Black-striped Snake, a name in traditional Chinese medicine.It is the dried body of the black-striped snake (Zaocys dhumnades (Cantor)), a member of the Colubridae family. It has the effects of dispelling wind, unblocking meridians, and relieving spasms. It is used to treat stubborn rheumatic arthralgia, numbness and stiffness, facial paralysis caused by stroke, hemiplegia, convulsions and spasms, tetanus, leprosy, and scabies.
Black-striped Snake
Black-striped Snake, a name in traditional Chinese medicine.It is the dried body of the black-striped snake (Zaocys dhumnades (Cantor)), a member of the Colubridae family. It has the effects of dispelling wind, unblocking meridians, and relieving spasms. It is used to treat stubborn rheumatic arthralgia, numbness and stiffness, facial paralysis caused by stroke, hemiplegia, convulsions and spasms, tetanus, leprosy, and scabies.
Chinese Name : 乌梢蛇
Latin Name : Zaocys
Aliases : Black Snake, Black-tailed Snake, Sword-spined Black-tailed Snake, Black-spotted Snake, Black-crested Snake, Green Snake, Black Wind Snake, Yellow Wind Snake, Sword-spined Snake, Black-tailed Snake, Three-edged Snake
Authentic Producing Area : Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Sweet in taste, neutral in nature; enters the Liver meridian
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Dispels wind, unblocks the meridians, and relieves spasms.
Indications
Used to treat stubborn rheumatic arthralgia, numbness and stiffness, facial paralysis due to stroke, hemiplegia, convulsions and spasms, tetanus, leprosy, and scabies.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Decocted as a soup, 6–12 g; ground into powder, 1.5–3 g; or incorporated into pills or wine infusions. 2. External use: Apply an appropriate amount of the ground powder as a poultice.
Precautions
Use with caution in cases of wind arising from blood deficiency.
Chemical Constituents
It primarily contains proteins and lipids.
Pharmacological Actions
This product has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, and immunomodulatory effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “It is benign and non-toxic. Its flesh treats various stubborn wind-induced arthralgia, numbness of the skin, itchy rashes caused by wind, and scabies. Its fat, wrapped in cotton and inserted into the ear in an amount the size of a soybean, is remarkably effective for treating deafness. Its gallbladder treats severe wind-induced leprosy and swelling and obstruction of the tongue. Its skin treats wind-toxin and dampness, corneal opacities, and purple lips with sores.Its eggs treat severe wind-induced leprosy.”
2. *De Pei Bencao*: “It can be used to brew wine. It treats numbness of the skin and wind-induced heat toxins; when combined with musk and Chinese schizonepeta, it treats infantile trismus. Its functions are the same as those of the white-flowered snake. However, the white-flowered snake primarily treats lung wind and is a key medicine for vitiligo, while the black-striped snake primarily treats kidney wind and is the specific remedy for purple-cloud wind.”
3. *Ben Cao Fen Jing*: “It penetrates the internal organs and reaches the skin; it penetrates the bones to expel wind, stops convulsions, and calms spasms; it treats rheumatism, abscesses, paralysis, scabies, and leprosy. It is non-toxic but has a mild effect; larger specimens are even less potent.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. To treat wind-induced bi syndrome, numbness and stiffness in the hands and feet, and inability to extend or lift the limbs, it is often combined with whole scorpion, Tiannanxing, and Fangfeng, as in the Black Snake Pill (*Shenghui Fang*); or it is processed into wine for drinking to treat stubborn bi syndrome with spasms, stiffness, and pain, as in Black Snake Wine (*Compendium of Materia Medica*).
2. For treating stroke-induced facial paralysis, hemiplegia, and spasms and convulsions, it is commonly combined with whole scorpion, centipede, and Aconite, among other herbs.
3. To treat acute and chronic convulsions in children, it may be used in combination with Musk and Soapberry, as in the Black Snake Powder (from *Health Family Treasure*); to treat spasms and convulsions caused by tetanus, it is often combined with Qi Snake and Centipede, as in the Life-Preserving Powder (from *Comprehensive Record of Holy Remedies*).
4. For the treatment of leprosy, it is combined with White Aconite Root, Da Feng Zi, and White Angelica Root, as in the Black-striped Snake Pill (Secretly Transmitted Formulas for Leprosy); for the treatment of dry and wet tinea, it is combined with Trifoliate Orange Peel and Lotus Leaf, as in the Three-Ingredient Black-striped Snake Powder (Compendium of Holy Remedies).
