Bai Hua She (Qi She)
StarBungarus multicinctus Blyth
☯ TCM Properties
Powerfully unblocks the channels and extinguishes Wind; Dispels Wind from the skin; Dispels Wind from the sinews and settles jitteriness and convulsions
Traditional Chinese Uses
Bai Hua She (Jin Qian Bai Hua She) is the dried body, minus head and viscera, of the many-banded krait Bungarus multicinctus, a warm, sweet-and-salty wind-damp-dispelling animal substance entering the Liver and Spleen channels. It is regarded as an especially powerful mover that travels the whole body to unblock the channels and collaterals, dispel Wind, and extinguish internal Wind. It treats obstinate wind-damp painful obstruction (bi) with numbness, spasm, and paralysis, post-stroke sequelae, tetany and childhood convulsions, and Wind-in-the-skin conditions such as chronic itchy rashes, tinea, and leprosy. It is usually soaked in wine or ground to powder (small doses), often with Wu Shao She.
As an animal medicinal, sourcing raises conservation, welfare, and legal concerns; plant wind-dispelling herbs are widely used as substitutes. This description is informational, not an encouragement to source wild snakes.
Botanical Description
The parenthetical Pinyin 'Qi She' specifically identifies the substance as Bungarus multicinctus, the many-banded krait — a slender, brilliantly black-and-white-banded elapid snake of southern China, Taiwan, and northern Vietnam, reaching 1–1.8 m. Adults inhabit lowland woodland edges, paddy borders, and disturbed habitats; the species is nocturnal and possesses extremely potent neurotoxic venom. The medicinal preparation consists of the whole, dried, gutted juvenile snake, coiled into a flat disc and traditionally split open along the ventral surface; the head is usually retained. This is not a plant. Note that the bare Pinyin 'Bai Hua She' is also applied to Deinagkistrodon acutus (the long-nosed pit viper) in much TCM literature, and the two snakes are sometimes confused or substituted in commerce.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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