The efficacy and function of sea earthworms

Sea earthworms are a type of traditional Chinese medicine and are very helpful for many diseases. Below we will briefly introduce the sea earthworms.

【English name】 sea earthworm

【Alias】 Sandworm

[Source] Medicinal material source: The whole body of the Sandworm of the family Sandworm.

[Original form] The body of the cockscomb sandworm is cylindrical, with thin and soft walls, thick front end and thin back end, shaped like an earthworm, with a body length of 150-250mm, dark green all over, with brown horizontal stripes. The head is degenerate, and the preoral lobe is a cone-shaped protrusion that is not very obvious. The mouth is at the front end, and there is a fleshy proboscis inside the mouth, which can be retracted or turned out. The proboscis is short, with a ring of hooks at the base and a smooth front end; there is a circle of tentacles, which are star-shaped when extended and form wrinkles when contracted, with the mouth located in the middle. Starting from the 5th segment, there are 17 bristle segments with golden yellow bristles, among which there are bright red feathery gill filaments from the 7th to the 17th segments. Starting from the 3rd bristle segment, each segment has 5 rings, and the number of rings decreases gradually in the bristle segments after about the 5th segment. The posterior end of the body is blunt, and the anus is a transverse fissure located on the dorsal side close to the front 1/16 of the body; there is a renal pore on each side in front of the ventral side of the anus. The digestive tract is long and slender, about twice the length of the body, and twisted into a spiral shape. The papilla is degenerate and can be divided into two limbs. The dorsal limb is a cone-shaped protrusion with a bunch of slender thorn-like bristles; the ventral limb is degenerate into a transverse pillow-shaped protrusion with a row of fine and short hooked bristles. There are no dorsal or ventral whiskers. The posterior part of the body is very small, the annulus is difficult to see clearly, and the setae on the papillae are not prominent.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: It lives in the sandy intertidal zone, living in a buried habitat, which can reach a depth of about 0.5m. At the holes on the beach surface, it is common to see many oblate mud strip-like discharges, which are twisted and piled up at the hole mouths. The eggs are laid in September every year. The eggs are round in shape and have a thin thread at one end that sticks into the sand.

[Properties] Identification of properties: The whole body is a curved flat cylinder, 15-250cm long, thick at the front end and thin at the back end, shaped like an earthworm. Dark green with rings and dark brown stripes on the surface. Starting from the 5th segment, there are 17 bristle segments, and the bristles are golden yellow. The papillae are degenerate, and the dorsal limbs are cone-shaped protrusions with a bunch of slender thorn-like bristles. It has a fishy smell and a salty taste.

[Chemical composition] The whole body contains taurine, methionine, cysteine, cystine, serine, glycine, alanine, glutamic acid, valine, leucine, threonine, arginine and other amino acids. Among them, the content of taurine is relatively high.

【Nature and flavor】 Salty; cold

【Meridian】 Heart meridian

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat and detoxifies; heals sores and promotes tissue regeneration. Mainly used for carbuncle, sore and swelling

【Usage and Dosage】 For external use: take appropriate amount, dry and grind into powder for application.

[Discussions by various scholars] "Chinese Medicinal Animals": It has the function of clearing away heat and detoxifying. Treat carbuncle, ulcer and swelling.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the introduction in this article, we can learn some relevant knowledge about marine earthworms. Whether from the perspective of food health or traditional Chinese medicine, the role of marine earthworms cannot be underestimated.