Snake gallbladder is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine. It is derived from the gallbladders of various snakes, including the cobra (Naja naja (Linnaeus)) of the genus Naja in the family Elapidae; the banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus (Schneider)) of the genus Bungarus; the black-striped snake (Zaocys dhumnades (Cantor)) of the genus Zaocys in the family Colubridae; and the yellow-striped rat snake(gray rat snake) Ptyas korros (Schlegel), and the gallbladder of the viper Agkistrodon haly (Pallas) from the Viperidae family, among other snake species.This preparation has a bitter and slightly sweet taste and a cold nature. It has the effects of dispelling wind and calming convulsions, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, cooling the liver and improving vision, and detoxifying. It is primarily used to treat wind-heat convulsions, phlegm-heat convulsions, phlegm-heat cough, whooping cough, red eyes, corneal opacities, swollen and painful hemorrhoids, and acne.
Snake Gall
Snake gallbladder is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine. It is derived from the gallbladders of various snakes, including the cobra (Naja naja (Linnaeus)) of the genus Naja in the family Elapidae; the banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus (Schneider)) of the genus Bungarus; the black-striped snake (Zaocys dhumnades (Cantor)) of the genus Zaocys in the family Colubridae; and the yellow-striped rat snake(gray rat snake) Ptyas korros (Schlegel), and the gallbladder of the viper Agkistrodon haly (Pallas) from the Viperidae family, among other snake species.This preparation has a bitter and slightly sweet taste and a cold nature. It has the effects of dispelling wind and calming convulsions, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, cooling the liver and improving vision, and detoxifying. It is primarily used to treat wind-heat convulsions, phlegm-heat convulsions, phlegm-heat cough, whooping cough, red eyes, corneal opacities, swollen and painful hemorrhoids, and acne.
Chinese Name : 蛇胆
Authentic Producing Area : Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Hubei, Sichuan
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Bitter and slightly sweet in taste; cold in nature
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Dispels wind and calms convulsions; resolves phlegm and relieves cough; cools the liver and improves vision; detoxifies.
Indications
Snake gall is primarily used to treat wind-heat convulsions, phlegm-heat convulsions, phlegm-heat cough, whooping cough, red eyes, corneal opacities, swollen and painful hemorrhoids, and acne.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Dissolve 0.5–1 snake gallbladder in boiling water or alcohol; or incorporate into pills or powders; or prepare as a tincture. 2. External use: Apply the juice topically; or grind into a powder and apply as a paste.
Precautions
Not yet established.
Chemical Constituents
Snake gall contains at least 12 types of bile acids, the main component being taurocholic acid, which is formed by the combination of cholic acid and taurine. Most medicinal snake gall also contains tauro-n-glyceryl deoxycholic acid, tauro-deoxycholic acid, lithocholic acid, free cholic acid, and cholesterol.In addition, pythons, anacondas, and rock snakes of the Pythonidae family contain pythonic acid; the bile of king snakes, anacondas, and banded krait contains tauropythonic acid; and snakes of the Viperidae family contain viperic acid and α-seal bile acid.
Pharmacological Actions
This product has antitussive, expectorant, and bronchodilatory effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Substances*: “Viper gallbladder kills intestinal parasites.”
2. *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Viper gallbladder treats various types of discharge; grind it into a paste and apply topically. If pain occurs, grind it with apricot kernels and rub the mixture onto the affected area.” “Black snake gallbladder is primarily used to treat severe wind-related infectious diseases and swelling and obstruction of the tongue.”
3. *Chronicle of Sichuan Chinese Herbal Medicine* (1960 edition): “It treats phlegm obstructing the heart orifices, mania caused by wind-heat, blurred vision, red and swollen hemorrhoids, and skin conditions caused by heat toxins.”
