Chinese herbs ·
Chinese scorpion and stiff silkworm (全蝎 / 僵蚕): two animal medicines paired in practice
Chinese scorpion and stiff silkworm is known as quán xiē / jiāng cán in Chinese medicine. This field note centres on where the material lives or grows, how it is collected, and what processing changes before it reaches professional practice.
Where it lives and how it grows
Scorpions develop in dry shelters and mature through repeated moults. Stiff silkworm is produced when silkworm larvae are deliberately infected under controlled conditions with a recognised fungus, creating a very different life cycle.
Harvest
Scorpions are captured or farmed with protection from stings. Infected silkworm larvae are collected only after the required fungal change is established and must be separated from ordinary diseased stock.
Processing
Scorpions are cleaned, killed by an approved method, and dried; stiff silkworms are cleaned of surface growth as specified and dried. Neither material is made safe by casual heating.
Traditional uses and symptom patterns
The pair appears in formulas for spasm, facial or throat patterns, and other concepts described as internal wind or phlegm. Sudden weakness, seizure, facial droop, or breathing difficulty requires emergency care.
What the evidence can and cannot say
The reviewed sources support source identity, material distinction, and the cultivation or processing account. They do not establish that this material is an effective treatment for a reader's symptoms; clinical recommendations, products, formulas, and doses remain outside this article.
Safety and interactions
Scorpion venom, insect allergy, fungal contamination, and product substitution are significant concerns. These animal medicines are inappropriate for self-prescribing, pregnancy, children, or unexplained neurological symptoms.
Sources
- 【FULL】《本草中国第二季》第5集搭档：神奇的药材搭配 -“The Tale Of Chinese Medicine”S2 EP5 Partner: Nothing is impossible
The Tale of Chinese Medicine Official Channel · Primary footage and narration for habitat, cultivation, harvest, processing, and traditional-use context.
- NCBI Taxonomy search: Mesobuthus martensii
National Center for Biotechnology Information · Authoritative taxonomic reference for the scorpion source.
- NCBI Taxonomy search: Bombyx mori
National Center for Biotechnology Information · Authoritative taxonomic reference for the silkworm host.
