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Chapter 7 of 33
神农本草经
Fa Bi (发髲), i.e., human hair (in ancient times, hair was shaved from criminals or taken from young boys; this Classic could not bear to take hair from the living for medicinal use, so only discarded clippings were used).
Nature: Bitter in taste, warm in nature.
Actions: Chiefly treats the five types of long bi (urinary retention disorders), and guan ge (critical conditions where the qi of the upper and lower body are mutually obstructed). It promotes diuresis and frees the water passages. It treats xian (epilepsy-type paroxysmal disorders) in children and jing (convulsive disorders, manifesting as rigidity of the neck and back with spasms) in adults. The ancients believed it could also cause the body's spirit-mechanism to return to itself and re-enter its normal transformational course.
Commentary and textual research summary: According to the Shuowen Jiezi, "fa" refers to the root (of hair), and "bi ti" means wig. The Maoshi contains the line "bu xie di," and Zheng Xuan's commentary states that "di" is equivalent to "bi" (wig). In the Yili, the annotation to "zhu fu bei xi" points out that "bei xi" should be read as "bi ti." In ancient times, hair was shaved from persons of low status or from punished criminals to make women's head ornaments, hence the name "bi ti." Li Dangzhi held that this substance should be the hair of young boys. According to Han dynasty scholars, "fa bi" should be hair shaved from criminals or young boys—the Classic could not bear to take hair directly from living persons for medicine, so it used only discarded clippings. Later physicians even went so far as to use the "tian ling gai" (the human skullcap) in prescriptions, harming the bones of the dead, yet ultimately failing to cure disease—a corrupt practice unknown to the ancients.
Editorial note: This medicinal substance belongs to the "human parts" category. The old edition contained only this single item, consistent with the ancient text.
This entry exemplifies a central concept of the human-parts medicinals in the Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica: the notion of "treating humans with human substances" through the resonance of like qi. The ancients held that hair is the "surplus of blood" (in TCM, hair is produced by the surplus qi of blood), born at the highest point of the human body and receiving the essence qi of the body; therefore, it can free the water passages of the body and resolve conditions of guan ge obstruction. The phrase "still returns to itself in spiritual transformation" (reng zi huan shen hua) implies a simple concept of "taken from humans, returned to humans"—believing that a substance originating from the human body more readily returns to the body's qi-transformation system to exert its effects.
Regarding the indications, long bi, guan ge, and obstruction of the water passages are all disorders involving blockage of the body's "excretory channels." The ancients drew an analogical correspondence (qu xiang bi lei) between hair's "slender, penetrating, downward-draining" form and the need to free what is blocked. This mode of thinking embodies TCM's pharmacological logic of "analogical correspondence by form and image."
On a deeper level, the commentary reveals an important ethical awareness in medicine: the compilers of the Classic "could not bear to use hair taken from humans," and therefore used only shaved clippings; whereas later physicians who "used the skullcap, harming the bones of the dead" are explicitly criticized. This demonstrates that as early as the Han dynasty, ethical boundaries already existed regarding the use of human body materials in medicine.
From a modern scientific perspective, the primary chemical constituent of hair is keratin (a structural protein), which possesses no diuretic, anti-epileptic, or antispasmodic effects in the modern pharmacological sense. The purported functions of "freeing the water passages," "treating epilepsy," and "treating convulsions" lack reliable clinical evidence within the framework of modern medicine.
What is commendable is the ethical awareness embedded in this commentary, which transcends its era. The criticism of "harming the bones of the dead with the skullcap" and the observation that such practice "ultimately cannot cure disease" constitute a rational reflection on the use of human tissue as medicinals. In modern medicine, the use of human tissue as medical resources (such as organ transplantation and blood products) is supported by strict ethical review and scientific evidence—fundamentally distinct from the ancient "analogical correspondence" logic of the human-parts medicinals.
Phrases such as "still returns to itself in spiritual transformation" are poetic and philosophical descriptions of drug action mechanisms by the ancients and should not be interpreted literally. Historically, these were reasonable explanatory attempts under the cognitive conditions of their time, but today they should be viewed with scientific discernment regarding their limitations.
This entry is a pharmacognosy record and does not itself constitute health guidance. However, the prudent and restrained attitude toward the use of human tissue in medicine contained herein can be extended to a universal view of health: intervention upon the body should be measured and moderate, never rash. If the ancients "could not bear" even to take hair for medicine, this fundamental reverence for the human body echoes the modern principle of "no unnecessary medication, no excessive medical intervention."
Furthermore, the emphasis on "guan ge" obstruction indicates that the ancients placed great importance on the state of "free flow" (tong) in the human body—normal urination and defecation, and the smooth movement of qi, being basic indicators of health. Regular routine, adequate water intake, and a reasonable diet help maintain normal excretory and metabolic functions of the body—this is common sense shared across ancient and modern times.
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This content is based on classical Chinese medical texts and is provided solely for the study of traditional culture. It does not constitute medical diagnosis, medication, or treatment advice. If you experience any discomfort, please seek medical attention promptly.