Mulberry octopus

　　The mulberry mantis is the egg sheath of the mantis insect Tenodera sinensis Saussure, Statilia maculata (Thunberg) or Hierodula patellifera (Serville). They are commonly known as "Tuan octopus", "Long octopus" and "Black octopus". Produced in most parts of the country. Harvested from late autumn to the following spring. Soak the eggs in boiling water to kill them, or steam them thoroughly and dry them in the sun.

　　[Medical properties] Sweet, salty, flat. Returns to the liver and kidney meridians.

　　[Efficacy] Strengthen essence and reduce urination, nourish kidney and help yang.

　　【application】

　　1. Nocturnal emission, slippery semen, enuresis, frequent urination, and white turbidity. This product is sweet and replenishing, but salty enters the kidneys and has astringent properties. It can replenish kidney qi, strengthen Jingguan and reduce defecation. It is a good medicine for treating spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination, and white turbidity caused by kidney deficiency. To treat spermatorrhea and slippery sperm due to kidney deficiency, it is often used with keel, schisandra, and aconite, such as Mulberry Pills ("Shiyi Dexiao Prescription"); to treat enuresis in children, it can be used alone as powder and taken with rice soup; to treat trance, frequent urination, enuresis, and white turbidity, it can be combined with Polygala, keel, and Acorus, such as Mulberry Powder ("Materia Medica").

　　2. Impotence. This product has the effect of nourishing the kidneys and supporting yang. It can treat impotence due to kidney deficiency and is often used together with velvet antler, cistanche deserticola, dodder and other medicines.

　　[Usage and Dosage] Decoction and take, 6~10g.

　　[Usage Precautions] This product helps yang to solidify astringency, so it should not be used by those with yin deficiency and excessive fire, hot bladder and frequent urination.

　　[Abstract from ancient books]

　　1. "Shen Nong's Materia Medica": "Mainly used for injuries, hernias, vaginal impotence, beneficial to sperm and childbirth, women suffering from blood stasis and low back pain, clearing the five stranguria, and promoting urinary water channels."

　　2. "Famous Doctors": "Cure men's weakness, weak qi in the five internal organs, loss of semen in dreams, and drowning. ”

　　3. "Ben Jing Feng Yuan": "It is also a medicine for the liver and kidneys. It specializes in reducing astringency. Therefore, it is often used in men with deficiency, kidney failure, impotence, sperm loss, nocturnal emission, drowning, and white turbidity in dreams." ”

　　【Modern Research】

　　1. Chemical composition: Contains protein, fat, crude fiber, iron, calcium, and carotene-like pigments. In addition, both the outer and inner layers of the octopus contain 17 kinds of amino acids and 7 kinds of phospholipids.

　　2. Pharmacological effects: Pharmacological tests have proven that this drug has slight anti-diuretic and antiperspirant effects, and its mechanism of action needs further study. It has also been reported that this drug can also promote the secretion of digestive juices; reduce blood sugar, blood lipids and inhibit cancer.

　　3. Clinical research: According to clinical reports, Fusang ointment (pulverized mulberry octopus and hibiscus flowers, mixed with sesame oil) can be applied externally to treat herpes zoster, which can usually be cured in 1-2 days (Shandong Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1984, 6; 45). Take mulberry octopus and stir-fry charcoal to preserve its properties, grind it into fine powder and take it with sugar water (Chinese Medicine Bulletin, 1986, 7:60); or use mulberry octopus mixed with Yizhiren, astragalus and yam in a ratio of 15:15:10:10, dry and grind into powder, drink or swallow (Heilongjiang Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990, (1): 23); good results are obtained in treating enuresis in children.