Caprae seu Ovis Fel
Yáng Dǎn (Goat or Sheep Bile) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is the dried gallbladder of Capra hircus Linnaeus (goat), Ovis aries Linnaeus (sheep), or Naemorhedus goral Hardwick (goral), animals belonging to the family Bovidae. Yáng Dǎn was first recorded in Bencao Jingjizhu (Collected Commentaries on the Materia Medica).
Efficacy & Actions
Clears fire, improves vision, and detoxifies.
Indications
Indicated for red and swollen eyes, blindness and night blindness, corneal opacity, pulmonary tuberculosis with cough, infantile febrile convulsions, sore throat, jaundice, dysentery, constipation, and heat-toxin sores. It may also be used for wind-heat red eyes, pulmonary tuberculosis with hematemesis, and swollen throat.
Modern Pharmacology
Antitussive and expectorant effects: Goat or sheep bile shows significant antitussive and expectorant effects in mice. Antibacterial effects: Goat or sheep bile significantly inhibits Bordetella pertussis and also shows inhibitory effects against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Anti-inflammatory effects: Goat or sheep bile significantly inhibits both acute and chronic inflammation. Effects on the central nervous system: Bile acids and their salts show significant anticonvulsant effects and certain antipyretic effects. Effects on the digestive system: Bile salts increase bile secretion, emulsify fats, and promote fat digestion and absorption. Antioxidant effects: Goat or sheep bile from different regions shows certain antioxidant activity.
Ingredients
Bile acids: Cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, mostly conjugated with taurine and glycine. The cholic acid content in goats and sheep is about 10 times higher than deoxycholic acid. Bile pigments: Bilirubin, biliverdin. Other constituents: Mucin, cholesterol, lecithin, sodium bicarbonate, fatty acids, and others.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: made into an extract or dried and ground into powder, 0.3–0.6 g; or taken in pills or powders. Some sources also document decoction, 1–2 fen (approximately 0.3–0.6 g). For external use: apply an appropriate amount topically, as eye drops, or as an enema.
Contraindications
Contraindicated in patients with debility without damp-heat—Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica records: “Those with debility without damp-heat should not use it.” Should be used under the guidance of a physician. Do not self-medicate.
Selected Formulas
For blepharitis with red, weeping eyes and all acute red-eye conditions (Yijian Zhi, Erbaiwei Caohua Gao) Take one castrated goat gallbladder, fill it with honey and steam it. When dry, grind into a paste. Take a small amount in the mouth and also apply as eye drops. For all acute red-eye conditions (Zhang Sanfeng Xianchuan Fang, Biyun Gao) In the twelfth lunar month, take over ten castrated goat gallbladders, fill them with honey, cover with paper sleeves, and hang under the eaves. When frost forms on the surface, scrape it off and apply as eye drops. For blurred vision and blindness following febrile disease (Zhouhou Fang) Take goat gallbladder, apply to the eyes once in the morning and once in the evening. For swollen and red throat (Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica) Take goat gallbladder, Qingdai (Indigo), Mabo (Puffball), Chuanbei (Fritillaria), and Hongniuxi (Achyranthes), decoct in water and drink. For jaundice (Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica) Take goat gallbladder, Yinchen (Artemisia capillaris), Qinjiao (Gentiana macrophylla), Baixianpi (Dictamnus root bark), Dahuang (Rhubarb), and Mutong (Akebia), decoct in water and drink. For severe constipation with obstruction (Qianjin Fang) Take goat gallbladder, insert a tube and inject about 3 he of bile deep into the rectum; the stool will be expelled immediately.
Medicinal Parts
The dried gallbladder (bile) of goats (Capra hircus), sheep (Ovis aries), or gorals (Naemorhedus goral), animals belonging to the family Bovidae.
Selection & Storage
Store dried products in a cool, dry place, protected from moisture and insects.
