A Research Paper on Folk Treatment of Cirrhosis with Live Pond Loaches
translated by: by: Joe Hing Kwok Chu
7th vol. of 7th issue of Chinese Folk Therapy 1999
Ye Chao Xing, Yin Lin , Chinese and Western Medicine Health and Therapy Research Institute, Fu Yang City, Anhui Province, China .
Ding Jing Yuan, Shanghai Chinese Medicine University, Shanghai, China
Wu dong Kun, People Hospital, Wo Yang District, Anhui Province, China.
Xie Quan Qing, Fu Yang City Tumor Hospital, Fu Yang, Anhui, China
The authors have been studying the popular therapy method of swallowing live pond loaches for treatment hepatitis B and cirrhosis. According to the clinical value and theory, it is introduced as follows.
Clinical Study, Characteristics of ni qiu and Channels relation:
Pond loaches (ni qiu) were first found in the medical classics of:
1. "Tian Nan Ben Cao" which mentioned that it is sweet and sour.
2. "Introduction to Medicine" mentioned that it is sweet and warm.
3. Others also mentioned it is sweet and neutral and related to spleen channel (meridian) and it can be used for treating boils, eczema, tonic the internal and stop diarrhea, warm the internal and tonic the qi, and killing worms.
4. The books, "Effective Therapeutic Formulae of Animals' Innards as Food", and "Whole National Chinese Herbs Compilation" mentioned that it can be used to treat cirrhosis and acute or chronic hepatitis.
5. "Whole National Chinese Herbs Compilation" mentioned :"To treat dampness, dizziness of mind, dry mouth and tongue, eat five live small pond loaches in one sitting."
From our clinical observation, processed ni qiu (pond loaches) did not possess reliable therapeutic functions; but their mucus of their skin, when mixed with white cane sugar had obvious result in treating boils. This fact inspired us to further our investigation in the issue of treating hepatitis B and cirrhosis by swallowing live pond loaches (ni qiu).