INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Scorpio Buthus Martensi |
| Common English: | Scorpion Buthus |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Salty Acrid (Sweet) Toxic |
Neutral |
Liver |
2-5g 0.25-1.5g when just the tail is used Powder: 0.6-1g |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Extinguishes Wind and stops tremors and convulsions |
Liver Wind and Wind-Phlegm-Heat with spasms, acute or chronic childhood convulsions, tetany, opisthotonis, tics, muscular tetany, and seizures |
Tracks down Wind, unblocks the collaterals and stops pain |
Stubborn headaches and Bi pain |
Attacks and relieves Fire toxins and dissipates nodules |
Topically for toxic sores, swellings and scrofula (Chuang Yung) |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Scolopendrae |
Cornu Saigae Tataricae or Cornu Saigae Tataricae |
|
Muscle twitches of the extremities, rigidity and spasms of the entire body to the point of opisthotonis, trismus or convulsions Wind due to high fever leading to seizures and convulsions Epilepsy Toxic, swollen sores and scrofula Submandibular lymphadenitis (internal or topical) Stubborn migraines Wind-Damp Bi pain Wind-Cold-Dampness |
Febrile convulsions in children |
Chronic childhood convulsions due to chronic diarrhea associated with Spleen Deficiency |
Cornu Saigae Tataricae |
Scolopendrae or Periostricum Cicadae |
|
Convulsions due to Extreme Heat Generating Wind |
Seizures |
Tetanus and tetanus-like disorders |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
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Stiffness and spasms of the jaw and rigidity of the entire body to the point of opisthotonis |
Facial paralysis due to Wind Stroke |
Headache and other painful obstruction |
Rx. Aconiti Preparata |
Fr. Gardeniae |
Sm. Strychni |
Severe painful obstruction with contracted extremities and deformed joints |
Topically as a plaster for scrofula, sores and other toxic swellings |
Scrofula, goiter or other Phlegm masses |
Scolopendrae |
Ram. Uncariae cum Uncis |
Periostricum Cicadae |
Tuberculosis of the lymph nodes |
Seizures, convulsions spasms, tics, hemiplegia due to Wind-Stroke, numbness and pain in the limbs, and stubborn migraines or trigeminal neuralgia from Liver Wind or Liver Yang Rising |
Seizures, tetany and childhood convulsions |
Bombyx Batryticatus |
Pheretima |
Bombyx Batryticatus |
Wind-Dampness |
Liver Yang and Heat constraint |
Severe, continuous pain |
Rz. Typhonii Preparatum |
Squama Manitis |
Bombyx Batryticatus |
Facial paralysis, and involuntary facial twitching due to Wind and Phlegm |
Stroke |
Seizure and epilepsy |
Ram. Uncariae cum Uncis |
Rz. Gastrodiae |
Moschus |
Tetany, opisthotonis, spasms and cramps |
Headache |
Arthritis |
- This is one of the most effective Wind extinguishing substances.
- Toxic side effects include: respiratory paralysis, tonic spasms of the extremities, and drooling.
- For toxic sores it follows the principle “use poison to treat poison”.
- Traditionally, the tail was used for tetany, acute febrile diseases, and convulsions while the whole body was used for hemiplegia. Today the whole body is commonly used for all indications.
- It is considered a good preventive for childhood disorders.
- Although it is considered toxic, oral ingestion produces little toxic effect compared to its sting.
- Although it is avoided in pregnancy, it is considered safe enough to use in infants which is one of its main historical uses.
- Powdered and used alone, it can be applied topically for mastitis.
- Deep fry two scorpions and eat as food for mumps.
- This herb, Bombyx Batryticatus Jiang Can, and Scolopendrae Wu Gong all dispel Wind and stop spasms and are often used together in severe cases. Jiang Can is used primarily for Phlegm-Heat, Wu Gong is pungent and warm, is the most intense and is more appropriate for Wind-Cold, while Quan Xie is pungent and neutral and is better for Heat.
- Both Quan Xie and Rz. Typhonii Preparatum Zhi Bai Fu Zi expel Wind and stop spasms, are used externally in disorders such as scrofula and are used together to treat facial paralysis, tetanus, and convulsions. Quan Xie more strongly expels Wind to stop spasms and convulsions and is used externally for sores and toxic swellings. Zhi Bai Fu Zi is acrid, warm, intensely drying, ascending and dispersing in nature and is especially indicated for pathogenic Wind-Phlegm in the face and head with facial paralysis, hemiplegia, scrofula, migraines or other severe lateral headaches. It can also be used for Wind-stroke with profuse Phlegm welling up in the throat making speech difficult. It is also applied to skin disorders such as chloasma.