Cicadae Periostracum
Aliases：Chán Tuì (Cicada Slough); Chán Yī (Cicada Garment); Chóng Tuì (Insect Exuviae); Chán Ké (Cicada Shell); Zhà Liáo Pí (Cicada Skin); Zhī Liǎo Pí (Cicada Skin); Jīn Niú Er (Golden Ox Child); Tiáo Jiǎ (Cicada Shell); Kū Chán (Withered Cicada); Fú Ké (Hiding Shell); Jīn Chán Yī (Golden Cicada Garment).
Chán Tuì (Cicada Slough) is a Chinese medicinal substance. It is the exuviae (cast-off skin) shed by the nymph of the cicada Cryptotympana pustulata Fabricius (Cicadidae) during eclosion (emergence as an adult). It is slightly elliptical and curved, approximately 3.5 cm long and 2 cm wide, with a yellowish-brown, translucent, and glossy surface. It is light, hollow, and brittle, with a faint odor and a bland taste.
Efficacy & Actions
Disperses wind-heat, relieves sore throat, promotes measles eruption, brightens the eyes and removes corneal opacities, and stops convulsions.
Indications
Wind-heat colds, early-stage warm diseases: Symptoms include fever, sore throat, and hoarseness Incomplete measles eruption, rubella with itching: Used for measles that fail to erupt and skin itching due to rubella Red eyes and corneal opacities: Red, swollen eyes and corneal opacities due to wind-heat or liver-heat Infantile convulsions, tetanus: Used for infantile convulsions, night crying, and tetanus with limb spasms
Modern Pharmacology
Anticonvulsant: The decoction exhibits anticonvulsant effects, forming the pharmacological basis for its wind-extinguishing and spasm-relieving actions. Sedative: Possesses sedative effects, used for infantile night crying. Antipyretic: Exhibits antipyretic effects, with the head and feet being more potent than the body. Anti-inflammatory: Shows synergistic effects when combined with Lianqiao (Forsythia). Antitussive, expectorant, and antiasthmatic: Exhibits cough-suppressing, phlegm-resolving, and asthma-relieving effects. Anti-allergic: Possesses anti-allergic effects. Anticoagulant: Exhibits anticoagulant effects. Sedative, analgesic, and antispasmodic: Possesses sedative, analgesic, and antispasmodic effects.
Ingredients
Chitin: Abundant content, one of the main components. Proteins and amino acids: Contains aspartic acid, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, proline, tyrosine, etc. Trace elements: Contains magnesium, aluminum, phosphorus, manganese, calcium, iron, etc. Other constituents: Organic acids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, steroids, etc.
Usage & Dosage
Oral Administration: Decoction, the standard dosage is 3–6g; or prepared in pills or powder. May also be ground and taken orally, or used in pills or powders. For relieving spasms, a larger dose is recommended. Topical Application: Appropriate amount, decocted in water for washing, or ground into powder for application.
Contraindications
Use with caution (or contraindicated) during pregnancy.
Selected Formulas
For early-stage wind-warm disease with wind-heat and cough (Shi Bing Lun, Xinliang Jiebiao Fa) Take 1.5 qian of Bohe (Mint), 1 qian of Chantui (Cicada slough, feet and wings removed), 1.5 qian of Qianhu (Peucedanum), 4 qian of Dandouchi (Fermented soybean), 2 qian of Gualouke (Trichosanthes peel), and 1.5 qian of Niubangzi (Arctium fruit). Decoct in water and drink. For cough due to lung qi stagnation (Xiaoer Weisheng Zongwei Lun Fang, Chanqiao Tang) Take 1 liang each of Chanqiao (cicada slough, soil removed, lightly stir-fried), Renshen (Ginseng, rootlet removed), and Wuweizi (Schisandra); and 0.5 liang each of Chenpi (Tangerine peel) and honey-fried Gancao (Licorice). Grind into fine powder. Take 0.5 qian each time with ginger decoction. For persistent skin itching due to wind pathogen (Yao Sengtan Ji Yan Fang) Take equal parts of Chantui and Bohe leaves. Grind into powder. Mix 1 qian with wine, take three times daily. For infantile night crying (Chishui Xuanzhu, Chantui Gao) Take 14 cicada sloughs and a little Chensha (Cinnabar). Grind into powder, mix with honey to make pills, and let the infant suck on them. For tetanus (Bencao Gangmu, Zhuifeng San) Take Chantui, stir-fry, grind into powder, and take 1 qian with wine. Alternatively, grind Chantui into powder, mix with scallion juice, and apply to the wound.
Daily Consumption
Decoction for Oral Use: Take 3–6g of Chan Tui (Cicadae Periostracum), decoct it in water, and drink the liquid. It may be used as an adjunctive treatment for wind-heat colds, sore throat, and other related conditions.
Medicinal Parts
Exuviae (dried body).
Selection & Storage
Store in a dry place, protected from pressure.
