Reeves’s Pheasant

Reeves’s Pheasant, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the meat of the long-tailed pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii (Gray)), an animal of the Phasianidae family. It is distributed in the mountainous regions of northern and central China. The long-tailed pheasant is a Class II nationally protected animal; due to its scarce population, hunting is prohibited. It has the therapeutic effects of tonifying the middle burner and boosting qi, as well as relieving wheezing. It is commonly used to treat qi deficiency with shortness of breath and general physical weakness.

Chinese Name : 鸐雉

Aliases : Zhai, Mountain Pheasant, Zhai Chicken, Mountain Chicken, Li Bird

Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Sweet in taste, neutral in nature. Enters the Spleen and Lung meridians

Benefits & Efficacy

Benefits

Tonifies the middle and boosts qi; relieves wheezing.

Indications

Used for shortness of breath due to qi deficiency and general weakness and fatigue.

Usage and Dosage

Internal use: Boil and eat, 100–200 g; or roast and eat.

Precautions

*Dietary Therapy Materia Medica*: “Consuming it causes the five types of hemorrhoids. When eaten with buckwheat flour, it gives rise to intestinal parasites.”

Relevant Discussions

1. *Dietary Therapy Materia Medica*: “Mainly treats shortness of breath in the five viscera where one cannot catch one’s breath.”

2. *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Tonifies the middle and boosts qi.”

3. *Chinese Animal Medicines*: “Treats shortness of breath due to qi deficiency.”

Applications

Processing & Preparation

Crude Drug Identification

Botanical Information

Morphological Characteristics

Long-tailed Pheasant: Also known as the long-tailed chicken or white-crested long-tailed chicken. Body length approximately 150 cm. The pheasant has magnificent plumage. The head and neck are white; a black ring encircles the area from the forehead through the eyes to the nape; there is a white spot below the eye.The upperparts are brownish-yellow, with each feather bearing a narrow black margin; the wing coverts are white, with black and chestnut-colored feather margins; the secondary flight feathers are blackish-brown with white spots, and the tips are brownish-yellow;primary flight feathers are dark brown, speckled with white or brown; the tail consists of 20 feathers, with the central two pairs being exceptionally long, silvery-white in color, bearing numerous black and chestnut-colored transverse bars, and the feather edges fading to a cinnamon-red hue. A black band runs across the throat and chest; the feathers on the chest and flanks are white, mottled with black spots, and have broad, dark chestnut-colored borders; the central abdomen and undertail coverts are both black.The female has duller plumage and a shorter tail. The iris is reddish-brown; the bill is short and sturdy, with a greenish base; the legs are short and robust, and the legs, toes, and claws are all horn-brown.

Distribution Area

It is found in the mountainous regions of northern and central China.

Reeves’s Pheasant, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the meat of the long-tailed pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii (Gray)), an animal of the Phasianidae family. It is distributed in the mountainous regions of northern and central China. The long-tailed pheasant is a Class II nationally protected animal; due to its scarce population, hunting is prohibited. It has the therapeutic effects of tonifying the middle burner and boosting qi, as well as relieving wheezing. It is commonly used to treat qi deficiency with shortness of breath and general physical weakness.