Centipede, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the dried body of the giant centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch) from the genus Scolopendra in the family Scolopendridae. It has the effects of calming wind and relieving spasms, unblocking meridians and alleviating pain, and eliminating toxins and dispersing nodules.It is primarily used to treat internal liver wind, spasms and convulsions, infantile convulsions, facial paralysis due to stroke, hemiplegia, tetanus, intractable rheumatic arthralgia, headaches (both unilateral and bilateral), skin ulcers, scrofula, and snake and insect bites.
Centipede
Centipede, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the dried body of the giant centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch) from the genus Scolopendra in the family Scolopendridae. It has the effects of calming wind and relieving spasms, unblocking meridians and alleviating pain, and eliminating toxins and dispersing nodules.It is primarily used to treat internal liver wind, spasms and convulsions, infantile convulsions, facial paralysis due to stroke, hemiplegia, tetanus, intractable rheumatic arthralgia, headaches (both unilateral and bilateral), skin ulcers, scrofula, and snake and insect bites.
Chinese Name : 蜈蚣
Latin Name : Scolopendra
Aliases : Centipedes, Wu Gong, Tianlong, hundred-legged insects, thousand-legged insects
Authentic Producing Area : Zhejiang, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Pungent in taste, warm in nature; enters the Liver meridian
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Calms wind and relieves spasms; unblocks the meridians and alleviates pain; eliminates toxins and disperses nodules.
Indications
Internal liver wind, spasms and convulsions, infantile convulsions, stroke with facial paralysis, hemiplegia, tetanus, intractable rheumatic arthralgia, unilateral and bilateral headaches, sores and abscesses, scrofula, and snake and insect bites.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Decocted as a soup, 2–5 g; ground into powder, 0.5–1 g; or incorporated into pills or powders. 2. External use: Sprinkle as a powder, soak in oil, or mix the powder with a carrier to form a poultice.
Precautions
1. Use with caution in cases of wind arising from blood deficiency. 2. Contraindicated for pregnant women. 3. This product is toxic; do not exceed the recommended dosage. 4. This product is incompatible with spiders, centipedes, chicken droppings, mulberry bark, and rock salt.
Chemical Constituents
This product primarily contains proteins, including toxic and non-toxic proteins, such as phosphoprotein A, proteolytic enzymes, acetylcholinesterase, arginase, prothrombin, cellulase, and acid phosphatase; it also contains various amino acids, fatty acids, and other components.
Pharmacological Actions
This product exhibits pharmacological effects including anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antitumor, and anti-myocardial ischemia properties.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica*: “Neutralizes the toxins of snakes, insects, and fish… and eliminates the ‘Three Worms.’”
2. *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “For childhood convulsions and epilepsy, umbilical wind and trismus, erysipelas, alopecia, scrofula, fecal toxicity, hemorrhoids with fistula, snake-induced masses, snake-induced miasma, and snake bites.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. To treat infantile clenched-mouth syndrome and hand-foot convulsions, it can be combined with whole scorpion, Uncaria hook vine, and stiff silkworm, as in the Cuofeng Powder (Zhengzhi Zhunsheng).
2. To treat infantile convulsions, it can be combined with cinnabar and mercury oxide in equal parts, ground into a powder, and administered with breast milk, as in the Wanjin Powder (from *Shenghui Fang*).
3. To treat tetanus and opisthotonos, use this product as the primary herb in combination with Pinellia ternata and Saposhnikovia divaricata, as in the Centipede-Pinellia Wind-Wind Powder (from *Yizong Jinjian*).
4. To treat sores, abscesses, swellings, and toxic infections, as well as scrofula and tubercles, it is combined with realgar and pig bile to form an ointment for external application to malignant sores and swellings, yielding excellent results, as in the Bu’er Powder (from *Bacui Fang*).
5. To treat venomous snake bites, it is combined with Coptis, rhubarb, and raw licorice.
6. For rheumatic arthralgia characterized by wandering pain and severe intensity, it is combined with Fangfeng, Duhuo, and Weilingxian—herbs that dispel wind, remove dampness, and unblock the meridians.
7. For intractable, chronic headaches or migraines that have not responded to prolonged treatment, it is often used in combination with Tianma, Chuanxiong, and Bai Jiangcan.
Related Compatibility
1. Centipede combined with Uncaria: Centipede excels at subduing wind and relieving spasms, eliminating toxins and dispersing nodules, and unblocking meridians to relieve pain; Uncaria excels at subduing wind and relieving spasms, clearing heat, and calming the liver.When used together, these two herbs possess strong effects in subduing wind and relieving spasms, dispelling wind and unblocking the meridians, and alleviating pain. They are suitable for conditions such as internal liver wind, spasms and convulsions, hemiplegia due to stroke, and intractable headaches.
2. Centipede combined with Earthworm: Both Centipede and Earthworm are key herbs for subduing wind and relieving spasms.Centipede has a strong ability to subdue wind and is particularly effective for frequent convulsions, trembling of the hands and feet, stiff tongue and slurred speech, and uncontrollable head shaking; earthworm excels at dispelling wind and is particularly effective for spasms of the limbs, neck stiffness, and opisthotonos. When used together, both herbs enter the Liver Meridian, enhancing their ability to subdue wind and relieve spasms; they are a commonly used pair of herbs for subduing wind.
