Goat Horn, a name for a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It consists of the horns of male mountain goats (Capra hircus Linnaeus) or male sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus) from the Bovidae family. It has the effects of clearing heat, calming convulsions, improving vision, and detoxifying.It is primarily used to treat wind-heat headaches, fever and mental confusion associated with warm diseases, restlessness, hemoptysis, childhood convulsions, palpitations, cataracts and internal eye disorders, as well as abscesses, swellings, and toxic sores.
Goat Horn
Goat Horn, a name for a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It consists of the horns of male mountain goats (Capra hircus Linnaeus) or male sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus) from the Bovidae family. It has the effects of clearing heat, calming convulsions, improving vision, and detoxifying.It is primarily used to treat wind-heat headaches, fever and mental confusion associated with warm diseases, restlessness, hemoptysis, childhood convulsions, palpitations, cataracts and internal eye disorders, as well as abscesses, swellings, and toxic sores.
Chinese Name : 羖羊角
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Taste: bitter and salty; nature: cold; enters the Liver and Heart meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Clears heat, calms convulsions, improves vision, and detoxifies.
Indications
Wind-heat headaches; fever and mental confusion due to warm diseases; restlessness; hemoptysis; childhood convulsions; palpitations; cataracts and internal eye disorders; abscesses, swellings, and toxic sores.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decocted as a soup, 9–30 g; or burned until charred and ground into powder. External use: Apply an appropriate amount of ash ground into a powder as a poultice.
Chemical Constituents
Contains keratin and sterol compounds; after hydrolysis with sulfuric acid, goat horn keratin yields 16 amino acids, including glutamic acid and arginine; in addition to free amino acids, the decoction also contains polypeptide substances.After hydrolyzing goat horn with hydrochloric acid and performing two-dimensional paper chromatography, 14 amino acid spots were detected; their Rf values were similar to those obtained from antelope horn via paper chromatography. The ash content of goat horn was 1.0577%, and 12 elements, including calcium and silicon, were detected.
Pharmacological Actions
1. Antipyretic Effect: A decoction of sheep horns administered orally at 6 g/kg exhibited a significant antipyretic effect in rabbits induced to fever by a mixed vaccine of typhoid and paratyphoid A. An ethanol extract administered intravenously at 2 g/kg also exhibited an antipyretic effect in rabbits induced to fever by intravenous injection of expired cholera, typhoid, and paratyphoid A and B mixed vaccines; however, its efficacy was slightly inferior to that of antelope horns.An enzymatic hydrolysate of sheep horn exhibits an antipyretic effect similar to that of antelope horn in rabbits induced to fever by the trivalent vaccine, but it is less pronounced than that of Anain. 2. Sedative and Anticonvulsant Effects: When 10 g/kg of a decoction or alcohol extract of sheep horn was administered intraperitoneally or intravenously, tests using the photocell counting method or the sand drop method showed that both preparations significantly reduced spontaneous activity in mice; however, oral administration had no significant effect.When administered intraperitoneally or intravenously at a dose of 10 g/kg, both the decoction and alcohol extract of sheep horn significantly prolonged the sleep duration induced by thiopental sodium and chloral hydrate in mice and significantly counteracted the stimulatory effects of amphetamine.Intraperitoneal or intravenous administration of the decoction or hydrolysate also significantly prolonged the sleep duration induced by pentobarbital sodium, whereas oral or subcutaneous administration showed no significant effect. Intraperitoneal administration of the decoction at 20 g/kg had no antagonistic effect on seizures induced by sodium benzoate, caffeine,strychnine nitrate, Stephania toxin, and nicotinamide-induced seizures in mice; although it can reduce pentazylamide-induced clonic seizures in mice to some extent, it does not reduce the tonic seizures caused by pentazylamide, nor does it counteract maximal electroconvulsive seizures. 3. Analgesic Effects: Intraperitoneal injection of a 10 g/kg decoction of sheep horn had a highly significant inhibitory effect on the acetic acid-induced writhing response in mice. Intraperitoneal injection of a 2.5 g/kg sheep horn injection solution demonstrated marked analgesic effects in both the hot plate test and the acetic acid writhing test in mice. 4. Effects on Smooth Muscle: A 20% decoction of sheep’s horn has a stimulating effect on isolated rabbit intestine, increasing its tone. Other reports indicate that the decoction of sheep’s horn has a stimulating effect on isolated rabbit duodenum and guinea pig ileum; conversely, its hydrolysate exerts an inhibitory effect on intestinal muscle. For isolated rat uterus, both the decoction and hydrolysate exhibit stimulating effects.Experiments using atropine, acetylcholine, and barium chloride as antagonists indicate that the stimulating effect of the decoction on isolated intestinal