Herb

Leech (Shui zhi)

水蛭shui zhi
1 sourceSafety notes recordedHirudo

Modern safety information is being compiled for this entry.

Recorded in Bencao Gangmu for expelling malign and stasis blood and amenorrhea, breaking blood masses and accumulation, disinhibiting water, and for traumatic injury with stagnant blood; classical texts also record it as abortifacient. Recorded in the source as toxic.

Used in 3 formulas

Source

Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu)卷四十·虫部·卵生类下·水蛭·主治

References
  • functions_en self-translated from 本草纲目 traditional_functions (public domain; the Chinese tf carries verbatim excerpt_hash citations). No modern work consulted.
  • WHO IST-TCM terminology-aligned for the English rendering.
  • public pharmacopoeia & zoological facts (public-domain reference facts; no proprietary modern source).
Traditional functions

Classical source text (Chinese) — English summary above.

传统中医记载：逐恶血瘀血月闭，破血癥积聚，无子，利水道；堕胎；治女子月闭，欲成血劳；治折伤坠扑畜血有功。

Nature, flavor & meridians

Nature & flavor: 咸、苦，平，有毒。

Used in formulas
Citations
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷四十·虫部·卵生类下·水蛭·条名Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its classification.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷四十·虫部·卵生类下·水蛭·气味Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its nature & flavor.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷四十·虫部·卵生类下·水蛭·主治Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷四十·虫部·卵生类下·水蛭·安全Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its safety notes.