3. Centipede Combined with Licorice: Centipede eliminates toxins and disperses nodules; raw licorice clears heat and detoxifies. When used together, these two herbs enhance the ability to detoxify and disperse nodules, and are used to treat various surgical conditions involving sores, abscesses, and toxic swellings.
Medicinal Identification
Centipede and Whole Scorpion: Both centipede and whole scorpion possess the abilities to subdue wind, relieve spasms, detoxify, disperse nodules, unblock the meridians, and alleviate pain. They are suitable for conditions such as internal liver wind, spasms and convulsions, infantile febrile convulsions, facial paralysis due to stroke, hemiplegia, tetanus, intractable rheumatic arthralgia, unilateral and bilateral headaches,ulcers, scrofula, and snake and insect bites. However, the centipede is potent and drying in nature; it moves rapidly and penetrates deeply, exhibiting stronger effects in subduing wind and relieving spasms, as well as excellent efficacy in eliminating toxins, treating ulcers, unblocking meridians, and relieving pain. The whole scorpion is neutral in nature; its ability to subdue wind, relieve spasms, eliminate toxins, and disperse nodules is not as strong as that of the centipede.
Related Medicines
Epilepsy Pills, Uterine Erosion Ointment, Pediatric Convulsion Powder, and Blood-Activating and Toxin-Clearing Pills.
Related Prescriptions
Centipede Paste (from *Authentic Treatise on Surgery*), Centipede Oil (from *Selected Essentials of Surgical Medicine*), and Spasm-Relieving Powder (from *Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment Methods for Epidemic Japanese Encephalitis*).
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with Chinese herbal medicine should first consult a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital to receive a prescription following a professional TCM differential diagnosis.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Captured in spring and summer; insert bamboo strips into the head and tail to straighten the body, then dry and cut into segments. Those with wide bodies and shriveled abdomens are considered superior.
Processing Methods
1. Centipede: Take the raw herb, remove the bamboo strips, head, and legs, and cut into small pieces as needed.
2. Roasted Centipede: Take the centipede, first remove the head and legs, then roast over low heat until dark brown; do not let it burn.
3. Wine-treated Centipede: Take the cleaned centipedes, sprinkle with an appropriate amount of white wine and mix thoroughly. Place in a pot and heat over low heat, lightly stir-frying until dry. Remove and allow to cool. Use 20 kg of white wine per 100 kg of centipedes.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container in a cool, dry place to prevent mold and insect infestation.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
This product is flat and elongated, measuring 9–15 cm in length and 0.5–1 cm in width. It consists of a head and a trunk, with a total of 22 segments. The head is dark red or reddish-brown with a slight sheen and is covered by a head plate. The head plate is nearly circular, with a slightly protruding front edge and a pair of mandibular appendages attached to each side;a pair of antennae on either side of the anterior end. The first dorsal plate of the trunk is the same color as the cephalic plate; the remaining 20 dorsal plates are brownish-green or dark green with a luster, and often feature two longitudinal grooves from the fourth to the twentieth dorsal plate; the abdomen is pale yellow or brownish-yellow and wrinkled; starting from the second segment, there is a pair of walking legs on each side of the body;The walking legs are yellow or reddish-brown, occasionally yellowish-white, and hook-shaped; the last pair of walking legs is tail-like, hence also called tail legs, and is easily detached. The body is brittle, with fissures visible on the cross-section. It has a faint fishy odor accompanied by a distinctive pungent stench; the taste is spicy and slightly salty.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Centipede: The body with the head and legs removed, appearing as small, flat segments; the dorsal side is brownish-green or dark green with a luster, while the ventral side is brownish-yellow or pale yellow; it is brittle. It has a distinctive, pungent, fishy odor and a pungent, slightly salty taste.
2. Roasted Centipede: Resembles a centipede in shape, with a dark brown surface and a slight aromatic scent.
3. Wine-Infused Centipede: Resembles a centipede in shape, with a slight scent of wine.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
Adults measure 110–140 mm in length. The cephalon and first dorsal segment are golden yellow; from the second dorsal segment onward, they are dark green or olive green; the terminal dorsal segment is sometimes nearly yellowish-brown; the thoraco-abdominal segments and walking legs are pale yellow. From the fourth to ninth dorsal segments, there are two inconspicuous longitudinal grooves. The abdominal segments have longitudinal grooves between the second and nineteenth segments.Each side of body segments 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 bears a pair of spiracles. The anterior part of the cephalon has four simple eyes on each side, arranged in left and right eye clusters; the mandibles contain venom glands; the anterior margin of the clypeus has five small teeth, with the three inner teeth closely spaced.There are 21 pairs of walking legs; the last pair is the longest, extending backward and forming a tail-like structure; the posterior end of the basal lateral plate has two small spines; the ventral lateral surface of the foreleg segment has two spines, with one spine on the medial side; the dorsal medial surface has one spine and one angular spine; the apex of the angular spine bears two small spines.
Distribution Area
It is widely distributed, with significant yields primarily found in Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Henan, and Hubei.