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.

Pinyin

chuan shan jia

Chinese

穿山甲

Latin Name

Squama Manitis

English Name

pangolin scales

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

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

chuan shan jia

About chuan shan jia

Names

Classification

Actions and indications

Invigorates Blood, dispels stasis, unblocks menstruation and promotes lactation

Reduces swelling and expels pus

Expels Wind-Damp and unblocks the channels and collaterals

Combinations

Dosage

Cautions

About chuan shan jia

Names

Classification

Actions and indications

Invigorates Blood, dispels stasis, unblocks menstruation and promotes lactation

Reduces swelling and expels pus

Expels Wind-Damp and unblocks the channels and collaterals

Combinations

Dosage

Cautions

Related

Used in 2 formulas