White Flower Snake is the dried whole body of the Agkistrodon acutus with internal organs removed. Ancient people believed that the best quality came from Qizhou, hence it is also calledQisheIt is mainly produced in Hubei, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and other places. It is captured and processed in summer and autumn, then dried. It is moistened with yellow wine to remove the skin and bones, cut into sections for use.
I. Efficacy of Bungarus Parvus:
White Snake tastes sweet, salty, warm; toxic. It belongs to the Liver Meridian. Its efficacy canDispelling Wind and Unblocking Collaterals, Calming Convulsions and Relieving SpasmsIt is particularly effective in dispelling wind and unblocking collaterals, and is known as the essential herb for penetrating bones and dispelling wind.
Commonly used inRheumatic paralysis, joint pain, scabies, infantile convulsions and spasms, scrofula and malignant sorestreatment of conditions such as
Summary of Famous Works by Renowned Authors:
"Treatise on Medicinal Properties": "It primarily treats lung wind with nasal congestion, vitiligo, scrofula, spots, and floating wind rashes."
"Kaibao Materia Medica": "It is mainly used for treating wind-damp impediment with numbness, muscle and vessel spasms, facial paralysis, hemiplegia, bone and joint pain, severe wind-induced scabies and leprosy, as well as sudden wind-induced itching, and weak feet unable to stand for long periods."
"Compendium of Materia Medica": "The white-flowered snake can penetrate the bones to expel wind, arrest convulsions, and calm spasms. It is an essential medicine for wind-dampness, convulsions, and malignant sores of leprosy and tinea. It is taken for its ability to travel internally to the organs and externally to the skin, reaching everywhere."
"Ben Cao Jing Shu": "All conditions such as leprosy, scabies, facial paralysis, stiffness, hemiplegia, and numbness caused by wind can be cured with its efficacy."
Jade Carving Medical Explanation: The white-flowered snake penetrates the meridians and bones, opens blockages and searches for wind, treating conditions such as facial deviation, paralysis of the hands and feet, joint pain, numbness and itching of the skin, and scabies, leprosy, and wind-induced madness.
"Ben Cao Bei Yao": "It can act internally on the organs and externally penetrate the skin, reaching deep into the bones to dispel wind, and arresting convulsions to calm spasms. It treats wind-damp paralysis, severe leprosy, and scabies."
II. Compatibility and Application of Bungarus Parvus:
1. For rheumatic pain and muscle spasms. The white flower snake can penetrate wind and bone, disperse stasis and relieve pain, and is effective in treating stubborn rheumatism. For severe pain caused by joint deformation or bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis, it is often combined with scorpion, roasted centipede, and hook vine, ground into fine powder for oral administration, as formulated by Zhu Liangchun.Scorpion Snake PowderThis prescription also has good efficacy for conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis and sciatica.
2. For post-stroke hemiplegia, facial deviation, limb numbness, muscle atrophy, and other conditions. White Flower Snake excels at dispelling wind and unblocking collaterals, and can treat paralysis and atrophy. For treating stroke-induced hemiplegia and facial deviation, it is often combined with Arisaema to jointly achieve the effects of searching for wind, unblocking collaterals, eliminating phlegm, and relieving impediment. Additional herbs are then added according to the specific symptoms, often yielding excellent results.
Zhu Liangchun treats spastic paralysis, seen in traumatic paraplegia, often using white flower snake, black-tailed snake, and earthworm as the main herbs. Additionally, combining ground beetle, Chinese angelica, prepared rehmannia root, cibotium rhizome, Sichuan ox knee, spatholobus stem, deer antler, and dipsacus root can be considered for reference.
For the treatment of muscle atrophy, paralysis, and flaccidity, it is often combined with ground beetle, honeycomb, epimedium, whole angelica, processed polygonatum, processed fleeceflower root, wolfberry, cistanche, dendrobium, raw white peony root, cooked rehmannia root, pyrola, silkworm, and licorice, all ground into fine powder. Additionally, using siegesbeckia, raw and cooked rehmannia root, hance's homalomena, and mulberry mistletoe, decocted to obtain a concentrated juice to form pills for oral administration. This formula is more suitable for those with a tendency toward yin deficiency. For those with a tendency toward yang deficiency, dendrobium and white peony root can be removed, and morinda root, bitter cardamom, deer antler glue, and cinnamon twig can be added. Supplementing with massage and physical therapy is more beneficial for recovery.
3. For stubborn ringworm, skin itching, psoriasis and other skin diseases. White Flower Snake is good at dispelling wind and relieving itching, and can treat stubborn ringworm and scabies. For treating stubborn skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema, it is often used in combination with Black-tailed Snake.
A proven prescription for treating psoriasis involves combining white flower snake with white silkworm, processed white aconite, and white tribulus terrestris, grinding them into powder in equal parts for consumptionFour White PowderIf it is white peony root, thenFive White PowderFor reference.
When treating skin rash, itching, and urticaria, Zhu Liangchun often combines Bombyx Batryticatus, Cicada Slough, stir-fried Schizonepeta, Red Peony Root, Cortex Dictamni, Fructus Kochiae, Radix Cynanchi Paniculati, and Fructus Mume to achieve the effects of dispelling wind, clearing heat, cooling the nutrient aspect, and relieving itching.
In treating herpes zoster, Dr. Zhu once formulated the Qi-Bing Powder, which demonstrated remarkable efficacy. The prescription consists of 30 grams of Bungarus Parvus and 3 grams of Borneol, finely ground together and mixed with sesame oil for topical application to the affected area. Typically, recovery can be achieved within a few days.
Zhu Liangchun said, "For those with persistent urticaria and itching, it cannot be relieved without this (white-flowered snake or black-tailed snake), hence it is known as the essential medicine for cutting off wind."
4. For tetanus, infantile acute and chronic convulsions, etc. Bái Huā Shé has the effect of calming fright and stopping convulsions. For treating tetanus with stiff neck and straight body, it is often combined with Wū Shāo Shé and centipede, ground into fine powder, and taken with warm wine, as recorded in the "Pǔ Jì Fāng" Dìng Mìng Sǎn.
III. Usage and Dosage of Bungarus Parvus:
White Flower Snake can be used in decoctions and is also suitable for making pills and powders. The usual dosage in decoctions ranges from a few grams to over ten grams. For oral administration of the powder, a little over one gram per dose is sufficient.
White Flower Snake can also be used to make medicinal wine to treat rheumatic pain and numbness of the limbs. It is often combined with Qianghuo, Gastrodia elata, Fangfeng, Angelica sinensis, and Acanthopanax gracilistylus, namelyWhite Flower Snake Wine。
IV. Application Notes for White Flower Snake:
White Flower Snake is a toxic medicinal herb that requires processing before use. It has a warm and dispersing nature, thusContraindicated for those with yin deficiency and internal heat。
Wang Ang said: "The head and tail are toxic, each should be removed by three inches. There are also cases where only the head and tail are used. Soak in wine for three days, completely remove the skin and bones. For one large snake, only four taels of pure meat can be obtained."
Li Shizhen said, "When taking snake wine medicine, avoid exposure to wind."
Ben Cao Cong Xin: "It is only suitable for those with genuine wind, but it is strictly contraindicated for those with deficiency-type stroke."
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Attached Medicine: Small Money White Flower Snake
The small money white flower snake is the juvenile snake of the silver-ringed snake from the cobra family. It is processed by removing the internal organs and coiled into a round shape the size of a coin, hence its name. Its efficacy is similar to that of the Qishe snake, but the dosage is lighter. It is often ground into powder for consumption, with each dose being a few grams. It can also be soaked in wine.
