Long-Nosed Pit Viper … Classic Formulas
Qi She · Agkistrodon acutus
Primary Actions
- Dispels Wind-Damp and stops pain; a principal herb for Bi syndrome (painful obstruction), including chronic wind-damp arthralgia and numbness
- Extinguishes internal Wind and stops spasm; used for tetany, convulsions, and facial or hemiplegic paralysis following Wind-stroke
- Resolves toxicity for skin lesions; used for scabies, sores, and toxic swellings
Classic Formulas
- Qi She Jiu (Long-Nosed Pit Viper medicinal wine)
Classical Text References
- First recorded in the Kai Bao Ben Cao (973 CE)
- Ben Cao Gang Mu (Li Shizhen, 1578) describes Qi She as penetrating to the bone to expel Wind and stop convulsions, naming it the premier herb for Wind-Damp Bi and tetany