Pinyin: Cansha
Aliases
Cansha, Canshi, Ercansha.
Source
1. For pneumonia: Renshen 6 g, decoct in water and take orally.Bombyx mori L.Dried feces of larvae.
Distribution
Produced in areas where silkworms are raised, with the highest yields in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Mostly produced and marketed locally.
Harvesting and Processing
Collect the feces excreted from the second to third instar stages during summer, remove impurities, and dry in the sun.
Medicinal Properties
Silkworm feces is granular and hexagonal in shape, 2-5 mm long and 1.5-3 mm in diameter. The surface is gray-black or black-green, rough, with six distinct longitudinal grooves and shallow transverse striations. Odor: faint; Taste: bland.
Chemical Constituents
This product primarily contains organic compounds, ash, free alcohols, and hydrocarbons as its chemical constituents.
Pharmacology
Has anti-cancer and photosensitizing effects, and also has antithrombin activity.
Properties and Channel Entry
Sweet, acrid, warm. Enters the Liver, Spleen, and Stomach channels.
Functions and Indications
Expels Wind and eliminates Dampness, harmonizes the Stomach and transforms Turbidity, activates Blood and unblocks the channels. Mainly indicated for Wind-Damp Bi pain (rheumatic pain), limb immobility, rubella with itching, vomiting and diarrhea with muscle cramps, amenorrhea, and metrorrhagia (uterine bleeding).
Dosage and Administration
Oral: decoct 10-15 g in a gauze bag; or made into pills or powders. External use: appropriate amount, stir-fry and apply hot; decoct for washing or grind into powder for topical application.
Prescriptions
1. For rheumatic pain or numbness: Wan Cansha (Late Silkworm Sand) 30 g, decoct in water, and before sleep, mix with half a cup of hot yellow wine and take. (Modern Practical Chinese Medicine) 2. For chronic paralysis with immobility of joints and abdominal pain: Cansha (Silkworm Sand), stir-fry until yellow, place in a cloth bag, steep in wine, and take internally. (Shou Shi Qing Bian) 3. For wind-induced urticaria with generalized itching and scratching that causes sores: Cansha (Silkworm Sand) 1 sheng, boil with 2 dou of water to obtain 1 dou 2 sheng, strain. Warm the liquid and use for washing; avoid wind exposure. (Sheng Hui Fang) 4. For dry and wet tinea: Cansha (Silkworm Sand) 120 g, Bohe (Mentha haplocalyx) 15 g. Grind together into a powder. For dry tinea, mix with raw oil and apply topically; for wet tinea, apply the powder directly. (Wei Sheng Bao Jian - Qu Shi San) 5. For herpes zoster: Cansha (Silkworm Sand) 30 g, Xionghuang (Realgar) 12 g. Grind together into a powder, mix with sesame oil, and apply to the affected area. (Guang Xi Yong Yao Dong Wu) 6. For chronic amenorrhea: Cansha (Silkworm Sand) 120 g (stir-fry slightly until yellow), and one pot of unblended wine. Cook together in a double boiler until done, then strain. Take one cup warm. (Nei Jing Shi Yi Fang Lun - Cansha Jiu) 7. For hematemesis, epistaxis, and hematochezia: Cansha (Silkworm Sand) 30 g, stir-fry until blackened into charcoal, then grind into powder. Take 2-3 times daily, 3 g each time, with boiled water. (Guang Xi Yong Yao Dong Wu) 8. For hematuria: Wan Cansha (Late Silkworm Sand), grind into powder, take 6 g with wine before meals. (Pu Ji Fang)
