WH Acupuncture & Herbs Centre

Niuhuang is the dried gall stone of Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin, pertaining to Bovidae. It is classified into Danhuang and Guanhaung. The former is better in quality. During slaughtering, when it is found that there are gall-stone inside the gallbladder, bile duct or hepatic duct, filtrate the bile to take the gallstone, remove the superficial membrane, dry in the shade, and then grind into fine powder.

[ Medicinal Properties ]: Sweet and cold; relate to heart and liver meridians.

[ Medicinal Efficacies ]: Resolve phlegm for resuscitation; cool liver, extinguish wind; clear heat and relive toxicity.

[ Clinical Applications ]: 1. Warm disease and coma     It treats entering of heat into pericardium in warm disease, wind-stroke, convulsion, and epilepsy due to blockage of heart by phlegm, manifesting as coma and trismus, usually combined with Shexian, Bingpian and Zhusha; for example in Angong Niuhuang Pills.

2. Fright epilepsy and epilepsy      In case of acute infantile convulsions, manifesting as coma, convulsion and spasm, it is combined with Zhusha and Quanxie; for example in Niuhuang Powder. It treats epilepsy due to blackage of clear orifices by phlegm, in combination with Zhenzhu, Yuanzhi and Dannanxing.

3. Aphtha, sore and swollen throat, toothache, abscess, carbuncle, deep-rooted boil and toxin         It is very effective to clear heat and relieve toxicity. For aphtha, swollen and sore throat, and headache due to accumulation of fire toxin, it is combined with Huangqin, Xionghuang and Dahuang; for example in Niuhuang Jiedu Pills. For abscess, carbuncle, deep-rooted boil, toxin and furuncle, it is in combinatin with Jinyinhua and Gancao. Also it can treat carcinoma of breast, bubo, phlegm nodule , deep multiple abscesses, scrofula and malignant sore, in combination with Shexiang and Ruxiang.

[ Usage and Dosage ]: It is used in pill and powder, with dosage of 0.15-0.35g. Also it can be ground into powder for external use.

[ Medicinal Comparison ]: Similarities: Both Lingyangjiao and Niuhuang relate to heart and liver meridians, with similar efficacies to clear liver heat, extinguish wind and stop spasms, so both can treat high fever and coma in warm disease or convulsions and spasm due to stirring of liver wind.

 Differences: Lingyangjiao is cold to pacify liver, subdue yang,improve vision, dissipate blood, relieve fever and stop pain. It can treat dizziness and dizzy vison due to hyperactivity of liver yang, reddish eyes and headache due to liver fire, macula due to warm toxinosis, wind-damp-heat arthralgia, cough and asthma due to lung heat and whooping cough. Niuhuang is cool to resolve phlegm for resucitation, clear heat and relieve toxicity. It treats epilepsy due to entering of heat into pericardium or blockage of clear orifices by phlegm, swollen and sore throat, toothache, abscess, carbuncle, deep-rooted boil and toxin.

牛黄为牛科动物牛Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin干燥的胆结石。主产于北京、天津、内蒙、陕西、新疆、青海、河北、黑龙江等地。牛黄分为胆黄和管黄二种，以胆黄质量为佳。宰牛时，如发现胆囊、胆管或肝管中有牛黄，即滤去胆汁，将牛黄取出，除去外部薄膜，阴干，研极细粉末。