Cockroaches are a name used in traditional Chinese medicine. They refer to the entire bodies of the following species belonging to the genus Blatta in the family Blattidae: the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus)), the Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae (Fabricius)), and the Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis (Linnaeus)).The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus)) is distributed throughout northern China; the Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis (Linnaeus)) is found nationwide; and the Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae (Fabricius)) is found in tropical and subtropical regions. It has the therapeutic effects of dispersing blood stasis, resolving food stagnation, and detoxifying. It is primarily used to treat masses and accumulations, malnutrition in children, sore throat, tonsillitis, boils, abscesses, and swellings caused by toxins, as well as insect and snake bites.
Cockroach
Cockroaches are a name used in traditional Chinese medicine. They refer to the entire bodies of the following species belonging to the genus Blatta in the family Blattidae: the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus)), the Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae (Fabricius)), and the Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis (Linnaeus)).The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus)) is distributed throughout northern China; the Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis (Linnaeus)) is found nationwide; and the Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae (Fabricius)) is found in tropical and subtropical regions. It has the therapeutic effects of dispersing blood stasis, resolving food stagnation, and detoxifying. It is primarily used to treat masses and accumulations, malnutrition in children, sore throat, tonsillitis, boils, abscesses, and swellings caused by toxins, as well as insect and snake bites.
Chinese Name : 蟑螂
Latin Name : Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus)
Aliases : Fēi, Fēi Lùn, Fēi Cháng, Fù Pán, Shí Jiāng, Huá Chóng, Chá Pó Chóng, Xiāng Niáng Zǐ, Zāng Láng, Tōu Yóu Pó, Jiàng Chóng
Authentic Producing Area : Found throughout the country
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Salty in taste, cold in nature. Enters the Liver, Spleen, and Kidney meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Dispels blood stasis, resolves food stagnation, and detoxifies.
Indications
Indications: masses and accumulations, malnutrition in children, sore throat, tonsillitis, boils, sores, and toxic swellings; insect and snake bites.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decocted as a soup, 0.5–1.5 g (or 1–3 specimens); or ground into powder. External use: Apply an appropriate amount, pounded and applied as a poultice.
Precautions
Contraindicated for pregnant women.
Pharmacological Actions
1. Antitumor effects. 2. Increases the phagocytosis rate and phagocytosis index of macrophages.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Collected Annotations to the Classic of Materia Medica*: “Its shape resembles that of a worm, but it is light, small, and capable of flight; it naturally inhabits grasslands. In August and September, sensing the cold, it often takes refuge inside people’s homes. There are two or three varieties; the one with a ginger-like aroma is considered authentic, and people in the south also consume it.”
2. *Shu Bencao*: “The *Tu Jing* states: ‘Mountain dwellers in Jinzhou, Fangzhou, and other regions eat them, calling them “stone ginger”; they are often found in clusters of a hundred or so among the trees in the woods.’”
Applications
Related Compatibility
1. For treating abdominal distension: one cockroach (roasted until dry) and a pinch of radish seeds. Stir-fry together until powdered, then swallow with good wine. (From *Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica*, citing *Zhou Yisheng’s Family Treasure Formulas*)
2. For treating masses and accumulations: a cockroach (roasted), ground into powder.Take 1.5 g per dose, mixed with a concentrated decoction made from 30 g each of verbena and greater thistle, and drink the mixture. (From *Chronicle of Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine*, 1982)
3. To treat the early stages of childhood malnutrition: Remove the head, legs, and antennae from a cockroach, dry it on a new tile, and mix it with food to be eaten regularly. (From *Mirror of a Hundred Herbs*)
4. For treating unexplained swellings and abscesses: Take ten cockroaches and a pinch of salt. Pound them together into a paste and apply as a poultice, leaving the head exposed. (*Ci Hang Huo Ren Shu*)
5. For treating styes: Take seven large cockroaches, remove the heads, legs, and shells, then pound them with a small amount of granulated sugar into a paste. Apply the paste around the stye, leaving the head exposed. (*Gang Mu Shi Yi*)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Capture them at night in kitchens, in corners, near pits, or in warehouses. Use them fresh, or scald them with boiling water, then sun-dry or oven-dry them.
Processing Methods
In current practice, take the raw material, remove impurities, roast it until dry, and grind it into a powder.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry, airtight container in a dry place. Protect from insect infestation.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
(1) American Cockroach: This species is elliptical in shape and relatively large, measuring 4.3–5.5 cm in length. The body is reddish-brown, flattened dorsoventrally, with a small head tilted toward the ventral side. It has one pair of long, thread-like antennae, well-developed kidney-shaped compound eyes, and two simple eyes.The pronotum is enlarged and shield-shaped, covering the head; the central part of the pronotum features two large, connected black spots, with wide yellow bands along the edges. It has three pairs of legs, which are laterally flattened with broad coxae; the femora and tibiae are spiny, and the tarsi consist of five segments ending in two claws; it has two pairs of membranous wings, with the forewings being small and the hindwings large, covering the tip of the abdomen; the tip of the abdomen bears a pair of cerci.The body is brittle and easily broken. It has a faint fishy odor and a slightly salty taste.
(2) Oriental cockroach: The body is oval-shaped and flattened dorsoventrally, about 2.5 cm long, with a dark brown outer surface and an oily sheen.
(3) The Australian cockroach is similar in shape to the American cockroach but smaller, with a brownish-brown body and a length of about 3.5 cm.
Properties of Processed Slices
It is powdery, dark brown, and has a distinctive odor.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
1. The American cockroach measures 4–5 centimeters in body length. It is oval and flattened, reddish-brown in color, and glossy. The head is small and concealed beneath the pronotum; the antennae are whip-like and extend beyond the tips of the wings. The pronotum is rounded. The wings are well-developed and cover the tip of the abdomen; the forewings are smaller, leaf-shaped, leathery, and have reddish-brown wing veins. The hindwings are large, membranous, and fan-shaped.The legs are long and laterally flattened. The posterior margins of each abdominal segment are dark reddish-brown. The tip of the abdomen bears two long and two short cerci, which serve a olfactory function. 2. Oriental cockroach: Medium-sized, approximately 25 mm long, entirely black or dark brown, with a uniform coloration on the pronotum; it has short wings; in males, the wings do not reach the posterior end of the abdomen; in females, only a pair of small wing-like structures is present. 3. The Australian cockroach resembles the American cockroach in appearance but is smaller, light brown in color, and measures about 3.5 centimeters in total length. It is characterized by a distinct, wide yellow band along the outer edge of the basal portion of the forewings; its antennae are short and do not extend beyond the tips of the wings.
Distribution Area
The American cockroach is distributed throughout northern China; the Oriental cockroach is found nationwide; and the Australian cockroach is found in tropical and subtropical regions.