Treats abdominal pain and mounting accumulations; burn to ash and take with wine."
3. "Yao Xing Lun": "Mainly treats intestinal wind with bloody diarrhea, and hemorrhoidal disease with heads that has not healed for many years; take the roasted powder with plain water, one square-inch spoonful, and blow the burned powder into the nose to treat nosebleed."
4. Meng Shen: "Burned to ash and taken with wine, it treats stomach rebellion; boiled into juice and taken, it stops regurgitation."
5. "Bencao Beiyao": "Purging, cools blood."
6. "Ben Jing Feng Yuan": "Removes eye cataracts."
7. "Sui Xi Ju Yin Shi Pu": "Calcined and ground for oral use, it treats spermatorrhea."
The medicinal value of hedgehog skin
1. To treat regurgitation of food: burn hedgehog skin to ash, take with wine, or boil into juice, or marinate and roast with the five flavors and eat. ("Puji Fang")
2. To treat intestinal wind with bloody stool: one piece of white hedgehog skin (roast in a pan until the needles are scorched, remove the skin, use only the needles), half a liang of mu zei (Equisetum hiemale) (fried until yellow). Grind the above into a fine powder. Take two qian each time, mix with hot wine and take on an empty stomach before meals. ("Yang Family Secretly Stored Recipes", Hedgehog Skin Powder)
3. To treat hemorrhoids: equal parts hedgehog skin and chuan shan jia (pangolin scales), burn while preserving their nature, add half a portion of rou dou kou (Myristica fragrans seed), grind into powder, and take two qian mixed with hot rice water on an empty stomach. ("Bencao Yanyi")
4. To treat intestinal hemorrhoids with the lower part feeling as if gnawed by insects: burn hedgehog skin to powder, mix with raw oil and apply. ("Jianyao Jizhong Fang")
5. To treat anal prolapse: one piece of hedgehog skin, four liang of ci shi (magnetite), one chi of gui xin (cinnamon heart). For the above three ingredients, process and sift. Take one square-inch spoonful with water, once a day. ("Qianjin Fang")
6. To treat five-colored dysentery: burn hedgehog skin to ash and take two qian with wine. ("Shouyu Shenfang")
7. To treat spermatorrhea: fry hedgehog skin and grind into powder. Take two qian each time, twice a day. ("Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine")
8. To treat prostatitis and kidney stones: 2 hedgehog skins, roast dry and grind into powder. Divide into 40 packets, and take one packet each morning and evening with rice water. During the course of medication there may be a burning pain in the urethra; do not worry. (Inner Mongolia "Selected Materials on New Chinese Herbal Medicine Treatment Methods")
9. To treat nosebleed: one piece of hedgehog skin, burn to ash, grind finely, use half a qian each time, wrap in cotton and place in the nose, changing it several times. ("Shenghui Fang", Nose-Plugging Powder)
10. To treat nasal polyps: roast hedgehog skin and grind into powder, wrap in cotton and plug for three days. ("Qianjin Fang")
11. To treat bites by rabid dogs: equal parts hedgehog skin and hair. Burn to powder, mix with water and drink one cup. If the eyes are already red and the mouth clenched, break the teeth and administer it. ("Buque Zhouhou Fang")
Compatibility and applications of hedgehog skin
1. With xiang fu (Cyperus rotundus rhizome): xiang fu moves qi and relieves depression to treat qi depression, while hedgehog skin invigorates blood and removes stasis to treat blood depression. When the two drugs are combined, qi and blood flow smoothly, the pulse movement becomes free and unobstructed, depression and stagnation are resolved, and all symptoms disappear.
2. With huai hua (Sophora japonica flower): huai hua specifically clears damp-heat in the large intestine, cools blood and stops bleeding, while hedgehog skin invigorates blood and transforms stasis, relaxes the intestines and directs qi downward. When the two drugs are combined, they clear the intestines and stop bleeding, disperse wind and direct qi downward; once wind-heat and damp-toxin are cleared, bloody stool stops on its own.
3. With chan tui (cicada slough): chan tui clears heat, brightens the eyes and removes cataracts, while hedgehog skin removes eye cataracts. When the two drugs are used together, they are often used for patterns of abundant wind-heat congestion with cataract membranes covering the eyes; for cataracts left after traumatic corneal damage, they may also be selected as appropriate.
4. With sha yuan zi (Astragalus complanatus seed): sha yuan zi tonifies the kidney and astringes essence, treating low back pain, seminal emission, and deficiency damage with fatigue, while hedgehog skin also tonifies the kidney and astringes essence, and when calcined and ground for oral use it treats spermatorrhea. When the two drugs are combined, they tonify the kidney to treat the root and astringe essence to treat the branch. If hedgehog skin is calcined and ground into powder and taken with a decoction of sha yuan zi, its effect is miraculous.