Black Ants, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the entire body of the Formica fusca Linnaeus, a species of ant belonging to the genus Formica in the family Formicidae. This herb has a salty and sour taste, a neutral nature, and enters the Liver and Kidney meridians. It has the effects of tonifying the kidneys and nourishing essence, unblocking meridians and activating collaterals, and detoxifying and reducing swelling. It is primarily used to treat dizziness and tinnitus caused by kidney deficiency,insomnia with frequent dreaming, erectile dysfunction and nocturnal emissions, rheumatic arthralgia, hemiplegia due to stroke, numbness in the hands and feet, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, boils, carbuncles, and snake bites.
Black Ant
Black Ants, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the entire body of the Formica fusca Linnaeus, a species of ant belonging to the genus Formica in the family Formicidae. This herb has a salty and sour taste, a neutral nature, and enters the Liver and Kidney meridians. It has the effects of tonifying the kidneys and nourishing essence, unblocking meridians and activating collaterals, and detoxifying and reducing swelling. It is primarily used to treat dizziness and tinnitus caused by kidney deficiency,insomnia with frequent dreaming, erectile dysfunction and nocturnal emissions, rheumatic arthralgia, hemiplegia due to stroke, numbness in the hands and feet, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, boils, carbuncles, and snake bites.
Chinese Name : 黑蚂蚁
Authentic Producing Area : Northeast
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Taste: salty and sour; nature: neutral; enters the Liver and Kidney meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Tonifies the kidneys and nourishes essence; unblocks meridians and activates collaterals; detoxifies and reduces swelling.
Indications
Black Ants are primarily used to treat kidney deficiency with dizziness and tinnitus, insomnia with frequent dreaming, erectile dysfunction and nocturnal emissions, rheumatic arthralgia, hemiplegia due to stroke, numbness in the hands and feet, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, abscesses, boils, and carbuncles, as well as venomous snake bites.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Grind into a powder and take 2–5 g; or incorporate into pills; or soak in wine and drink. 2. External use: Apply an appropriate amount after pounding into a paste.
Precautions
Not yet established.
Pharmacological Actions
This product has sedative, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory effects.
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For swollen and painful boils: Pound black ants and cockle beetles together into a paste and apply.
2. For snake bites: Pound black ants into a paste and apply. (Formulas 1 and 2 are from the 1960 edition of *Chronicle of Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine*)
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with traditional Chinese medicine should first consult a licensed TCM hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional pattern differentiation and issue a prescription.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvesting should take place before the nuptial flight. Preferably, choose overcast or rainy days when most of the ant colony has returned to the nest and the ants are concentrated in large numbers. Place the ants along with the soil into a cloth bag and remove them from the site. Then, sift the mixture to separate the adult ants and place them in water at 60°C to quickly kill them (when the water temperature exceeds 60°C, medicinal components such as formic acid will volatilize in large quantities); allow them to air-dry.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
Body length is approximately 13 mm; the body is black, smooth, and glossy. The pronotum is very well-developed, while the mesonotum is smaller; the petiole bears a single upward-pointing scale. The ants are brittle and easily broken; head and leg parts are often missing, and they have a sour taste when licked.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
Worker ants are approximately 13 mm long. The entire body is jet-black, smooth, and glossy, with a rounded triangular head. They have one pair of oval compound eyes and three simple eyes arranged in a triangular pattern. The antennae are geniculate and consist of 12 segments. The pronotum is very well-developed, while the mesonotum is smaller. They have three pairs of legs, and the junction between the thorax and abdomen is narrowed into a slender stalk. There is one upward-pointing scale; the abdomen consists of five segments.Soldier ants resemble worker ants. Female ants resemble male ants; both are winged, with slender, non-geniculate antennae. Larvae have a small cephalothorax and a relatively broad abdomen; they are yellowish-white, legless, and have white pupae.
Distribution Area
Widely distributed throughout the country.