Erinaceus, Hedgehog

Echinus, Urchin
Ci Wei Pi (Hide, TCM)
Gild al-Qunfud (Unani)
Byi Thur བྱི་ཐུར་ (Tibetan)

Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578

Thierbuch Das ist ein kurtze beschreybung aller vierfüssigen Thieren, Gesner, 1583

Zoological name:
Erinaceus europeus, E. marionus; Hemiechinus auritus

Parts used:

1. Ashed or Dried Whole animal (West)
2. Prepared Hide (TCM)

Temperature & Taste:

Hide: Neutral. Bitter (TCM)
Some considered the flesh moist.

Classification:

Uses:

HEDGEHOG HIDE (TCM)
1. Moves the Blood, Stops Bleeding:
-Bleeding from the Stomach or Bowels
-Abdominal pain from Blood Stasis

2. Stops Leakage, Astringes the Kidneys:
-Frequent or Excessive Urination
-Seminal Emission
-Hemorrhoids, Anal Fistula
-it has also been used for Sciatica

3. Externally:
-ashed Hide is applied to Alopecia (Dioscorides)
-ashed hide is applied to Foul Ulcers (Avicenna)

WHOLE HEDGEHOG ASHED (West)
1. Stops Leakage, Astringes the Kidneys:
-Frequent or Excessive Urination, Enuresis, Incontinence, Bedwetting (ashes or dried flesh)
-Edema and Kidney disease (dried flesh, Dioscorides); Kidney pain (Avicenna)
-weakness of the body (dried flesh, Dioscorides); useful in Consumption (Avicenna)
-said to cleanse the Kidneys
-Stops Miscarriage

2. Clears Wind-Damp, Resolves Masses:
-Scrofula, Hardness of the glands
-Leprosy, Elephantiasis
-Cancer (ashes, topically, Wirtzung)
-‘dries up rheums in the area of the inner organs’ (Dioscorides)
-salted flesh is useful for Paralysis, Convulsions etc. (Avicenna)
-“Salted wild hedgehog is useful in Elephantiasis” (Avicenna)

3. Resists Poison:
-Fever; Chronic Fevers (Avicenna)
-Venomous Insect Bites (Avicenna)

4. Externally:
-powdered Hedgehog can be applied to Scrofula and ruptured Scrofula (Hildegard)
-‘the powder alone helps Fistulas’ (Salmon)
-Heart and Liver are applied to Fistula and Scrofula (TCM)
-the fat collected from a roasted Hedgehog, is dropped in the ears for Deafness (this reportedl curing some that had been deaf for 20 years; Animal Simples approved for modern Uses of Cure, Fernie, 1899)
-“burnt hedgehog mixed with olive oil is useful in Alopecia”. (Avicenna)

Dose:

Hide in Decoction: 3–9 grams
Hide in Powder: 2–5 grams
Burnt Hedgehog in Powder: 1–3 grams
Dried Hedgehog flesh in Powder: 2–5 grams (take with Honey or Oxymel; taken with Whey for Leprosy, Cancer etc.)
As a food, Gypsies were said to wrap the skinned hedgehog with bowels removed in clay and roast it. This keeps the juices in an was regarded as a delicacy.

Comment:

1. The use of Hedgehog flesh in the West and Hedgehog Hide in TCM is very similar.
2. The Hedgehog was regarded as immune to all poisons including the bites of venomous snakes. Other writers confirmed them to be immune to the toxic effects of arsenic, corrosive sublimate and Opium. Modern research has confirmed that they are immune to snake venom, scorpion venom and some toxic plants.
3. Hedgehog was said to be a foul creature with poor nutrient, however all the foulness was said to pass into its spines. This is a signature for its use in diseases such as Leprosy and Elephantiasis.

Preparations:
1. Stir-fried Hedgehog skin:
In TCM, the hide is removed, cleaned, then dried. It is then stir-fried for use.
2. Prepared Hedgehog Flesh:
The bowels and viscera are removed, then the whole is dried in an oven. It may be steeped in brandy to quicken the drying. This can then be reduced to powder.
3. Salt-prepared Hedgehog flesh:
In the West, salted Hedgehog flesh is used for Elephantiasis and Leprosy (Avicenna)

Main Combinations:

1. Enuresis, Incontinence:
i. Hedgehog ashes, taken in doses of 1-1.5 drams with red wine before bed. (West)
ii. The broth of the flesh of a Hedgehog was considered Specific in this disease. It was dried and taken in powder, or may be boiled and taken. (West)
iii. Chicken Gizzard Skin, Hedgehog ashes, ashes of a Hares Head, Agrimony (Wirtzung)
2. Edema: ‘Some do write, that dried Hedgehog flesh does marvellously ease in this sickness if one take of the same one quarter of an ounce in wine’. (Wirtzung)
3. Edema, Kidney diseases, flesh in powder taken with Oxymel (Dioscorides)
4. Kidney pain, dried Hedgehog flesh mixed with Salt and Oxymel (Avicenna)
5. Seminal Emission, Hedgehog powder (5 grams) taken with Millet wine (TCM)
6. Miscarriage: ‘The skin of a Hedgehog burnt and drunk in wine does by a natural property help those that miscarry through weakness of the Retentive Faculty’. (A Guide to the Practical Physician … Theophrastus Bonet, 1684)
7. Sciatica, Hedgehog Hide powder, stir-fried, (10 grams), take with Millet Wine (TCM)
8. A Recipe from Hildegard von Bingen: Boil Hedgehog flesh in water, then heat wine with equal parts of powdered Cinnamon, Feverfew, Pimpernel and pour it over the cooked, drained flesh. This was recommended as the best way to take Hedgehog flesh.
9. Alopecia:
i. ashed Hide is applied with Pitch (Dioscorides)
ii. powdered Hide mixed with Honey and applied (Sabur ibn Sahl’s Dispensatory, Kohl, 2009)
iii. burnt Hedgehog mixed with Olive oil (Avicenna)
iv. Hedgehog ashes (2 oz.), Tar (0.5 oz.), Onion juice (2 drams), mix and apply (Salmon)
v. Hedgehog fat, Rosemary, Nettle, applied topically
10. Herpes, Hedgehog ashes (2 oz.), Tar (0.5 oz.), Onion juice (2 drams), mix and apply (Salmon)
11. Leprosy, Phthisic, Hedgehog flesh powder (2 oz.), Cardamon, Winter Cherries (0.5 oz.), Viper powder (1 oz.). Powder and mix. Dose: 1 dram (Salmon)
12. Cancer of the Eyelids, Hedgehog, Elder roots, Reed root, Marjoram, Black-shelled Snails (equal parts), burn in a pot and apply the powder topically. (Wirtzung)