Hirudo
Aliases：Qí (Midge Leech); Jǐ (Louse Egg); Mǎ Qí (Horse Leech); Mǎ Zhì (Horse Leech); Zhì Róu (Soft Leech); Zhì Zhǎng (Reaching Palm); Qí (Leech); Mǎ Huáng (Horse Leech); Mǎ Biē (Horse Turtle); Hóng Zhì (Red Leech); Shuǐ Qí (Water Leech); Mǎ Huáng Qí (Horse Leech); Huáng Qí (Yellow Leech); Shuǐ Má Tiē (Water Hemp Sticker); Shā Tǎ Gàn (Sand Tower Dry); Ròu Zuān Zǐ (Meat Driller); Mǎ Huáng (Horse Leech).
Shuǐ Zhì (Leech) is a Chinese medicinal herb. It is the dried whole body of Whitmania pigra Whitman, Hirudo nipponica Whitman, or Whitmania acranulata Whitman, animals of the Hirudinidae family. They are captured in summer and autumn, killed by scalding in boiling water, and dried in the sun or at low temperature.
Efficacy & Actions
Breaks blood and unblocks meridians, dispels stasis and resolves masses.
Indications
Used for blood stasis with amenorrhea, abdominal masses and lumps, stroke with hemiplegia, and traumatic injuries.
Modern Pharmacology
Anticoagulant and antithrombotic: Anticoagulation, antiplatelet aggregation, direct fibrinolysis; hirudin is the key active component. Antitumor and anti-metastasis: Hirudin inhibits tumor cell emboli formation and prevents metastasis. Improvement of blood rheology: Reduces whole blood specific viscosity, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides; regresses atherosclerotic plaques; increases myocardial nutritional blood flow. Anti-apoptosis and anti-fibrosis: Exhibits anti-apoptotic and anti-fibrotic effects. Anti-inflammatory effect: Possesses anti-inflammatory activity. Cardiovascular protection: Therapeutic effects on coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, etc.
Ingredients
Proteins and peptides: Hirudin, heparin, histamine, hestatin, etc. Amino acids: Contains 17 amino acids (49.4% hydrolyzed amino acid content), including the 8 essential amino acids. Small molecular substances: Glycolipids, pteridines, steroids, carboxylates, etc. Other constituents: Indole-3-carboxylic acid-β-D-glucopyranoside, 3-indolecarboxaldehyde, adenosine, 2-hydroxypurine nucleoside, uridine, adenine, uracil, xanthine, 2-piperidone, etc. Trace elements: Contains 14 trace elements including Zn, Mn, Fe, Co, Cr, Se, Mo, Ni, etc.
Usage & Dosage
Oral Administration: Decoction, the standard dosage is 1–3g; ground into powder, 0.5–1.5g per dose (up to 3g); or prepared in pills or powder. Topical Application: Appropriate amount; live leech extract used as eye drops.
Contraindications
Contraindicated during pregnancy: Leech has potent blood-breaking and stasis-dispelling effects. It is contraindicated during pregnancy as it may cause uterine contractions and increase the risk of miscarriage or premature birth. Contraindicated in patients with excessive menstruation: May worsen the condition. Contraindicated in patients with weak constitution and blood deficiency. Contraindicated in patients with bleeding tendencies (e.g., hematemesis, bloody stool, hematuria, etc.). Contraindicated during menstruation. Contraindicated in patients without blood stasis. Not suitable for use with Cucumis melo (Guā Dì) or Trichosanthes (Guā Lóu).
Selected Formulas
For inhibited menstrual flow in women, and for urinary bladder fullness with blood stasis in men (Jin Gui Yao Lue, Didang Tang) Take 30 leeches (stir-fried), 30 gadflies (wings and feet removed, stir-fried), 20 peach kernels (peeled and tips removed), and 3 liang of Dahuang (rhubarb, wine-soaked). Grind the four ingredients into powder. Add 5 sheng of water, boil down to 3 sheng, strain, and take 1 sheng warm. For traumatic injuries from wounds, falls, or crushing, with internal blood stasis, cardiac and abdominal pain, urinary and fecal retention, and critical collapse (Jisheng Fang, Duoming San) Take 0.5 liang of red leeches (stir-fried with lime over low heat until burnt yellow), 2 liang of Dahuang, and 2 liang of Hei Qianniu (black morning glory seed). Grind each into fine powder. For each dose, take 3 qian, mixed with hot wine. For amenorrhea or postpartum lochiostasis with umbilical and abdominal pain (Furen Liangfang, Dihuang Tongjing Wan) Take 4 liang of Shudihuang (prepared Rehmannia), and 50 pieces each of gadflies (heads and wings removed, stir-fried), leeches (stir-fried with glutinous rice until yellow, then remove rice), and peach kernels (peeled and tips removed). Grind into powder, make honey pills the size of waxberry seeds. Take 5-7 pills each time on an empty stomach with warm wine. For incessant vaginal bleeding (Bei Ji Qianjin Yaofang) Take leeches, grind into fine powder. Take about 1 qian with wine twice daily. Bleeding will stop once the stagnant blood is resolved.
Daily Consumption
Leech Congee: Take 30g of raw leech and grind it into powder, and 250g of raw Chinese yam (Huái Shān Yào) and grind it into powder. Wash 100g of polished rice. Before cooking the congee, add the leech powder and Chinese yam powder together. After the congee is cooked, add brown sugar and consume. The efficacy is to break blood, dispel stasis, unblock meridians, and improve complexion. It is suitable for adolescents with a strong constitution and amenorrhea due to blood stasis.
Medicinal Parts
Dried whole body.
Selection & Storage
Store in a dry place, protected from insects.