The efficacy and function of crane lice

There are so many medicinal herbs in the world, and it is inevitable that there are some that we are not familiar with. But as long as we have the spirit of learning throughout our lives, I believe we can slowly learn more medical herbs. So do you know about the medicinal herb called crane lice?

[Alias] Swan louse (Tang Materia Medica), ghost louse (Bencao Chongyuan), northern crane louse (Zhongyao Zhi).

[Source] It is the fruit of the Asteraceae plant Tianmingjing . The fruits are picked in autumn when they are ripe, dried in the sun, and the skin and impurities are removed.

[Habitat distribution] Mainly produced in Henan, Shanxi and Guizhou. It is also produced in Shaanxi, Gansu, Hubei and other places.

[Properties] The dried fruit is cylindrical, small, about 3 to 4 mm long, less than 1 mm wide, glabrous, yellowish-brown in surface, with numerous longitudinal ridges and grooves, and the top is contracted into a linear short beak with a grayish-white ring at the tip. The cross section is circular, the kernel is yellowish white and oily. It has a slight smell and tastes slightly bitter, and it tastes sticky. The best ones are those with uniform particles, fullness and a sticky texture.

[Chemical composition] The fruit of the herb contains valeric acid, hexanoic acid, oleic acid, dextrorotatory linolenic acid, trihexadecane, stigmasterol, and lactone compounds such as herbicide lactone and herbicide ketone.

【Pharmacological action】 ① Tianming sperm has anthelmintic effect. Add 5 drops of 1% Tianming sperm tincture into 25 ml of normal saline, heat it to 37℃ and then put the dog red worm in. The worm will die within 1 to 2 minutes.

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter, pungent, neutral, poisonous.

【Entry into Meridians】 "Mu Jing Feng Yuan" says: "Enters the Jueyin Liver Meridian."

【Functions and indications】Insecticidal. Treat abdominal pain caused by worm accumulation.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decocted in water, 3 to 5 qian; or made into pills or powder.

[Additional prescription] ① For treating diseases of children with various worms, abdominal pain, swelling, pain that goes up and down, endless pain, heart pain, vomiting and saliva, or spitting out clear water, weak limbs, greenish and yellowish face, no skin growth despite eating and drinking, or cold or heat, heaviness and heaviness: 50 liang each of Hufen (fried), Guanshi (remove the soil), Areca nut, and Melia azedarach root (remove the skin), and 12.5 liang of alum (dried). Grind the above ingredients into powder and make balls with flour paste, as big as sesame seeds. A one-year-old child should take five pills. Add one or two drops of raw sesame oil to warm water, mix well and drink it. It can also be taken with warm rice drink, at any time. (Hua Chong Wan from Bureau of Prescriptions)

[Clinical Application] Treatment of hookworm disease: Take 3 liang of hookworm, wash and boil twice in water, mix and concentrate the liquid medicine to 60 ml (each 10 ml is equivalent to 5 qian of original medicine), filter, add a small amount of sugar for seasoning, adults take 30 ml every night before going to bed for two nights. The dosage was reduced for children and the elderly and weak. 57 cases were observed and stool was checked again 15 days after treatment. 45 cases were negative for hookworm eggs, 12 cases were positive, and the negative conversion rate was 79%. There were 31 cases with Ascaris infection before treatment. After treatment, stool examination showed that Ascaris eggs turned negative in 19 cases. This shows that the crane louse also has the effect of expelling roundworms. In a few cases, there may be mild dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, abdominal pain, etc. a few hours after taking the medicine or the next day, which may disappear on their own.

[Remarks] In addition to the above species, the following species are also used as goose lice in some areas:

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

【Source】 1. "Tang Materia Medica": The crane louse is native to the Western Rong. The seeds are similar to Artemisia seeds but thinner, and are used together with the leaves and stems.

Through the detailed introduction to crane lice in this article, we can learn about the related functions and eating methods of crane lice. The value of the crane louse can be seen from its efficacy, which fully reflects the importance of the crane louse.