chuan shan jia

Name: chuan shan jia
Creator: Bencao Index

穿山甲·Squama Manitis

pangolin scales

Slightly toxic

Toxicity graded by American Dragon.

About chuan shan jia

Chuan Shan Jia (穿山甲) is the scale of the pangolin, recorded as Squama Manitis. It is salty in flavour and cool in temperature, entering the Liver and Stomach channels. The catalogue files it under obsolete substances.

Names

Pinyin	chuan shan jia
Chinese	穿山甲
Latin Name	Squama Manitis
English Name	pangolin scales

Classification

Category: Obsolete Substances
Channels: Stomach, Liver
Flavour: Salty
Temperature: Cool

Actions and indications

Invigorates Blood, dispels stasis, unblocks menstruation and promotes lactation

Absent or painful, obstructed periods from Blood stasis
Breast milk that is scanty or blocked

Reduces swelling and expels pus

Abscesses, boils and toxic swellings: early on to disperse them before pus forms, and later to help sores that have not broken to drain
Suppurating lesions, applied topically to help them heal

Expels Wind-Damp and unblocks the channels and collaterals

Wind-Damp Bi with pain, stiffness or spasm of the limbs, or pain so severe that bending and lifting are not possible
Stubborn painful obstruction of the joints and channels

Combinations

huang qi
Insufficient lactation.
wang bu liu xing
Amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, and fixed or movable masses and accumulations in the abdomen; scanty or absent lactation; lactostasis
san leng + e zhu
Fixed, palpable masses in the abdomen
pu gong ying
Inflamed skin lesions that have not yet formed pus
zao jiao ci
Inflamed skin lesions with pus that have not opened
dang gui + chuan xiong + qiang huo + fang feng + du huo
Wind-Damp Bi with painful, swollen joints
suan zao ren + sheng di huang
Insomnia and debility.
hong hua + dang gui + chuan xiong
Blood Stasis with amenorrhea
huang qi + zao jiao ci + dang gui
Sores with pus.
bai zhi + pu gong ying + zi hua di ding
Sores without pus.
xuan shen + zhe bei mu + xia ku cao
Qi and Phlegm Stagnation causing goiter or scrofula

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any Decoctions: 3-10g; Pills and Powders: 1-1.5g; Tincture: 2-4ml	3-10 g	—	2-4 ml	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Do not source or use. Every pangolin species has been on CITES Appendix I since January 2017, banning international commercial trade; the Chinese pangolin used for this medicine is Critically Endangered, and China dropped pangolin scale from its Pharmacopoeia in 2020
caution In most countries it is against the law, or tightly restricted, to possess, sell or import products made from pangolin scale
caution Plant materials are the usual replacements: Wang Bu Liu Xing and Lu Lu Tong for unblocking the channels and promoting milk flow, and Zao Jiao Ci for sores and abscesses
pregnancy Avoid in pregnancy
contraindication Deficiency of Qi and Blood
contraindication Sores that have already broken open
caution Not for prolonged use

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