segments and the inhibitory effect of the hydrolysate are both unrelated to M receptors; these effects may represent direct actions. Intravenous injection of the hydrolysate had no significant effect on the small intestine of live rabbits or the uterus of rats.At a concentration of 2.73 × 10⁻⁶, the sheep horn injection exerted a stimulatory effect on isolated rabbit duodenum and ileum; at concentrations of 1.04 × 10⁻⁵ and 1.51 × 10⁻⁵, it exhibited an inhibitory effect.It exerts a stimulatory effect on the intestinal tract in response to barium chloride and histamine; at a pH of 1.95 and a concentration of 2.73 × 10⁻⁶, it potentiates this effect, but at a concentration of 1.51 × 10⁻⁵, it acts as an antagonist; when the pH is adjusted to 6.0, sheep horn loses its effect on the rhythmic movements of the intestinal tract.Regarding the excitatory effect of acetylcholine on the intestinal tract, at a pH of 1.95 and a concentration of 2.73 × 10⁻⁶, it exhibits a potentiating effect, whereas at 1.51 × 10⁻⁵, it induces relaxation.An intravenous injection of 30 mg/kg of sheep horn had a stimulating effect on the in vivo rabbit intestine, promoting intestinal contractions, increasing their amplitude, and enhancing their tone; at 160 mg/kg, it exhibited an inhibitory effect; and at a dose of 500 mg/kg, rhythmic intestinal contractions essentially ceased, resulting in a relaxed state. 5. Effects on the cardiovascular system: At low doses, decoctions or ethanol extracts of sheep’s horn enhance myocardial contractility in isolated toad hearts; at moderate doses, they cause cardiac conduction block; and at high doses, they slow the heart rate, reduce the amplitude of contractions, and ultimately lead to cardiac arrest.Other reports indicate that decoctions or suspensions of sheep’s horn exhibit a more pronounced stimulatory effect on isolated toad hearts under conditions of calcium deficiency and exert a certain degree of antagonism against the cardiac effects of pilocarpine. Intravenous injection of a 1 g/kg aqueous decoction of this product produces a transient hypotensive effect in anesthetized cats; this mild hypotensive effect persists even after bilateral vagus nerve section.Intravenous injection of 1–2 mL of a 20% solution produced a blood pressure response characterized by an initial rise followed by a decline in both anesthetized cats and rabbits, to varying degrees. 6. Effects on the Hematological System: Intravenous injection of 0.2 g/kg of sheep horn solution into domestic rabbits caused a sharp drop in total white blood cell count 1 hour after administration, decreasing from 10,960/mm³ before administration to 3,500/mm³;beginning 3–5 hours later and continuing to rise, reaching 1–5 times the pre-treatment level by 24 hours. In terms of white blood cell differential count, neutrophils increased while lymphocytes decreased. Additionally, platelet counts in rabbits increased, and clotting time was shortened. 7. Effects on Immune Function: When sheep horn injection was administered intraperitoneally at 50 times the adult dose once daily for 7 consecutive days, it significantly increased the number of rose bengal-positive cells and hemolytic plaque-forming cells in the spleens of primally immunized mice. Furthermore, it elevated the lymphocyte transformation rate in guinea pigs but had no significant effect on delayed-type hypersensitivity to dinitrochlorobenzene.This indicates that sheep horn primarily enhances the body’s humoral immune function. 8. Antitumor Effects: Three days after inoculation of E. ascites carcinoma in mice, a sheep horn decoction at a dose of 10 g/(kg·d) was administered via gastric lavage or mixed into feed at a 5% concentration. By the fourth week of continuous administration, the reduction rate in tumor volume was 79.69% for the former group and 46.24% for the latter;based on tumor weight, the inhibition rates were 75.43% and 31.65%, respectively, indicating that the gastric administration method was more effective in suppressing tumors than the feed-mixed method.
Relevant Discussions
1. *The Classic of Herbal Medicine*: “Treats cataracts, improves vision, kills scabies mites, stops cold-induced diarrhea, and alleviates palpitations. Long-term use calms the mind, boosts vital energy, and lightens the body.”
2. *The Supplementary Record*: “Treats stagnant qi in the joints, wind-induced headaches, poisonous insect bites, hemoptysis, and postpartum pain in women.”
3. *Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Substances*: “Treats postpartum retained lochia and restlessness; take as ash mixed with wine. Also treats childhood convulsions and epilepsy.”
4. *Dietary Therapy Materia Medica*: “Treats fright-induced disorders. Burn the horns to ash to treat leukorrhea and retained lochia.”
5. *Rihua Zi*: “Reduces fever; treats mountain miasma and stream toxins.”
6. *Ben Cao Meng Quan*: “Stops bleeding, regulates the nutritive blood, calms the mind, and strengthens the defensive qi. Treats fever in children.”
7. *Illustrated Compendium of Medicinal Plants of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau*: “White male mountain goat horns: Treat high fever and mental confusion caused by acute infectious diseases. Breeding ram horns: Induce labor.”
8. *Medicinal Animals of Guangxi*: “Treats bronchitis.”
9. *Medicinal Animals of Shandong*: “Calms the liver and subdues wind. Primarily treats headaches and headaches caused by wind.”
