Retained placenta in livestock can be treated by boiling Angelica sinensis in sweet rice wine

Retained placenta in livestock is a relatively common condition among obstetric diseases. Under the guidance of my father, the author has used Angelica sinensis boiled in sweet rice wine to treat retained placenta in livestock, with obvious results. "Angelica sinensis," which some farmers call "blood skin vegetable," has been used by the author since 1988 to treat 22 cases of retained placenta in yellow cattle and water buffalo, 1 case of retained placenta in a dairy cow in June last year, and 1 case of retained placenta after miscarriage in livestock (a pig) in May this year, all with practical results. This medicine is simple to use, economical, and convenient, and is hereby reported as follows for the reference of colleagues.

1 Drug processing, dosage, and method of use

Take the young leaves and young stem portions of fresh Angelica sinensis (preferably snapped off by hand), about 300-500 g per dose. Use one bowl (with solids) of sweet rice wine (made by the local people from glutinous rice and sweet rice wine starter, also called laozao), about 500-1000 ml, adjusted appropriately according to the size of the livestock, boil until cooked, and administer orally once when warm, 2 times per day; 5 days constitutes one course of treatment and it can be cured.

2 Case summaries

Case 1: On August 3, 1988, after two days of calving, a yellow cow of my own had retained placenta. My father taught me to treat it and personally demonstrated: grab Angelica sinensis, mix with sweet rice wine, boil, wait until warm, and administer by drenching. Early the next morning, the placenta hanging at the cow's vulva was indeed gone, the cow ate normally, and after three more days of treatment, the swelling of the vulva began to disappear.

Case 2: On November 8 of the same year, a yellow cow of Wei in the same village suffered from retained placenta and was treated by the same method, achieving the same satisfactory result. From 1988 to 2002, 20 cases were treated respectively in Shuilong Township, Zhonghe Town, and Sanhe Town, all achieving satisfactory results.

Case 3: On June 4, 2002, the Dragon Boat Festival, one dairy cow at the Sandu County dairy farm had retained placenta after premature birth. I used the above method to treat it, and after two days, part of the placenta was expelled, while another part was absorbed in the body. The dairy cow ate normally, and the swelling of the vulva gradually subsided. Two months later it came into estrus and was mated, and on July 2 of this year it successfully gave birth.

Case 4: On May 20, 2003, a sow at my breeding experimental farm had a miscarriage and the placenta could not be expelled, so I tried treating it with Angelica sinensis boiled in sweet rice wine. After 3 days it ate normally. After 23 days it came into estrus and was mated, and it has now successfully farrowed.

3 Experience

Retained placenta is a common disease of livestock. If large livestock cannot undergo surgical detachment as soon as possible, it will cause infection and form postpartum sequelae. Treatment with Angelica sinensis boiled in sweet rice wine is simple and practical, low in cost, and also very effective.

4 Discussion

Chinese materia medica texts record: (1) Angelica sinensis has a "bidirectional" effect on the uterus; its water-soluble non-volatile substances can excite uterine smooth muscle and strengthen contractions, while its volatile components can inhibit rhythmic uterine contractions and relax the uterus, but among the two, the excitatory components are predominant, which can promote expulsion of the placenta. (2) It has a certain therapeutic effect on vitamin E deficiency in livestock and may play a role in restoring fertility. (3) It has a certain inhibitory effect on Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, hemolytic streptococcus, and others. The Compendium of Materia Medica says: Angelica sinensis, pungent and warm in flavor, non-toxic, can dispel wind and harmonize blood. Sweet rice wine has the effects of dispersing and promoting blood movement and dissipating blood stasis. Taken together, it has the effects of "promoting blood movement and dissipating stasis, expelling the placenta, improving resistance, and restoring fertility."