4. *Compendium of Chinese Herbal Medicines*: “Clears heat and detoxifies; resolves phlegm and relieves spasms. Primarily used to treat pediatric pneumonia, whooping cough, bronchitis, cough with phlegm and wheezing, phlegm-heat convulsions, and acute rheumatic arthritis.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For phlegm obscuring the orifices of the heart: Combine snake gallbladder with dried tangerine peel, bile star, Coptis, Sichuan fritillary bulb, and amber. Grind all ingredients into a powder, form into pills, and take orally. (*Compendium of Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica*, 1960 edition)
2. For a swollen and obstructed tongue: Take one snake gallbladder, roast it until dry, grind it into a powder, and apply it to the tongue; saliva will be expelled. (*Shengji Zonglu*)
3. For severe wind-induced disorders: Take one winter melon, cut off a five-cun section, and remove the seeds. Dig a pit three chi deep in the ground, clean it thoroughly, and place the winter melon inside. Place one black snake gallbladder and one Xiao Li fruit on top of the melon, then cover them with a layer of soil.On the 21st day, check once; the winter melon should not be severely decayed. Wait until the 49th day, when all three items have dissolved into liquid, then check once more and remove them. Mix one tea-spoonful with wine and take it; the condition will be cured immediately after three or two doses. For milder cases of wind-induced disorders, take one spoonful per dose. (From *Bo Ji Fang*: “Great Wind Gentian Ointment”)
Related Medicines
Snake Gallbladder and Sichuan Fritillary Bulb Powder, Snake Gallbladder and Dried Tangerine Peel Powder.
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
Generally, in the spring and fall seasons, after catching a snake, slit open its abdomen, locate the gallbladder, tie off the upper end of the bile duct with thread, then cut it just above the ligature to remove the gallbladder. Hang it in a well-ventilated area to dry; alternatively, preserve it by soaking it in white liquor with an alcohol content of 50% or higher. Another method involves extracting the gallbladder from a live snake:With the left hand, locate the gallbladder and apply slight pressure to make it protrude slightly from the abdominal wall. Disinfect the skin at that site with ethanol, then insert the syringe needle perpendicularly into the gallbladder and slowly withdraw the bile.Depending on the snake’s size, 0.5–3 mL can be extracted at a time; it is best not to extract the entire contents. Transfer the extracted bile into a sterilized glass bottle, subject it to vacuum drying to obtain yellow-green crystals, and store the crystals in ampoules. Extraction can be repeated after one month; thus, a single snake can provide multiple bile harvests during the rearing process.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
1. Cobra gallbladder: Oval or egg-shaped, 1–2.5 cm long, 0.5–1 cm in diameter, with the gallbladder pedicle slightly off-center. The gallbladder wall is smooth and highly resilient. The bile is orange-yellow and viscous. It tastes bitter at first, followed by a sweet aftertaste, with a cooling, throat-tingling sensation.
2. Golden-ringed Snake Gallbladder: Roundish or oval, 0.7–1.2 cm long, with a slightly thicker bile duct. The capsule is smooth and highly resilient. In summer, the bile is brown, white, or pale red; in winter, it is green or dark brown. It has a faint fishy odor and a bitter yet sweet taste.
3.Black-striped Snake Gallbladder (Black Snake Gallbladder): Ovoid or oblong, approximately 1 cm long and 0.5 cm in diameter, with a rough capsule surface. The bile duct at the upper end is about 1.5 cm long. The surface is brownish or greenish-brown. When held up to the light, it appears slightly translucent; the bile is viscous and yellowish-brown or yellowish-green. It has a faint fishy odor and a bitter, astringent taste that turns sweet afterward.
4. Yellow-striped Snake (Gray Rat Snake) Gallbladder: Long ovoid, 1–2 cm long, 0.5–0.8 cm in diameter. The gallbladder stalk is laterally positioned. The capsule is smooth and highly resilient. The bile is dark green in color, with a bitter and astringent taste.
5. Silver-ringed Snake Gallbladder: Nearly round or oval, 0.5–1 cm long, 0.5–0.7 cm in diameter.The gallbladder pedicle is located on one side. The capsule is smooth and highly resilient.
6. Hundred-Flower Brocade Snake Gallbladder: Oval or ovoid, 1–1.5 cm long, 0.5–1 cm in diameter, with a dark green or yellowish-white surface. The capsule is smooth and highly resilient. It has a faint fishy odor and tastes bitter, followed by a sweet aftertaste.