Applications
Related Compatibility
1. For liver-yang-induced headaches, spasms, convulsions, childhood convulsive disorders, and postpartum stroke in women: Take 30 g of goat horns, sliced or ground into powder. Decoct in water and take orally.
2. For epidemic Japanese encephalitis, high fever with mental confusion, delirium, and convulsions: 30 g of goat horns and 6–9 g of Uncaria hook vine. Decoct in water and take orally.(Formulas 1–2 are from *Foods, Chinese Herbs, and Simple Prescriptions*)
3. For treating wind-syndrome, restlessness and confusion, abdominal pain, or occasional loss of consciousness followed by recovery: Take shavings of male goat horn, lightly roast them, pound them into a fine powder, and sift to make a powder. Take one qian bi mixed with warm wine at any time. (*Shenghui Fang*)
4. For postpartum fever and chills, chest oppression, extreme distension, and various ailments: Burn goat horns to ash; take one fangcun bi mixed with wine. If symptoms persist, take another dose. (From *Secret Records of Mothers and Children*)
5. For those with hemoptysis, wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath: Two goat horns (roasted until charred), two liang of ground cassia bark.Grind into a fine powder. Take one or two bi per dose, three times daily, mixed with glutinous rice porridge. (*Formulas for Universal Relief*: Goat Horn Powder)
6. For bronchitis: One aged mountain goat horn; roast until charred, grind into a fine powder, and take 2–3 times daily, mixed with hot water. Complete the course within 3 days. (*Medicinal Animals of Guangxi*)
7. For treating deficiency-related disorders of the internal organs, restlessness during sleep, and mental agitation: One liang of male goat horns (chopped and lightly roasted). Grind this single ingredient into a fine powder. Take one qian bi per dose, mixed with warm wine, three times daily. (From *Shengji Zonglu*: Male Goat Horn Powder)
8. For chronic watery diarrhea that has not resolved: One goat’s horn, filled with powdered white alum. Burn the horn to ash, then grind both ingredients into a fine powder. Take two qian of the mixture mixed with freshly drawn water before each meal. (*Shenghui Fang*)
9. For leukorrhea: Calcine a goat’s horn over a fire, scrape off the ash, and take three qian of the powder mixed with wine. (*Chuanya Neibian*)
10. For urethritis and cystitis: Calcify one pair of young goat horns, combine with 30g of dried corn silk, 20 ginkgo nuts, 15g of Bletilla striata, and 30g of honeysuckle. Grind all ingredients into a fine powder. Take 6g per dose, three times daily. Avoid spicy and irritating foods. (*Medicinal Animals of Inner Mongolia*)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Can be harvested in all four seasons; saw off the horns and dry them.
Processing Methods
Take the raw material and remove impurities such as withered horns and horn bases. Saw into segments approximately 8 cm long, split them open, and remove the horn plugs. Soak in water for 2–3 days, changing the water once daily, until the fishy odor disappears. Remove, cut into small slices 1–2 mm thick, dry, and sift out any ash or debris.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container in a well-ventilated, dry place.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
1. Goat Horn: Oblong-conical and laterally flattened, approximately 26 cm long. One side features four groove-like indentations, while the other side is raised and ridge-like; the tip is slightly curved. The surface is yellowish-white, rough, and bears longitudinal striations or grooves. The middle to lower sections exhibit wavy transverse ring patterns. The base of the horn is slightly triangular, containing a bony plug that is hollow in the center.The texture is hard; when planed, the slices are tough and elastic. It has a faint odor and a bland taste.
2. Sheep Horn: Larger in size, curved in a spiral shape. The surface is yellowish-white with numerous transverse grooves.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
1. Goat: Body length 1–1.2 m, weight 10–35 kg. Long head, short neck, large ears, and a narrow, elongated muzzle. Both males and females have a pair of horns on the forehead, with males having larger horns; the base of the horns is slightly triangular, the tips curve slightly backward, and the horns are hollow with a horny texture, featuring ring-like patterns on the surface or tubercles on the front. Males have a long, tufted beard under the jaw.The limbs are slender, and the tail is short and does not hang down much. The entire body is covered with coarse, straight, short hair, and coat colors vary widely, including white, black, gray, and black-and-white patterns. 2. Sheep: Sheep were among the earliest domesticated livestock. Their body weight varies by breed, ranging from a minimum of 20 kg to a maximum of 150–200 kg. Physical characteristics also vary widely. In some breeds, both males and females have horns; in others, neither has horns;in others, only the males have horns. Horn shape and tail structure also vary by breed. The coat of breeds closer to their wild ancestors consists of two layers: an outer layer of coarse hair that repels rain, and an inner layer of fine undercoat that retains heat. However, improved breeds retain only the inner undercoat. There is a gland between the two toes of the front and hind limbs, opening toward the front. They also possess tear glands.
Distribution Area
1. Goats: Found throughout the country. 2. Sheep: Found almost everywhere in the country, with the highest concentrations in the northern and northwestern regions.