Blister Beetle – 1 lb (454 g)

Blister Beetle, known in Chinese as 斑蝥 (Bānmáo) and scientifically as Mylabris, 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 Blister Beetle carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Blister Beetle 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, Blister Beetle provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Blister Beetle 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 Blister Beetle, 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 Banmao, Banmao Beetle, Longmiao, and Huakechong. It is the dried body of insects from the Meloidae family, specifically the southern large Mylabris phalerata Pallas or the yellow-black small Mylabris cichorii Linnaeus. It is mainly produced in Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and other regions. The insects are collected in summer and autumn, killed by scalding with boiling water, then dried in the sun or by baking.

[Properties] The taste is pungent, the nature is hot, and it is highly toxic. It enters the Liver, Stomach, and Kidney meridians.

[Actions] Detoxifies and corrodes ulcers, induces redness and blistering, breaks blood stasis and disperses masses.

[Applications]
1. Used for carbuncles, furuncles, scrofula, and phlegm nodules. For carbuncles that have not ulcerated for a long time, Mylabris powder can be mixed with a paste of crushed garlic and water and applied topically, as in the formula Yongquan Paste (涌泉膏). For scrofula and phlegm nodules appearing like a string of beads, stir-fried Mylabris with bran combined with carbonized Schizonepeta (Jingjie Tan), charred Atractylodes (Chao Hei Chou), and stir-fried silkworm (Chao Jiang Can) can be ground into powder and taken with warm wine, as in the formula Shenshi Secret Powder (神十秘散).
2. Used for stubborn tinea and warts. For stubborn tinea unresponsive to treatment, it can be combined with Cortex Hibisci (Chuan Jue Pi), Cortex Pittospori (Hai Tong Pi), and realgar (Xionghuang), ground into powder and mixed with water for topical application, as in the formula Bixiao Powder (必效散). For neurodermatitis, Mylabris detoxifying wine extract can be used; the clear liquid is applied to the affected area. For infectious or common warts, Mylabris and realgar insecticidal powder mixed with honey to form a paste can be applied directly to the wart surface to relieve itching.
3. Used for blood stasis obstruction, abdominal masses, and accumulations, often combined with peach kernel (Taoren) and rhubarb (Dahuang), as in the formula Banyaomao Tongjing Wan (斑药蝥通经丸).
Additionally, externally it is used to treat rheumatic pain, migraine, facial paralysis, malaria, and acute tonsillitis. Currently, Mylabris tablets and injections are used to treat malignant tumors such as liver cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: stir-fried and ground powder, 0.03–0.06 g; or incorporated into pills or powders. Must be processed before use. External use: appropriate amount, ground powder applied topically, soaked in wine for rubbing, or used as a blistering agent.

[Cautions] This herb is highly toxic; internal use should be cautious, starting with a small dose and gradually increasing. External application should not cover a large area or be applied for a long time to avoid systemic poisoning through skin absorption. Contraindicated in individuals with weak constitution, heart and kidney dysfunction, gastrointestinal ulcers, and pregnant women.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: Mylabris contains cantharidin, fats, resins, formic acid, pigments, and elements such as phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium.
2. Pharmacological effects: Cantharidin exhibits dose-dependent inhibitory effects on ascitic liver cancer in mice and prolongs survival in mice with reticulum cell sarcoma (ARS) ascites. Various derivatives of cantharidin increase white blood cell counts by stimulating DNA synthesis in bone marrow cells, shortening the maturation and release time of leukocytes, and promoting differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into granulocyte-monocyte lineages. Cantharidin enhances immune function; aqueous extracts have antiviral and antifungal effects; Mylabris plaster moxibustion significantly reduces swelling in rabbit ankle arthritis.
3. Clinical reports:
1) Primary liver cancer: After HLF chemotherapy, oral compound Mylabris capsules (3 capsules twice daily, repeated every 21 days) were administered to 30 patients. Results: CR (complete remission) in 1 case (3.3%), PR (partial remission) in 14 cases (46.7%), NC (no change) in 7 cases (23.3%), PD (progression) in 8 cases (26.7%), with CR+PR totaling 15 cases (50%). [Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology, 2002, 9(6):336]
2) Viral hepatitis: Lipid-soluble cantharidin tablets (each containing 0.3 mg cantharidin) were given orally to adults at 0.6–0.9 mg per dose, and to children at 0.01–0.02 mg/kg per dose, 3–4 times daily. Among 37 treated cases, 36 were clinically cured, 1 improved, with an effective rate of 100%; among 15 HBsAg-positive cases, 9 turned negative (60%). [Yulin Medicine, 1984, (2):38]
3) Allergic insect-induced rhinitis: A small piece of blistering paste (containing Mylabris, white mustard seed, etc.) about the size of a wheat grain was placed at the center of a 2cm×2cm adhesive patch and alternately applied to the Neiguan or Waiguan acupuncture points for 3 hours until removed. Local blisters formed and dried in 2–3 days without scarring. Weekly application for 4 weeks constituted one course. Among 64 cases treated, the total effective rate was 96.6%. [Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1988, (9):44]
4) Dysmenorrhea: A wheat-grain-sized piece of blistering paste was placed at the center of a 2cm×2cm adhesive patch and alternately applied to Zhongji or Guanyuan points 5 days before menstruation or when mild abdominal pain occurred, removed after 3 hours when blisters appeared. No puncturing was needed; blisters dried and crusted within 2–3 days. Treatment continued for 2 menstrual cycles. Among 82 cases, the total effective rate was 90.6%. [Jiangsu Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990, (2):36]
5) Peripheral facial paralysis: Ten croton seeds, 5 Mylabris insects, and 50 g fresh ginger were crushed and applied to the affected side of the face for 8 hours, fixed with external dressing. After blister formation, fluid was aspirated with a sterile syringe, and oil gauze covered the area to heal naturally. Among 70 cases, 57 were cured, 9 improved, and 4 ineffective, with a total effective rate of 94.3%. [Jiangsu Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2004, 25(2):33]
6) Alopecia areata: 5–10 Mylabris insects were soaked in 50–100 ml of 75% ethanol for 7 days and externally applied to the affected area combined with plum blossom needle therapy. Among 58 cases, 20 showed marked effect, 35 effective, with a total effective rate of 94.82%. [Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2003, 31(1):58]