can sha

Name: can sha
Creator: Bencao Index

蚕沙·Faeces Bombycis

Silkworm Feces

About can sha

Can Sha (蚕沙) is the dropping of the silkworm, recorded as Faeces Bombycis. It is sweet and acrid in flavour, warm in temperature, and enters the Liver, Spleen and Stomach channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that dispel Wind-Damp.

Names

Pinyin	can sha
Chinese	蚕沙
Latin Name	Faeces Bombycis
English Name	Silkworm Feces
Japanese	sansha
Korean	jamsa

Classification

Category: Dispel Wind Damp
Channels: Stomach, Spleen, Liver
Flavour: Acrid, Sweet
Temperature: Warm
Part used: Animal by product
Family: Bombycidae
Species: Bombyx Mori
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Dispels Wind and eliminates Damp

Wind-Damp Bi, with aching muscles and pain in the limbs
Wind-Damp skin rashes, itchy skin and eczema

Harmonises the Stomach and transforms turbid Damp

Sudden turmoil disorder (huo luan) from turbid Damp blocking the Middle Jiao: vomiting and diarrhea, cramping abdominal pain, gurgling bowels and spasms of the calves

Combinations

du huo + huai niu xi
Wind-Damp with pain in the extremities
han fang ji + yi yi ren + lian qiao
Wind-Damp Bi; Damp-Heat Bi
wu zhu yu + huang qin + mu gua
Damp causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping of the calves
lu dou + ming fan
Traumatic injury, applied topically as a paste made with vinegar
bai zhi + chuan xiong
Accumulated Damp causing headache

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 4.5-18g; Tincture: 2-4ml	4.5-18 g	—	2-4 ml	—	—

Cautions

caution Blood or Yin deficiency without a true Wind-Damp pattern, since Wind-Damp herbs are drying
caution It is insect droppings: tell anyone who avoids animal ingredients for dietary, religious or ethical reasons
caution Ask suppliers about processing hygiene and pesticide residues from the mulberry feed; no published residue surveys were found
caution Contains chlorophyll breakdown products that are photoreactive in the laboratory; no photosensitivity has been reported at customary doses (theoretical)
pregnancy No specific contraindication is recorded; in pregnancy use it under a qualified practitioner

Link to this herb

Paste any of these. The wording inside the link is the part that matters — it tells a search engine what this page is about, so it is filled in for you.

HTML

<a href="https://bencaoindex.com/herbs/can-sha/">can sha 蚕沙</a> — Bencao Index

Markdown

[can sha 蚕沙](https://bencaoindex.com/herbs/can-sha/) — Bencao Index

With our badge

<a href="https://bencaoindex.com/herbs/can-sha/"><img src="https://bencaoindex.com/badges/bencao-index-160.svg" alt="Bencao Index" width="160" height="40"></a>

Free to use with a visible link back. This herb is also available as XML. See link to us for banners, the feed, and the terms.

Support

Bencao Index is free to use and free of advertising, and is paid for by one practitioner.

Make a donation