The efficacy and function of foreign worms

As we all know, worms are a very common medicinal material with many years of history. They can also treat many diseases. Let us learn about the medicinal value of worms.

[Alias] Nine-dragon worm (Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement)

[Source] The whole insect of the Tenebrio genus.

[Original form] The body is oblong, 6 mm long, dark black and shiny, with antennae, mouthparts and legs red and black. The head is covered with densely distributed small engravings, with a horizontal depression at the front and small pits on both sides. The eyes are quite big. Antennae thick, 4-10 segments wide and too long, the last segment slightly narrower, longer, and almost round. The prothorax is short, wider than it is long, and not narrower than the elytra. It is narrow at the front end and slightly narrowed near the base at both ends. The two sides of the back are slightly concave, and there is sometimes a small pit in the middle of the front end. There are wide and shallow depressions at both ends of the rear edge. The posterior angle is obtuse and right-angled, and the front angle is obtuse. The scutellum is obtuse-ovate, with scattered tiny puncta. The elytra are quite slender, with fine dots and dense dots between the rows. The abdomen is densely dotted. The adult lifespan is about 3 months.

[Habitat distribution] Distributed in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, the South Pacific Fig Islands and Hainan, my country. It is raised in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and other places.

【Nature and flavor】 "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Warm in nature."

【Functions and indications】Promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, warm the middle and regulate qi. It is used to treat cough due to overwork, vomiting blood, paralysis due to stroke, injuries from falls, heart and stomach pain, and choking and nausea.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral administration: swallow raw, grind into powder or make into pills. For external use: mash and apply.

[Additional prescription] ① Treat the five kinds of fatigue and seven kinds of injuries: three grams of white Poria cocos and seven foreign worms. Mash. Take it on an empty stomach with wine every day until you recover.

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From "Yao Xing Kao". "Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica": The foreign worms came from overseas and were introduced to China in the late Ming Dynasty; some say they came from the Atlantic Ocean and first appeared in the early years of the Kangxi period. This creature is shaped like a rice cricket, and when it is first born, it is like an ant, like a small silkworm. After a long time, it turns black and looks like bean curd. There are male and female ones. Nowadays, people feed it with rice flowers in bamboo tubes. It is extremely afraid of cold and must be kept in the sleeve when the weather is cold and placed between the quilt and mattress at night, otherwise it will freeze to death. It multiplies greatly. If it is fed with Poria crumbs, safflower and cinnamon bark, it will become red and shiny, and is especially good as medicine.

The effects and functions of foreign worms are varied, and we should choose the appropriate method of consumption according to different physical symptoms. In life, we can learn more about this when we have free time.