Crabs & Crayfish
Sdig srin སྡིག་སྲིན (Tibetan)Sartan (Unani)
Sartan Behri Sokhta (Burnt Crab) (Unani)
Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491
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Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563 |
Dioscorides Materia Medica, Ruellio, 1549 |
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Zoological name:
Cancer spp.
Cancer marinus and others
Also freshwater species of crayfish
Parts used:
1. Crab Shell;
2. Black Tips of Crab Claws
3. Whole Crab ashed
4. Freshwater Crayfish
Also see Crab Eyes and Fossil Crab
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Salty. Ashed Crab is Neutral.
Uses:
WHOLE CRAB:
1. Nourishes the Yin, Moistens Dryness, Clears Heat and Poison (West, TCM, Tibetan):
-a tonic increasing stamina (TCM)
-Cooked whole and eaten with the broth they are good for those in all sorts of fevers, but especially Hectic fevers and Consumption (Dioscorides, Salmon)
-‘highly extolled for restoring those that are Phthisical and those that are dried and wasted with lingering Agues, and long sickness; we endeavour to preserve their natural moisture by distilling them’ (French Pharmacopoeia, Charras).
-paralysis and blood diseases in Tibetan Medicine.
-Shrimps and Crayfish are also used for this purpose, especially in decoction)
2. Strengthens the Kidneys, Promotes Urine, Clears Stones (West, TCM, Tibetan):
-pain and Stoppage of urine, edema, gravel and urinary stones, nephritis,
-spermatorrhea and leukorrhea;
-broth of a Lobster is taken with wine for difficult urination, and kidney stones (Magic of Kirani).
-Dried and powdered Crab, mixed and taken with Iron water, is a folk remedy for Diabetes.
3. Moves the Blood, Clears Blood Stasis, Resolves Masses (West, TCM, Tibet):
-internal stasis in any of the internal organs; abdominal masses
-pain during or after labor, including postpartum abdominal pain.
-Cancer, including Cancer of the Womb. (West); Fresh Water Crayfish were often decocted for this purpose.
4. Strengthens the Joints, Promotes the Healing of Bones:
-lightly roasted meat is applied as a poultice to broken bones, including compound fractures, and to dislocations.
-Also applied to close the fontanel bones in infants (TCM)
-beaten and applied for kidney and lower back pain (Salmon).
-Applied in an ointment, they are good for Gout.
CRAB SHELL
1. Moves the Blood, Stops Bleeding (TCM, Tibetan Medicine):
-Promotes Labor, helps clear afterbirth;
-postpartum pain and bleeding
-painful menorrhagia or metrorrhagia. (Take with wine)
-often the burnt or ashed product is used to stop bleeding.
2. Promotes Urine, Clears Stones (West, Tibetan Medicine):
-calcined shell is taken with wine to clear gravel and stones (West);
-Kidney disease in Tibetan Medicine.
3. Externally:
-Burnt and mixed with honey and applied to frost bite, wasp or hornet stings.
-beat crabs into a paste, stir-fry and apply to Fractures and damage to soft tissue (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
CRAB CLAWS
1. Moves the Blood, Clearts Stasis: (TCM, West)
-Amenorrhea
-expels blood retained after childbirth.
-promotes Abortion
-however, some sources stated it to Calm the Fetus (Zhang Ding, Su Song)
-When twins are in the womb, and one is alive, one dead, the decoction will deliver both without harm to mother, or the live baby.
-boiled in or prepared with wine or vinegar enhances this effect
-“Dissolves Congealed Blood”. (Medicinalis Hibernica, K’eogh, 1739)
2. Clears Heat, Resists Poison:
-clears Heat and Poison, prevents attacks of pathogens
-“given often in a Day to Children in Fevers”. (Medicinalis Hibernica, K’eogh, 1739)
3. Clears Stomach Heat:
-Stomach pain, Acid Reflux, Heartburn
BLACK TIPS of CRAB CLAWS
1. Benefits the Heart, Clears Heat, Resists Poison (West):
-commonly used in the West as a Cordial
-Epidemic diseases; Fevers and Spotted Fevers, especially in children
WHOLE CRAB, ASHED (Neutral, Salty):
1. Resists Poison:
-Crayfish or Crabs, burnt to ashes, are used for the bitings of all venomous creatures, including the bites of Rabid dogs (since Dioscorides)
2. Clears Heat, Benefits Yin, Stops Bleeding:
-bleeding, including Hemoptysis, bloody Diarrhea, Dysentery
-Phthisis, Hectic Fever, Consumption
Dose:
Whole Crab Ashed, Crab Shell in Powder, or Burnt Crab Shell in Powder: 1–3 grams
Black Tips of Crab Claw: 500mg–2 grams
Substitute:
Prawns, Saltwater and Freshwater Crayfish and Saltwater Crabs can be used interchangeably according to Unani.
