Snake-clasping Turtle is the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It consists of the entire body of the yellow-edged box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata (Gray)) or the three-striped box turtle (Cuora trifasciata (Bell)), both belonging to the family Testudinidae. It has the effects of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, detoxifying, and reducing swelling.It is primarily used to treat contusions and bruises, sore throat, scrofula, bone and joint tuberculosis, chronic osteomyelitis, and hypertrophic spondylitis.
Snake-clasping Turtle
Snake-clasping Turtle is the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It consists of the entire body of the yellow-edged box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata (Gray)) or the three-striped box turtle (Cuora trifasciata (Bell)), both belonging to the family Testudinidae. It has the effects of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, detoxifying, and reducing swelling.It is primarily used to treat contusions and bruises, sore throat, scrofula, bone and joint tuberculosis, chronic osteomyelitis, and hypertrophic spondylitis.
Chinese Name : 夹蛇龟
Aliases : Shegu, Linggu, Xingu, Yanggu, Xiashegu, Danshegu, Keshegu, Duànbǎn Gu (Jiangsu)
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Sweet in taste, neutral in nature
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis; detoxifies and reduces swelling.
Indications
Traumatic injuries, sore throat, scrofula, bone and joint tuberculosis, chronic osteomyelitis, hypertrophic spondylitis.
Usage and Dosage
Oral use: Char the shell, grind into powder, and take 3–9 g.
Chemical Constituents
The blood of the Yellow-edged Box Turtle contains hemoglobin.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Treats snake venom.”
2. *Chinese Animal Medicines*: “Promotes blood circulation, dispels blood stasis, and detoxifies. Treats contusions and bruises, scrofula, malignant sores, mastitis (both unilateral and bilateral), bone tuberculosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and other conditions.” “The charred turtle shell is processed into injections, tablets, and other forms for use in treating various forms of tuberculosis, hemorrhoids and fistulas, as well as leukopenia resulting from cancer chemotherapy.”
3. *Compendium of Chinese Medicinal Animals*: “Charred whole turtle has the effects of promoting blood circulation, reducing swelling, and detoxifying. It is primarily used to treat sore throat, scrofula, abscesses, rheumatic pain, chronic osteomyelitis, bone and joint tuberculosis, hypertrophic spondylitis, and other conditions.”
Applications
Related Compatibility
1. For hypertrophic spondylitis: One fresh turtle. Remove the internal organs, wrap it in yellow clay, and burn until only the charred residue remains. Remove and grind into a fine powder. Take 2 g per dose, twice daily, washed down with yellow wine.
2. For the treatment of bone tuberculosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and lymph node tuberculosis: Take the carapace and plastron of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle, roast until charred, grind into a fine powder, and mix with refined honey to form pills weighing 10g each. Take 1 pill twice daily for 2 consecutive months. (Formulas 1–2 are from *Chinese Animal Medicines*)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Capture in summer or fall, or raise live specimens, and process into whole-turtle charcoal.
Processing Methods
Seal the entire live turtle with mud, place it in a furnace, and evenly calcine it with charcoal fire on all sides, ensuring it does not crack or lose pressure. Calcine until the smoke turns pale and faint, then remove and cool. Tap off the mud, grind the charred black turtle charcoal into a fine powder, sift it, and set aside for later use.Alternative Method: Place the live turtle in a soup pot, cover with an iron lid, and seal it with mud. Place the pot in a furnace and roast it evenly with charcoal fire on all sides. Roast until the smoke turns pale blue, then remove and allow to cool. Grind the turtle charcoal into a powder, sift it, and set aside for later use.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
1. Yellow-edged Box Turtle: Carapace length 12–14 cm, width 9–10 cm, height 6–6.5 cm. The carapace is distinctly arched, with neat edges and three keels that are blunt, rounded, and inconspicuous; the carapace is brownish-yellow, and the central keel is waxy yellow or light brown.The plastron is large and flat, rounded at both ends, with no concentric rings; the edges of the plastron and the carapace bridge are yellow.
2. Three-lined Box Turtle: Carapace length 9–16 cm, width 7–11 cm, shell height 3.5–6 cm. Three keels are present; the central keel is broad and rounded, while the lateral keels are inconspicuous; all are brownish-red. The plastron is large and flat, with a rounded anterior margin and a notched posterior margin; it is black with yellow margins.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
1. Yellow-edged Box Turtle: Carapace length 127–142 mm, width 92–97 mm. Carapace height 63–65 mm. The head is smooth and lacks small scales; the tip of the snout is flat and drops straight downward, and the upper margin of the mouth is distinctly hooked; the carapace is markedly arched with even margins; there are three spindle-shaped keels that are blunt, rounded, and inconspicuous;The nuchal scutes are relatively large and wider toward the rear; the first vertebral scute is wider at the front and narrower at the back, while the second is the opposite; the third and fourth vertebral scutes are wider than they are long; the marginal scutes are nearly square; all dorsal scutes bear distinct concentric rings.The plastron is large and flat, rounded at both ends, and lacks concentric rings; when the left and right gular scutes close together, they form a heart shape; the anal scute is single, with a single row of scute grooves extending approximately halfway along its length;The carapacial bridge is indistinct; there are no axillary or inguinal scutes. The carapace, plastron, and thoracic and ventral scutes are connected by ligaments; the shell can close completely. The anterior scutes are broad and slightly imbricated. The palmar-plantar region bears large, flat scales, and the digits are partially webbed;The tail is very short; the carapace is brownish-gray, with the median keel spindle-shaped and waxy yellow or light brown; the ventral surface is blackish-brown; the margins of the plastron and the carapace bridge are yellow; behind the eyes is a lemon-yellow longitudinal stripe bordered by black, which connects at the occiput to form a “V”-shaped mark; the midline of the lower beak is orange-red;the throat is yellow, the dorsal surfaces of the limbs are iron-gray, the ventral surfaces are waxy yellow, and the dorsal surface of the tail bears blackish-brown longitudinal stripes.2. Three-lined Box Turtle: Carapace length 90–165 mm, width 71–112 mm, height 37–58 mm. The head is small, smooth, and scaleless; the snout is relatively blunt; the upper margin of the beak is slightly hooked; the eardrum is small and prominent; the carapace has three keels, with the central one being broad and rounded, while the lateral ones are inconspicuous.The neck scutes are narrow and small; the first vertebral scute is triangular, the second, third, and fourth are hexagonal, the fifth is fan-shaped, and the eighth and ninth marginal scutes are the largest. The plastron is large and flat, with a deep, rounded anterior margin and a notched posterior margin. The carapace, plastron, and thoracic and ventral scutes are connected by ligaments, allowing the shell to close completely.The carapacial bridge is indistinct; there are no axillary scutes, and the hip scutes are extremely small. The fingers and toes are fully webbed; the claws are slender and curved; the tail is short and small.The carapace is brownish-gray with three black longitudinal ridges; the plastron is black with yellow margins; there is a long black stripe on the carapacial bridge; the dorsal surface of the head is waxy yellow, sharply contrasting with the black sides of the head, and features a reddish-brown oval spot behind the eye. In juveniles, the carapacial ridges are prominent, and the margins of the marginal scutes are slightly upturned.
Distribution Area
1. Yellow-edged Box Turtle: Found in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Henan, Hubei, and other areas. 2. Three-lined Box Turtle: Found in Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, and other areas.