Related Compatibility
1. Black-striped Snake combined with Whole Scorpion: Black-striped Snake is sweet and neutral in nature, excelling at expelling wind-pathogens from the meridians and stopping convulsions; Whole Scorpion primarily enters the Liver Meridian, both calming Liver wind and expelling wind to unblock the meridians, thereby combining the effects of calming wind and relieving spasms with expelling wind and relieving spasms.When used in combination, these two herbs enhance the effects of expelling and subduing wind, as well as calming convulsions and relieving spasms. This combination is commonly used to treat childhood convulsions and epilepsy, muscle and tendon spasms caused by wind-phlegm, and tetanus-induced convulsions.
2. Black-striped Snake combined with Cicada Shedding: Black-striped Snake is sweet and neutral in nature; it can eliminate wind-toxin stagnating in the blood and direct it outward to the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Cicada Shedding is cool in nature and can disperse wind and relieve itching. When combined, these two herbs can disperse toxic accumulations, expel wind, and relieve itching, making them suitable for urticaria, skin itching, scabies, and tinea.
Related Medicines
Black Snake Itch-Relief Pills, Rheumatism Relief Pills, Rheumatism Medicinal Pills, Qing Dajang Pills, Vitiligo Capsules.
Related Prescriptions
Three-Ingredient Black Snake Powder (*Shengji Zonglu*), Life-Preserving Powder (*Shengji Zonglu*), Black Snake Powder (*Weisheng Zongwei*).
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with Chinese herbal medicine should first consult a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional pattern differentiation and prescribe an herbal formula.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
It is typically captured during the summer and fall seasons. The abdomen is slit open, or the skin is first removed while leaving the head and tail intact; the internal organs are removed, and the body is coiled into a circular disc before being dried.
Processing Methods
1. Black-striped Snake: Take the raw material, remove the head and scales, and cut into one-cun segments.
2. Black-striped Snake Meat: Take the raw material, remove the head and scales, then marinate thoroughly in yellow wine; remove the skin and bones, and dry.
3. Wine-Processed Black-striped Snake: Take the cleaned black-striped snake segments, add an appropriate amount of yellow wine, mix well, and let stand briefly to moisten. Once the wine has been fully absorbed, place the mixture in a frying pan and heat over low heat until it turns a light yellow color. Remove, let cool, and sift out any debris. Use 20 kg of yellow wine per 100 kg of black-striped snake.
Storage Methods
Store in a lime-lined container, either together with Sichuan pepper or after spraying with a small amount of alcohol; seal tightly and place in a well-ventilated, dry location. Protect from moisture and insect infestation.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
This product is disc-shaped, with a diameter of approximately 16 cm. The surface is dark brown or greenish-black, densely covered with rhombic scales; the dorsal scales are arranged in paired rows, with the 2–4 central rows strongly ridged, forming two black lines running longitudinally across the entire body. The head disc is located in the center and is flattened and round; the eyes are large, sunken, and glossy.There are 8 scales on the upper lip; the 4th and 5th extend into the eye socket. There is 1 scale on the cheek, 1 small scale below and in front of the eye, and 2 scales behind the eye. The dorsal region is prominently raised, forming a ridge-like structure.When the abdomen is cut open, the edges curl inward; the dorsal muscles are thick, yellowish-white or pale brown, with neatly arranged ribs visible. The tail tapers gradually and is long. The scales beneath the tail are arranged in two rows. When skinned, only the scales on the head and tail remain; the middle section is relatively smooth. It has a fishy odor and a mild taste.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Black-striped Snake: Cut into segments; the skin is blackish-brown or greenish-black with no luster; the cross-section is yellowish-white or grayish-brown. The texture is firm; it has a fishy odor and a bland taste.
2. Black-striped Snake Meat: Cut into segments or slices, free of skin and bones, with thick, tender flesh. It is yellowish-white or grayish-black in color. The texture is chewy. It has a fishy odor with a slight hint of alcohol.
3. Wine-Marinated Black-striped Snake: Resembles segments of black-striped snake, brownish-black or black in color, with a slight hint of alcohol.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
It is relatively large in size, with an indistinct distinction between the head and neck, and can reach a total length of over 2 m. The dorsal surface is grayish-brown or blackish-brown, with two black lines running longitudinally along the entire body. In older individuals, the posterior section is darker, the black lines are less distinct, and the yellowish-brown longitudinal line along the spine is more prominent. Juvenile snakes have a grayish-green dorsal surface with four black lines running longitudinally along the entire body.There is one cheek scale, occasionally with a small scale located below it; there are two preorbital scales and two (or three) postorbital scales; the temporal scales are arranged as 2 (or 1) + 2; the upper lip scales follow a 3-2-3 pattern.Dorsal scales: 16-16 (or 14)-14, with 2-4 (or 6) central rows keeled. The two rows of keels along the midline are very prominent; ventral scales: 192-205; anal scales: 2-segmented; subcaudal scales: 95-137 pairs.
Distribution Area
Distributed in Shaanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Guizhou.