Main Combinations:
1. To resist Poison and Infection and for Spotted Fevers:
i. black tips of Crab Claws, Coral, Pearl (as in Lesser Powder of Crabs Claws)
ii. to strengthen the preceding, add Amber, prepared Deer horn (as in Greater Powder of Crabs Claws, or Gascoigns Powder)
iii. to make it even stronger, to the preceding add Bezoar.
iv. Another to resist Poison and Infection during Epidemics, with Zedoary root, Citron peel, Angelic seed, Armenian Earth (as in Troches Resisting Poison)
2. Hectic Fever and Consumption:
i. decoct Crabs in Barley water.
ii, and Hemoptysis, with Purslane seed, Marshmallow seed, Tabasheer, Poppy seed, Licorice juice, Tragacanth (as in Troches of Crab of Unani)
3. Hemoptysis, roasted Crab, calcined Crab, Calcined Coral (Unani)
4. Cancer:
i. Freshwater Crayfish (10), Birthwort root (½ oz.), Comfrey root (1 oz.), Agrimony, Ladies Mantle, Betony, Bugle, Sanicle (1 handful each). Decoct in Water and Wine, sweeten with Syrup of Maidenhair and take 6 oz., twice daily. (Gazophylacium Medico-Physicum, Woyts, 1746)
ii. Cancer of the Womb, Freshwater Crayfish, Herb Robert, used as a douche. (Salmon, Synopsis Medicinae, 1681)
5. To promote Urine, Crab shell with Tribulus seed and Mallow seed (Tibetan Medicine)
6. Urinary obstruction, Urinary calculi, Urine retention, Prostatitis, Crab shell with Lesser Cardamon, Ginger, Mallow seed, and Mango kernel (as in Cardamon 10 of Tibetan Medicine)
7. Metrorrhagia with abdominal pain, Crab Shell burnt and powdered, take 3 grams with Rice soup. (Zheng Zhi Yao Jue, TCM)
8. When there are twins in the Womb, one alive and one dead, taking the following decoction with birth both without harming the live baby or the mother: Crab Claw is decocted with Licorice, strain, then dissolve in Donkey Hide Gelatin (E Jiao). (TCM)
9. To abort a Fetus when the mother is seriously ill during pregnancy, Crab Claw, Cassia bark (Gui Pi), Dianthus Qu Mai, Achyranthes Niu Xi. Powder and take 3 grams with wine before meals. (Qian Jin Yao Fang, TCM)
Major Formulas:
Powder of Crabs
Powder of Crabs (Unani)
Powder of Crabs Claw (Countess of Kents Powder
Powder for Cancer (Wiseman)
Powder Against Heartburn
Theriac of Crabs (Unani)
Aloeswood 8 Water Transformer (Ar brgyad chu bsgyur) (Tibetan)
Betel Nut 28 (Go yu nyer brgyad) (Tibetan)
Cardamon 10 (Sug smel bcu pa) (Tibetan)
Cardamon 19 (Sug smel bcu dgu) (Tibetan)
Chebula 18 (A ru 18) (Tibetan)
Chebula 25 (A ru 25)
Chebula 35 (A ru 35)
Greater Salt Combination (Tshwa sbyor chen mo) (Tibetan)
Lygodium 8 (Gser bye brgyad pa) (Tibetan)
Pacific 11 (Zhi byed bcu gcig) (Tibetan)
Pomegranate All Inclusive Pill (Se ‘bru kun ‘dus) (Tibetan)
Pomegranate Water Transformer (Se bru chu bsgyur) (Tibetan)
Precious Wish Fulfilling Jewel (Rin chen ratna bsam ‘phel) (Tibetan)
Rhododendron 16 (Dwa lis bcu drug) (Tibetan)
Rhubarb 25 (Chu tsi 25)
Tribulus 3 Decoction (Gze ma gsum thang) (Tibetan)
Cautions:
1. Best not used during Pregnancy
Main Preparations used:
1. Crab Broth:
i. Bruised Crabs (4 oz.), Water (12 oz.). Boil for 2 hours, strain. (Pharmacopoeia Gallica, 1818)
ii. Half a Chicken, 6 bruised Crabs, Water (3 lbs.). Boil until one-third is wasted, adding towards the end Borage leaves (1 handful), Chervil (a pinch). Strain. (Nouveau Formulaire Medicale et Pharmaceutique, 1820)