Faeces Togopteri
Aliases：Yào Běn (Medicinal Root); Hán Hào Chóng Fèn (Cold-Calling Insect Dung); Hán Què Fèn (Cold Sparrow Dung); Líng Zhī (Spirit Fat); Líng Zhī Mǐ (Spirit Fat Rice); Líng Zhī Kuài (Spirit Fat Lump); Táng Líng Zhī (Sugar-Coated Spirit Fat).
Wǔ Líng Zhī (Trogopterus Dung) is a medicinal substance used to promote blood circulation and remove stasis. It is the dried feces of Trogopterus xanthipes Milne-Edwards, an animal of the Pteromyidae family. Based on its shape, it is divided into two types: “Líng Zhī Kuài” (sugar-coated lumps) and “Líng Zhī Mǐ” (loose grains).
Efficacy & Actions
Promotes blood circulation and relieves pain; removes blood stasis and stops bleeding; resolves accumulation and detoxifies.
Indications
Used for various pains due to qi and blood stagnation in the heart and abdomen, stabbing pain in the chest, hypochondrium, and epigastrium, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain due to stasis, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, traumatic swelling and pain, infantile malnutrition (childhood wasting disorder), and snake, scorpion, and centipede bites.
Modern Pharmacology
Anticoagulant and antiplatelet effects: Water extracts inhibit platelet aggregation and reduce whole blood and plasma viscosity. Anti-inflammatory effect: Ethyl acetate extracts exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. Gastric mucosal protection: Active fractions can increase gastric wall-bound mucus and protect the gastric mucosa. Anti-atherosclerotic effect: Exhibits anti-atherosclerotic effects. Cerebral ischemia improvement: Improves cerebral ischemia and reduces myocardial oxygen consumption. Immunomodulatory effect: Enhances normal immune function.
Ingredients
Nitrogenous Compounds: Uracil, hypoxanthine, urea, allantoin, L-tyrosine, uric acid, etc. Triterpenoids: Dihydrostigmasterol, epifriedelinol, β-sitosterol, daucosterol, etc. Phenolic Acids: Benzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, wulingzhic acid, etc. Flavonoids: Biflavonoid components. Others: n-Hentetracontanol, sclareol, palmitic acid, vitamin A-like substances, etc.
Usage & Dosage
Oral Administration: Decoction, 4.5–10g. It should be wrapped in a cloth when used in decoctions. May also be prepared in pills or powder. Topical Application: Appropriate amount, ground into powder for sprinkling or mixing for application.
Contraindications
Use with caution during pregnancy: This herb promotes blood circulation and removes stasis, which may be harmful to the fetus. Contraindicated in patients with blood deficiency without stasis: Not suitable for those with abdominal pain due to blood deficiency, amenorrhea, or excessive postpartum blood loss. Should not be used together with Ginseng (Rén Shēn): This is one of the "Nineteen Incompatibilities" — "Ginseng is most incompatible with Wulingzhi." Not suitable for patients with yin deficiency and fire excess, or external wind-heat. Use with caution in patients with spleen-stomach weakness: Its unpleasant odor may damage stomach qi; it should not be taken in large amounts or for a prolonged period. Use with caution in patients with bleeding disorders or coagulation dysfunction. Should not be used together with Myrrh (Mò Yào).
Selected Formulas
For cardiac and abdominal pain due to qi stagnation and blood stasis, dysmenorrhea, and postpartum lochioschesis (Taiping Huimin Heji Ju Fang, Shixiao San) Take Wulingzhi (Trogopterus dung) and Puhuang (Cattail pollen) in equal parts, grind into fine powder. Take 6g each time, mixed with vinegar or yellow wine. For blood-qi stabbing pain (empirical formula) Take Wulingzhi with Muxiang (Costus root), grind into powder, and take with wine. For epigastric pain (empirical formula) Take Wulingzhi with Gaoliangjiang (Galangal), grind into powder, and take with warm wine. For snake and insect bites (empirical formula) Take Wulingzhi with Xionghuang (Realgar), grind into powder, mix with vinegar, and apply to the affected area. For hypochondriac and abdominal pain (empirical formula) Take Wulingzhi with Yanhusuo (Corydalis), Xiangfu (Cyperus), and Moyao (Myrrh). Grind into powder and take with wine. For various acute pains due to qi stagnation and blood stasis (empirical formula, Wuling Zhitong San) Take Wulingzhi with Puhuang and Bingpian (Borneol). Grind into fine powder. Take 3g each time with warm boiled water.
Medicinal Parts
Dried feces.
Selection & Storage
Store in a well-ventilated, dry place.
