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Chapter 12 of 20
本草纲目
Overall Paraphrase
The Reptile and Fish section of the Compendium of Materia Medica catalogs the "scaled" medicinal substances recognized by ancient scholars—including dragons (actually ancient biological fossils), crocodiles, pangolins, lizards, geckos, various snakes, and numerous fish species. Li Shizhen classified these animals under the category of "scales," recording their properties, tastes, therapeutic effects, and a large number of appended formulas.
It is noteworthy that the "dragon" at the beginning of this section is not the mythical beast of legend. Li Shizhen clearly stated in the "Explanation of Names" that the so-called "dragon bone" is actually fossilized skeletal remains 🦴 of ancient mammals such as elephants, rhinoceroses, horses, and camels. This reflects Li Shizhen's spirit of seeking truth from facts.
The medicinal substances in this section can be broadly divided into several groups:
I. Fossils and Shell/Scale Types (Dragon, Crocodile, Pangolin): Dragon bone and dragon teeth are used to calm the mind and tranquilize fright; pangolin scales are used to unblock collateral channels, reduce swelling, and promote lactation. These represent the ancients' understanding of the medicinal value of mineral fossils and animal shells.
II. Reptiles (Skinks, Geckos, Tokay Geckos, Various Snakes): Lizards, geckos, tokay geckos, white-flowered snakes, black snakes, etc., are primarily used for wind disorders, arthritic pain, convulsions, and epilepsy. The ancients believed that these "creatures of movement" possess the ability to unblock meridians and collaterals, dispel wind, and settle convulsions.
III. Fish (Yellow Croaker, Crucian Carp, Snakehead, Eel, Ricefield Eel, Loach, Cuttlefish, Carp, Black Carp, etc.): These are mostly used to tonify deficiency, promote diuresis, induce lactation, and stop bleeding. Fish have always held an important place in Chinese medical food therapy.
The appended formulas throughout this section are extremely numerous, covering internal medicine, external medicine, gynecology, and pediatrics, reflecting the rich practical experience of Ming Dynasty folk medicine. However, a considerable portion consists of empirical records that must be viewed cautiously from a modern perspective.
"Dragon bone" is a fossil 🦴 with a heavy, sinking nature. Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that "heavy substances can subdue fear"—that is, substances of substantial weight can settle the spirit and suppress hyperexcitability. Therefore, dragon teeth are used for "adult fright, qi congestion beneath the heart, calming the heart, and settling the spirit." Dragon bone is used for forgetfulness, nocturnal emission, bedwetting, diarrhea, chronic dysentery, and vomiting blood—all manifestations of "inability to hold": leakage of essential substances (spermatorrhea, enuresis), overflow of qi and blood (hematemesis, hematuria), and intestinal prolapse (chronic diarrhea, rectal prolapse). The ancients believed dragon bone was sweet and astringent in taste, possessing the ability to astringe and secure, thereby "plugging" these leaks. This embodies the TCM therapeutic principle of "astringency to arrest depletion."
To the ancients, pangolins were creatures that "burrowed through the earth," giving rise to the medicinal thinking of "categorical analogy": since it can penetrate mountains and stones, it was deduced that when taken as medicine it could "unblock the meridians and reach the disease site." It was thus widely used for:
This reflects TCM's "treatment through form" analogical thinking, but pangolins are now first-class nationally protected animals in China, and such records serve only for historical literature study.
White-flowered snakes, black snakes, and pythons are all used for "wind disorders"—wind-induced paralysis, leprosy, scabies, tetanus, and arthritic wind pain. TCM theory holds that "wind is movement and changes rapidly"—wind is characterized by erratic movement and swift change. Snakes slither sinuously and move with urgency, and the ancients believed their "capacity for swift, transformative movement" resonated with pathogenic wind. They could therefore serve as "wind medicines" to hunt wind, unblock meridians, dispel wind, and arrest spasms. Additionally, snake slough is used for throat obstruction, corneal opacities, and sores—drawing on the meaning of "shedding and renewal," believing it possesses the power to remove opacities, reduce swelling, and resolve toxins.
