Black Snake – 1 lb (454 g)

Black Snake, known in Chinese as 乌梢蛇 (Wūshāoshé) and scientifically as Zaocys, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Black Snake carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Black Snake helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Black Snake provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Black Snake has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Black Snake, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This herb is also known as Wushe, Wufengshe, Heishaoshe, and Hehuashe. It is derived from the entire animal of Zaocys dhumnades (Cantor), a species of the Colubridae family. It is distributed throughout most regions of China. The snakes are captured in summer and autumn. After capture, the abdomen is cut open, or the skin is first peeled off leaving the head and tail intact, the internal organs are removed, then the body is coiled into a spiral shape and sun-dried.

[Properties] Sweet in taste, neutral in nature. Enters the Liver meridian.

[Actions] Dispel wind and unblock the collaterals; calm fright and stop convulsions.

[Applications]
1. Used for wind-damp painful obstruction, joint stiffness, and hemiplegia due to stroke. Especially suitable for stubborn wind-damp obstruction that has lasted a long time, often combined with Quanxie (Scorpio), Tiannanxing (Arisaema), and Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia), as in the formula Wushe Wan (Black-Headed Snake Pill).
2. Used for pediatric acute and chronic convulsions, tetanus, and spasms. For treating pediatric convulsions, it can be combined with Shexiang (Moschus) and Zaojia (Gleditsia sinensis), as in Wushe San (Black-Headed Snake Powder); for tetanus, combined with Qishe (Agkistrodon), Wugong (Centipede), and others, as in Duoming San (Life-Destroying Powder).
3. Used for leprosy and scabies. This herb can treat all types of dry and damp tinea, often combined with Heye (Lotus Leaf) and Zhike (Fructus Aurantii), as in Sanwei Wushe San (Three-Ingredient Black-Headed Snake Powder); for leprosy, combined with Baifuzi (Typhonium), Dafengzi (Stellera), and Baizhi (Angelica dahurica) to dispel wind. Besides dampness, it is also used for scrofula and carbuncles.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 5–10 g; powder, 2–3 g per dose; can also be soaked in alcohol for oral administration.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: Contains various amino acids such as arginine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, isoleucine, glutamic acid, threonine, histidine; also contains cholic acid, fructose 1,6-diphosphatase, and paramyosin.
2. Pharmacological effects: Alcohol extract of Zaocys inhibits pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions in mice and has some inhibitory effect on electrically induced convulsions; both water decoction and alcohol extract exhibit anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
3. Clinical reports:
1) Urticaria: Using Zaocys-made anti-allergy tablets (0.3 g per tablet), 5–8 tablets per dose, treated 41 cases of various types of urticaria with an effective rate of 80.5%. [Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1980, (3):196]
2) Osteoarticular tuberculosis: Using dried Zaocys with head and skin removed, ground into powder, 3 g per dose, three times daily, taken with yellow wine for 5 weeks per course, adjusted according to symptoms. Treated 58 cases with 46 cured and 8 improved. [Sichuan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990, 8(4):44]
3) Rheumatoid arthritis: 240 cases randomly divided into groups A and B, double-blind trial with Zaocys preparation or placebo. Results: Zaocys hydrolysate had a total effective rate of 64.2% and marked effect rate of 16.7%, significantly higher than placebo group’s 38.3% and 6.7%; most suitable for phlegm and blood stasis pattern. [Journal of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2001, 15(2):22]
4) Boils: Fresh Zaocys, peeled, gutted, and head removed, whole body used; dosage calculated at 30 g per year of age, maximum dose not exceeding 450 g, cooked and eaten. Treated 17 cases with 16 cured and 1 markedly effective. [Intermediate Medical Journal, 1987, (7):52]