Traditional Chinese medicine often uses plasters to treat injuries and alleviate pain in the lower back and legs. One well-known plaster is the dog skin plaster, which is particularly popular among people in northern China. But how did the dog skin plaster come about? Let's find out!
The dog skin plaster is made from high-quality ingredients such as musk, myrrh, frankincense, aconite, cow bezoar, bloodroot, Chinese angelica, and papaya. It is carefully prepared and refined. There are various types of plasters, including those for injuries, strengthening the body, detoxification, warming the abdomen, resolving toxins, and dispersing blood stasis. They are used to treat conditions such as blood clots in women, qi stagnation in men, abdominal accumulation, wind-cold arthralgia, soreness and weakness in the lower back and legs, joint sprains, stomach pain due to cold, numbness in the limbs, and more.
According to legend, the origin of the dog skin plaster has an interesting story. Let me introduce it to you.
There was a shopkeeper named Wang in Zhangde Prefecture (now Anyang, Henan Province) who made plasters. He was kind-hearted and treated anyone with sores, regardless of their wealth. One day, Wang took some plasters and went to a temple fair. Along the way, he encountered a beggar with a lame leg, covered in rags and emitting a foul smell. The beggar showed Wang his small sore on his leg and asked for treatment. Wang took out a plaster and placed it on the sore, saying, "It will be better tomorrow."
The next day, Wang met the beggar again and asked, "Is it better?" The beggar replied, "No, it's even more painful." Wang removed the plaster and saw that the sore had indeed worsened. He said, "I will give you a stronger plaster. If it still doesn't improve, come to my house and find me." So, he replaced the plaster for the beggar.
On the following day, as soon as Wang stepped out of his house, he saw the beggar waiting by the gate. Before Wang could say anything, the beggar started cursing, "You are a fraud! The plasters from Zhangde Prefecture are all fake!" Wang removed the plaster and was shocked to see that the sore had grown to the size of a bowl. Feeling guilty, Wang said, "I will prepare a better plaster for you." He helped the beggar up and took him into his house. As soon as they entered the courtyard, a big yellow dog pounced on the beggar's leg and bit it. Wang quickly grabbed a wooden stick from the beggar's hand and killed the dog with a blow. The beggar smiled and said, "Today, we have dog meat to eat."
Wang rushed to the backyard, found several precious medicinal herbs, and prepared a plaster for the beggar. When he came back, he saw the beggar eating roasted dog meat with several pieces of dog skin beside him. The beggar took the prepared plaster, pressed it onto his leg, and covered it with a piece of dog skin. In no time, the beggar removed the dog skin plaster, and the bowl-sized festering sore had disappeared. It was truly miraculous. Wang received the dog skin plaster with deep emotion and realized that the beggar had suddenly disappeared. It was then that he understood that it was the Immortal Beggar, Tieguai Li, who had come to teach him the divine recipe.
Above, we have explained the origin of the dog skin plaster. Although the dog skin plaster has many benefits, in daily life, many people exaggerate its effects and even claim that it can cure all diseases. This is not true. We hope that everyone will use the dog skin plaster scientifically!
