Pinyin: Chansu
Aliases
Chanchu Meizhi, Chanchu Meisu, Laihama Jiang, Hama Su
Source
Animal of the Bufonidae family, Bufo bufo gargarizans (Chinese giant toad).Bufo gargarizansCantor or black-spectacled toad.Bufo melanostictusDried secretion of Schneider.
Distribution
Distributed throughout the country, mainly produced in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and other regions.
Harvesting and Processing
Mostly captured in summer and autumn, the toad is cleaned, and the white milky fluid from the post-auricular glands and skin glands is squeezed out, processed, and dried.
Medicinal Properties
This product appears as flat, round lumps or slices. It is brown or reddish-brown. The lump form is hard, difficult to break, with a brown, horn-like, slightly glossy cross-section; the slice form is brittle, easily broken, with a reddish-brown, semi-transparent cross-section. The odor is faintly fishy; the taste is initially sweet, followed by a persistent numbing and spicy sensation, and the powder causes sneezing when smelled.
Chemical Constituents
Toon frog venom contains large amounts of toad toxin substances.
Pharmacology
Strengthens the heart, increases coronary blood flow and myocardial oxygen supply, constricts visceral blood vessels, elevates arterial pressure, protects ischemic myocardium, affects myocardial electrophysiology, counters shock, inhibits platelet aggregation; enhances contraction of the vas deferens; improves immune function; increases central nervous system excitability, which can cause tonic convulsions; has central respiratory stimulant and antitussive effects; possesses antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and local infiltration anesthetic effects, and also stimulates gastrointestinal smooth muscle and uterine smooth muscle.
Properties and Channel Entry
Pungent, warm; toxic. Enters the Heart channel.
Functions and Indications
Detoxifies, relieves pain, opens the orifices and restores consciousness
Dosage and Administration
External use: an appropriate amount, grind into powder and mix for topical application, or mix into plaster for external application. Internal use: taken in pill or powder form, 0.015-0.03 g per dose.
Precautions and Contraindications
External use: avoid contact with eyes. Contraindicated during pregnancy. Use with caution for internal administration. Overdose may cause numbness of the lips, upper abdominal discomfort, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, chest tightness, palpitations, drowsiness, sweating, and in severe cases, coma.
Prescriptions
1. For furuncles (boils): Take one piece of Chansu (toad venom), grind into powder, mix with white flour and yellow lead (yellow dan), and form into pills the size of wheat grains. Pierce the affected area with a needle and insert one pill into it. (From *Jisheng Fang*, Chansu Dan) 2. For flesh thorns (corns/plantar warts): Pierce with a needle to break the skin; dissolve 1.5 g of Chansu (toad venom) in hot water, mix with 3 g of lead powder (qian fen), apply to the area, and wrap it. (From *Waike Dacheng*) 3. For throat obstruction (hou bi) and tonsillitis (ru e), etc.: Mix Chansu (toad venom) with equal parts of powdered Caowu tip (Aconiti kusnezoffii radix) and powdered Zhuyazaojiao (Gleditsia sinensis tooth), form into pills the size of beans. Grind one pill and apply to the affected area each time. (From *Gangmu*, citing *Huoren Xintong*) 4. For various toothaches due to wind or decay: Take a small amount of Chansu (toad venom), Badou (Croton tiglium, oil removed and ground into paste), and Xingren (almond, burnt). Grind all together into a paste, wrap with cotton into a piece the size of a millet grain. For decayed teeth, insert into the cavity; for wind-type toothache, place between the teeth. Spit out all saliva. (From *Jingyue Quanshu*, Chansu Gao) 5. For tetanus (po shang feng): Take 15 g each of dry Scorpion (Ganxie, stir-fried with wine) and Tianma (Gastrodia elata), and 6 g of Chansu (toad venom, soaked in hot water until dissolved into a thin paste). Pound and sieve the first two ingredients into powder, then use the Chansu paste to form pills the size of mung beans. Take 1 to 3 pills with bean-infused wine (dou lin jiu); for severe cases, increase to 3 to 5 pills. (From *Puji Fang*, Ganxie Wan)
