Chan Pi
StarBufo gargarizans Cantor
Synonyms: Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat and expels toxins; Promotes urination and resolves bloating
Traditional Chinese Uses
Chan Pi (Cutis Bufonis) is the dried skin of the toad Bufo gargarizans (and related B. melanostictus). Pungent and cool, it clears Heat and resolves toxicity and promotes urination to reduce swelling. Traditionally it is applied to Heat-toxin conditions such as carbuncles, deep-rooted sores, boils and swollen sore throat, and to abdominal distension and edema; in modern Chinese practice it is also used adjunctively for certain tumors and ascites. It is distinct from Chan Su (toad venom secretion) and from Chan Tui (cicada slough), though it shares the toad's toxic principles.
The skin contains bufadienolides, potent cardioactive steroids, so Chan Pi is toxic: doses must be small and controlled, overdose can cause serious cardiac disturbance, and it is contraindicated in pregnancy and in the weak. Not for casual self-medication.
Botanical Description
Chan Pi (蟾皮) is the dried skin of the Asiatic toad, Bufo gargarizans Cantor (Bufonidae), a stout amphibian widespread across eastern and northern China, the Korean Peninsula, and the Russian Far East. The toad reaches 7-10 cm, with dry, warty olive-brown to greyish skin, a bony cranial crest, and a pair of large kidney-shaped parotoid glands behind the eyes that secrete a milky, bufadienolide-rich venom. To prepare the drug the whole toad is skinned and the skin flattened and dried. In TCM the acrid, cool, toxic skin clears heat, resolves toxicity, and promotes urination to reduce edema, applied to toxic swellings, abscesses, scrofula, and tumours. It is distinct from Chan Su (parotoid venom) and Chan Tui (cicada slough).
Grassland, farmland margins, ponds, ditches, and damp woodland floor in temperate lowlands and hills.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | 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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