Colla Corii Bovis
Aliases：Shuǐ Jiāo (literally "Water Gelatin"), Niú Pí Jiāo (literally "Oxhide Gelatin"), Hǎi Xī Jiāo (literally "Sea Rhinoceros Gelatin"), Guǎng Jiāo (literally "Guang Gelatin"), and Míng Jiāo (literally "Clear Gelatin"). (These are all alternative names for Huáng Míng Jiāo, i.e., Oxhide Gelatin.)
Huáng Míng Jiāo (Oxhide Gelatin) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is a solid gelatin prepared by boiling and concentrating the hide of the yellow cattle Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin, an animal belonging to the family Bovidae. It was first recorded in Shíliáo Běncǎo (Materia Medica for Dietotherapy).
Efficacy & Actions
Nourishes Yin and moistens dryness, nourishes blood and stops bleeding, invigorates blood circulation and reduces swelling, and detoxifies.
Indications
Consumptive disease with lung flaccidity, cough with hemoptysis, hematemesis and epistaxis (vomiting of blood and nasal bleeding), metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, dysentery with bloody stool, traumatic injuries, carbuncles and sores, and burns and scalds. It is also used for constipation due to body weakness, kidney deficiency with spermatorrhea, rheumatic pain, and threatened miscarriage with bleeding during pregnancy.
Modern Pharmacology
Hematopoietic (blood‑tonifying) effect: Oral administration of 20% Huáng Míng Jiāo solution at 0.5 ml per mouse once daily for 11 consecutive days significantly increased hemoglobin levels. Anti‑fatigue effect: Administration following the same method for 15 days prolonged the swimming time of mice. Immunomodulatory effect: It exerted a weight‑increasing effect on the thymus gland in mice. Gastric mucosal protection: Bovine hide collagen demonstrated protective and reparative effects on ethanol‑induced gastric mucosal injury in rats. Laxative effect: Modern research has confirmed its laxative effect.
Ingredients
Upon boiling yellow cattle hide in water, the collagen is converted into gelatin and dissolves in water. Collagen itself is insoluble in water, but gelatin is soluble. Upon cooling, the gelatin solidifies into a jelly-like mass. Collagen contains approximately 18% nitrogen and 18 types of amino acids, but lacks cystine and cysteine; it also contains small amounts of sugars.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: Dissolved in water or wine and taken: usual dosage 3–9 g; or 6–12 g; or 1–3 qian (approximately 3–9 g), dissolved in water or wine. Made into pills or powders. Modern usage: 10 g once, 1–2 times daily, dissolved in Shaoxing wine or water by simmering; when added to a decoction, crush and dissolve in the prepared herbal liquid before taking. For topical application: appropriate amount, melted and applied.
Contraindications
Use with caution in patients with Spleen‑Stomach deficiency and loose stools: Due to its moist and greasy nature, the dosage should not be excessive. Contraindicated in individuals allergic to this product. A light diet is recommended; avoid spicy, raw, cold, and greasy foods. Patients with severe chronic conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, or kidney disease should take it under the guidance of a physician. Children, pregnant women, and the elderly or infirm should use it under medical supervision. If symptoms do not improve after 3 days of medication, consult a doctor. Patients requiring TCM treatment should first visit a qualified TCM hospital and receive a prescription based on proper syndrome differentiation.
Selected Formulas
For lung atrophy with consumptive hematemesis (Shengji Zonglu, Bufei San) Take 2 liang of Huangmingjiao (cowhide glue, roasted until dry) and 2 liang of Huasangye (mulberry leaves, dried in the shade). Grind into fine powder. Take 3 qian each time, mixed with raw Rehmannia juice, or with glutinous rice water. For yin‑deficiency cough of the lung (Chinese Animal Medicines) Take 15g of Huangmingjiao, 10g of Xingren (apricot seed), and 15g of glutinous rice. Decoct in water and drink, twice daily. For persistent cough (Shiliao Bencao) Take Huangmingjiao (roasted until half‑charred), grind into powder. For each dose, take 1 qian of the powder together with 2 qian of Renshen (Ginseng) powder, decoct with thin fermented soybean broth and drink. For hematemesis and hemoptysis (Shiliao Bencao) Take 1 liang of Huangmingjiao (cut into small pieces, roasted until yellow) and 1 liang of new cotton (burned to ash). Grind finely together. Take 1 qian each time, mixed with fresh rice water. For sudden bleeding during pregnancy (Zhouhou Fang) Take 2 liang of cowhide glue, dissolve completely in wine, and take in one dose. For traumatic injuries (Bencao Gangmu) Take 1 liang of genuine cowhide glue and 1 liang of dried wax gourd peel (chopped). Stir‑fry together until charred while retaining their properties, and grind into powder. Take 5 qian each time with hot wine. For cold‑dampness beriberi (Bencao Gangmu, citing Wan's Formula) Take one piece of cowhide glue (finely sliced, stir‑fried with flour until beaded), grind into powder. Take 1 qian each time with wine. For migratory wind‑dampness pain (Bencao Gangmu, citing Weisheng Zaxing) Take 1 liang of cowhide glue and half a cup of ginger juice. Dissolve together into a paste, spread on paper, and apply warm to the affected area. For cracked heels with bleeding due to cold (Shengji Zonglu, Niu Jiao San) Take cowhide glue, burn to ash, grind into fine powder, mix with saliva, and apply.
Medicinal Parts
The gelatin prepared from the hide of the yellow cattle Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin, an animal belonging to the family Bovidae.
Selection & Storage
Store in airtight dry containers in a cool, dry place, protected from moisture and heat.