Most fish are sweet and neutral in nature. The ancients believed that "fish pertain to water by nature," enabling them to promote diuresis and reduce edema (carp, snakehead, and yellow catfish for edema), while also tonifying deficiency and nourishing (crucian carp for the spleen and stomach, shad for vacuity fatigue, ricefield eel for warming and supplementing the center). Cuttlefish bone (sea ear-shell powder) is salty and astringent, excelling at astringing to stop bleeding, reducing acid, and healing sores—used for various "leakage" conditions, including hemorrhage, corneal opacities, ear discharge, and damp sores. These food-therapy concepts remain in circulation among the folk even today.
Elements with Reference Value:
Dragon bone for calming the spirit: From a modern perspective, dragon bone as a calcareous fossil mainly contains calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. Calcium ions have a certain stabilizing effect on the nervous system and may secondarily help improve states of irritability and insomnia. However, the ancient descriptions of "tranquilizing the heart and settling the spirit" carry distinctly period-specific connotations and should not be evaluated using modern pharmacological standards.
Cuttlefish bone for hemostasis: Cutlpfish bone contains calcium carbonate and gelatinous substances. Applied externally, it does indeed have physical astringent, adsorptive, and hemostatic effects, similar in principle to modern medical calcium carbonate dressings. The concept of internal use to reduce acidity overlaps with calcium carbonate's action of neutralizing gastric acid.
Fish as dietary therapy: Crucian carp, carp, and others are rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamin D—providing genuine "tonifying deficiency" nutritional support. The empirical experience of fish soup promoting diuresis and reducing swelling may relate to its high-protein, low-fat profile and its benefit in hypoproteinemic edema.
External use of snake slough, gecko, etc.: Folk practice does indeed include burning such substances to ash for external application to sores; in essence, this is an ancient form of "carbonized astringent" external therapy, formally similar to modern charcoal-based dressings.
Limitations That Must Be Clearly Stated:
Pangolin scales: Modern research has not confirmed any specific pharmacological effect for "promoting lactation" or "unblocking collaterals." Moreover, pangolins are first-class nationally protected animals, and hunting, trading, and using them are strictly prohibited. Such entries are for historical literature study only.
"Categorical analogy" thinking: Inferring medicinal efficacy from animal behavior (e.g., pangolins burrow through mountains, therefore their scales unblock meridians) belongs to ancient, naive analogical reasoning without scientific pharmacological basis.
A large number of appended formulas lack modern validation: Records such as "scraping bone to extract teeth," "medicinal abortion," or "four moxibustion sessions," formulas containing toxic substances (arsenic, blister beetles, mercury, calomel), or dangerous procedures, must never be replicated.
Animal protection perspective: This section involves multiple species now under national protection (pangolin, certain snakes, seahorses, etc.). Readers should cultivate wildlife conservation awareness: do not hunt, buy, or use.
Although this section focuses primarily on formulas and medicinals, several non-therapeutic wellness principles can be extracted:
Moderate dietary intake; consume fish fresh and in appropriate amounts: Fish are a quality source of protein. Moderate daily intake promotes nutritional balance. Yet "excess is as harmful as deficiency"—the Compendium's notation that ricefield eel is "greatly warming" and that eel is "toxic" warns against overconsumption of any food.
Settle the mind; maintain balance between tension and relaxation: The great importance the ancients placed on "fright," "calming the spirit," and "tranquilizing the heart" reminds us of the significance of emotional stability for health. In daily life, balancing work with rest and avoiding prolonged mental stress aligns with the TCM principle of "nourishing both body and spirit."
Follow the seasons; keep regular routines: The repeated cautions to "avoid wind," "abstain from sexual activity," and "mind the diet" throughout this section, though framed as restrictions during medication, also suggest from a health cultivation perspective that during recovery from serious illness or when constitution is weak, extra attention should be paid to wind protection, warmth, dietary moderation, and avoiding overexertion.
A rational approach to traditional experience: Much of this section reflects the folk's simple survival wisdom of "making full use of everything," but constrained by the conditions of their time, these records include many empirical entries that have not been rigorously verified. In studying them, one should appreciate their cultural value and modes of thought while neither blindly following nor directly applying them.
Related Concepts:
Further Reading:
This content is based on classical Chinese medical texts and is provided solely for the study of traditional culture and historical literature. It does not constitute any form of medical diagnosis, prescribing, or treatment recommendation. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider if you experience any health concerns.