Ye Ming Sha
StarVespertilio superans Thomas
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Liver Heat and Brightens the Eyes; Invigorates Blood and Dispels Stasis; Resolves Accumulation; Reduces Childhood Nutritional Impairment
Traditional Chinese Uses
Ye Ming Sha (bat droppings) is a cool substance with a strong affinity for the Liver and eyes. In Chinese medicine, it clears Liver Heat and disperses Blood stasis to treat visual disorders — particularly night blindness, blurred vision, and corneal opacity from Liver-Heat-Blood patterns. It also has applications in pediatric digestive complaints. Despite its unusual source, it has been documented in the Chinese materia medica since the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing.
Botanical Description
Ye Ming Sha is the dried faeces of insectivorous bats, traditionally collected from species such as Vespertilio superans, Pipistrellus and Murina found in caves across northern and central China. The material consists of small, oblong, dark brown to blackish granules of irregular shape, typically 5-10 mm long, friable when crushed and composed largely of undigested insect chitin (wings, legs and elytra). The granules have a slightly rank, musky odour and a faintly salty, gritty taste. Because the bats feed almost exclusively on night-flying insects, the faeces are rich in fragments of moth and beetle exoskeletons, and Chinese pharmacopoeial standards require that material be free of soil, sand and rodent droppings before processing for medicinal use.
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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