Snake Slough is also calledSnake Skin, Snake SloughIt is the dried epidermal membrane shed by the black-tail snake or other snakes. It is collected in late spring and early summer or early winter, dried, and used as medicine. It is often used raw or baked.
I. Efficacy of Snake Slough:
Snake Slough tastes sweet, salty, and neutral. It enters the Liver Meridian. Its functions includeDispel wind, calm convulsions, detoxify, and remove nebulaIts characteristics are mild and it is good at dispelling wind and detoxifying.
Commonly used forinfantile convulsion, convulsions and spasms, nebula, throat obstruction, skin itchingtreatment of conditions such as
Abstracts of Famous Works by Renowned Authors
The Classic of Materia Medica: "It primarily treats infantile convulsive epilepsy, manic-depressive disorders, alternating chills and fever, intestinal hemorrhoids, and insect and snake venom poisoning."
"Ben Cao Jing Shu": "Snake slough enters the liver to ward off evil. In children, it treats convulsions, spasms, epilepsy with alternating chills and fever, convulsions with tongue protrusion and head shaking. In adults, it addresses the five pathogenic factors, speech deviation, and other conditions arising from liver meridian disorders. Snake slough can guide other herbs into the liver to disperse pathogens, thus treating the aforementioned conditions. It excels at killing parasites, hence it is used for intestinal hemorrhoids, parasitic toxins, and malignant sores. When pathogens are eliminated, the liver wood is pacified, thereby stopping vomiting and cough, and improving vision."
Jade Qiao's Explanation of Medicinals: Snake slough disperses the skin and hair, treating sores, ulcers, toxins, and swellings.
Ben Cao Bei Yao: "It is swift in nature and good at dispelling wind, thus it treats convulsive epilepsy, wind malaria, swollen tongue, and throat wind. Its toxic nature can kill parasites, thus it treats scabies, malignant sores, boils, and hemorrhoids. Belonging to the skin and adept at shedding, it treats skin sores and ulcers, difficult labor, and eye opacity."
II. Compatibility and Application of Snake Slough:
1. Used for skin diseases such as skin itching, scabies, hemorrhoids, and fistulas. Snake slough can dispel wind and relieve itching, kill parasites, and detoxify, especially effective in treating various stubborn skin diseases. It can be taken alone or combined with cicada slough, Fangfeng, Jingjie, and Chishao.
For treating skin wind-heat itching and urticaria, it is often combined with Cicada Slough, Rehmannia Root, Chinese Angelica, Moutan Bark, Red Peony Root, Schizonepeta Spike, and Broom Cypress Fruit, namelyAnti-Urticaria Decoction。
For treating scabies, tinea, and skin itching, snake slough can be combined with Sophora flavescens, Cnidium monnieri, and alum, boiled in water to make a decoction for washing, once daily.
If treating hemorrhoids and fistulas that have formed a tract, with continuous seepage of blood and fluid, one can use roasted snake slough, gallnut, dragon bone, and teasel root, all ground into fine powder, then add a small amount of musk, mix with saliva, and apply topically, which will be effective.Snake Slough Powder。
For treating furuncles, one can decoct snake slough alone for oral administration; or burn snake slough into ashes and mix with egg white for topical application, both of which yield excellent results.
If treating ringworm sores, burn one snake slough and take with wine.
For treating surgical conditions such as abscesses, deep-seated abscesses, carbuncles on the back, carbuncles on the neck, scrofula, boils, damp toxin, and ulcers with pus discharge, snake slough can be combined with roasted scorpion, centipede, burdock seed, realgar, and borneol. Grind them together into a fine powder, apply externally with gauze ointment, or spread a small amount of the powder on a plaster. Change the dressing once or twice daily until complete recovery.Huang Ba Du San。
2. For mumps, mastitis, otitis media, etc. Snake slough can detoxify and reduce swelling, and is effective in treating sores and swellings. A folk remedy for mumps involves cutting snake slough into pieces, stir-frying it with eggs, and consuming it in one sitting. For adults, snake slough can be taken alone without eggs.
For the treatment of mastitis, snake slough can be burned to ashes and taken with yellow wine.
For the treatment of breast distension and pain, use equal parts of snake slough, deer antler, and honeycomb. Burn them until they retain their properties, grind into powder, and take with yellow wine.
For the treatment of chronic otitis media with purulent discharge and intermittent symptoms, one can roast snake slough until yellow, grind it into powder with equal parts of alum, and blow a small amount into the ear once daily or every other day. Several applications may yield results.
3. For infantile convulsive epilepsy, nebula, and other syndromes. Snake slough has the function of calming fright. For treating infantile wind-heat convulsive epilepsy, it is often combined with Uncaria, Astragalus, Asarum, Cicada slough, Licorice, etc., namelySnake Slough Decoction。
For the treatment of eye opacity, it is often combined with cicada slough and tribulus terrestris, and taken as a powder togetherCicada Slough Incomparable Powder。
III. Usage and Dosage of Snake Slough:
Snake slough is often used in decoctions, and it is also commonly roasted, ground into powder for oral administration or external use. The usual dosage in decoctions is a few grams; for external use, an appropriate amount is applied.
Its advantages include mild medicinal properties, low cost, and remarkable efficacy when applied appropriately. It is commonly used in folk remedies.
Wang Ang said, "Use the white ones that are as white as silver. Wash them clean with soapberry water, then soak them in wine, vinegar, or honey, or roast them until yellow, or burn them until their properties are preserved, or calcine them with salt and clay, each according to the original prescription."
IV. Application Notes for Snake Slough:
Snake slough is dispersing in nature, thusPregnant women should not take this medication。
"Ben Cao Jing Shu": "For pediatric convulsive epilepsy and mania, if it is not due to external pathogenic factors causing fright but rather due to liver and heart deficiency, it will not be effective."
Huang Yuanyu said, "To remove nebula and stop convulsions, it is not something that snake slough or cicada slough can achieve. Mediocre doctors often fail to understand the root cause of the disease and only use dispersing agents, which shows their extreme incompetence."
