The efficacy and function of otter liver

With the development of society and the close international exchanges, most people who study medicine have been seriously influenced by Western medicine, and fewer and fewer people are studying Chinese medicine, which has resulted in less and less understanding of Chinese medicine. Let’s talk about the efficacy and functions of otter liver, a traditional Chinese medicine.

[Alias] Otter liver (Compendium of Materia Medica).

[Source] It is the liver of the otter , a member of the Mustelidae family. Can be caught year round. After catching the fish, the abdomen is opened to take out the liver, heart, and lungs, and the fat and muscles are removed. The blood is washed away and the fish are hung in a ventilated place to dry.

[Original form] Otter (Dietary Materia Medica), also known as: water dog (Guangya), otter (Compendium of Materia Medica Annotations), otter cat, water hairy cat.

[Habitat distribution] Distributed almost all over the country.

[Properties] The dried liver is in lumps of varying sizes, often connected to the heart, lungs and trachea, about 13 cm long (including the heart and lungs). The liver is located below the heart and lungs, connected by a large blood vessel in the middle. The liver is divided into 6 pieces, each piece is 4 to 6 cm long, 2 to 4 cm in diameter, dark brown, oblate, and has thin edges. From the front view, the left and right lobes are symmetrical, and the other two lobes are smaller and located below the right side. In the middle of the two lobes of the liver is an artery with a diameter of about 1 cm. On the upper part behind the right blood vessel, there is a pair of orange-segment-shaped tumors, which are composed of 15 to 20 small tumors arranged closely, which is the characteristic of this product. The lungs are above the liver and are divided into 6 pieces, 2 on the left and 4 on the right. They are gray-brown in color, with a thicker trachea in the middle. The heart is located behind and below the trachea, which is dark brown in color, hard and not easy to break. The cross-section is dark brown and gelatinous. It smells fishy. The best ones are purple-red, whole or flaky, without any broken or residual meat.

[Chemical composition] Mainly produced in Jilin, Heilongjiang and Yunnan. In addition, it is also produced in Guangxi, Sichuan, Gansu and other places. Jilin has the largest output.

[Preparation] Stew until soft, remove the fascia, cut into small pieces and dry.

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet, salty, neutral.

【Meridian】 "Ben Cao Jing Shu": "enters the liver and kidney."

【Functions and indications】Nourishing yin, removing heat, calming cough and stopping bleeding. It is used to treat asthenia, bone steaming, hot flashes, night sweats, cough, asthma, hemoptysis, night blindness, and bleeding from hemorrhoids.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 1 to 2 qian; or make into pills or powder.

[Additional prescription] ① To treat tuberculosis, which causes chills and fever, oozing of urine, and confusion. The patient does not know what the pain is but feels sick everywhere. Over the years, the disease gradually becomes serious and eventually leads to death. After death, the disease is passed on to others: one otter liver, dry it in the shade and grind it into powder. Take one square inch of the medicine with water three times a day. If the disease is not healed, take another one. (Filling the gap at the back of the elbow)

【Remarks】 Otter liver is other than the above varieties. The liver of a small-clawed otter is also used as medicine. They are distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and other places, and their numbers are very small.

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From "Bencao Jing Jizhu".

The above content is an introduction to the traditional Chinese medicine otter liver. We should learn more about otter liver in our daily lives so that we can use it more reasonably and better maximize its value.