Pinyin: Wugong
Aliases
Tianlong, Baijiao, Baizuchong, Qianzuchong
Source
Animal of the Scolopendridae family, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilansScolopendra subspinipes mutilansDried body of L. Koch.
Distribution
Mainly produced in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Henan and other places.
Harvesting and Processing
Captured in spring and summer. Insert bamboo strips through the head and tail, straighten, and dry.
Medicinal Properties
This product is flat and elongated in shape, 9-15 cm long and 0.5-1 cm wide. It consists of a head and a trunk, with a total of 22 segments. The head is dark red or reddish-brown, slightly glossy, covered by a nearly round head plate with a slightly protruding front and a pair of jaw limbs attached on both sides; there is one pair of antennae on the front sides. The first dorsal plate of the trunk is the same color as the head plate, while the remaining 20 dorsal plates are brownish-green or dark green, glossy, and often have two longitudinal grooves from the 4th to the 20th dorsal plates; the abdomen is pale yellow or brownish-yellow and wrinkled; starting from the 2nd segment, there is one pair of walking legs on each side of each segment; the walking legs are yellow or reddish-brown, occasionally yellowish-white, hook-shaped, and the last pair is tail-like, hence also called tail legs, which are easily detached. The texture is brittle, with cracks on the cross-section. It has a faint fishy smell and a special pungent odor, with a taste of acrid and slightly salty.
Chemical Constituents
Contains two types of toxic components similar to bee venom, namely histamine-like substances and hemolytic proteins. It also contains fatty oils, cholesterol, formic acid, and various amino acids.
Pharmacology
Has anticonvulsant effects, enhances myocardial contractility, dilates blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, induces platelet aggregation, inhibits pathogenic microorganisms to varying degrees, and has antitumor and immune-promoting effects.
Properties and Channel Entry
Acrid, warm; toxic. Enters the Liver channel.
Functions and Indications
Extinguishes Wind and arrests convulsions, unblocks the collaterals and alleviates pain, attacks toxins and disperses nodules. Used for Liver Wind stirring internally, spasms and convulsions, infantile convulsions, Wind-strike with deviation of the mouth, hemiplegia, tetanus, stubborn Wind-Damp impediment, migraine and headache, sores and ulcers, scrofula, snake and insect bites.
Dosage and Administration
Oral: decoct in water, 2-5 g; grind into powder, 0
Precautions and Contraindications
This product is toxic, so the dosage should not be excessive. It is contraindicated in cases of Blood deficiency generating Wind and during pregnancy.
Prescriptions
1. For tetanus: Wugong (centipede) head, Wutou (Aconite) tip, Fuzi (Prepared Aconite) bottom, and Xieqiao (scorpion tail) in equal parts. Grind into a fine powder. Take one zi (or half a zi) with hot wine. If the jaw is locked, use this powder to pry open the mouth and administer. (From *Rumen Shiqin* - Wugong San). 2. For scrofula with ulceration: Tea and Wugong (centipede), both roasted until fragrant and cooked, then pound and sieve into a powder. First, clean the area with licorice root decoction, then apply the powder. (From *Shenzhen Fang*). 3. For all types of painful genital sores that do not swell (known as Yin toxicity): Two live Wugong (centipedes), burned over charcoal fire until the nature is preserved, then ground into powder. Mix with good wine and take before meals. (From *Zhizhi Fang* - Secretly Transmitted Dusheng San). 4. For snake bite: Baizhi (Angelica dahurica) 30 g (white variety), Xionghuang (Realgar) 15 g, Wugong (centipede) three strips, Zhangnao (Camphor) 9 g. Grind each into a very fine powder. Mix with sesame oil and apply to the swollen area, reapplying as it dries. (From *Dongtian Aozhi* - Wugong San). 5. For toe sores with protruding unhealthy flesh inside the nail that does not heal: One Wugong (centipede). Bake and grind into powder, then apply to the area. Additionally, mix Nannxing (Arisaema) powder with vinegar and apply around the four sides. (From *Yifang Zhaiyao*).
