Huang Gou Shen, also known as Gou Bian or Gou Shen, is recorded in the book "Bencao Shi Yi". It refers to the penis of male domestic dogs (Canis familiaris Linnaeus) with intact testicles. It can be harvested throughout the year, and the attached flesh and fat should be removed. It should be straightened, air-dried or oven-dried, or mixed with lime and sun-dried.
[Processing Method] 1. Gou Shen in "Qi Xiao Liang Fang": "Cut into slices." At present, take the original medicinal material, rinse with clean water, remove fur, dry, soften, and cut into segments or thin slices.
2. Blanching Gou Shen: Place talcum powder in a pot, heat it over high heat until smooth, then add the cleaned segments of Gou Shen, stir-fry until golden brown, puffed and crispy, remove, sift out the talcum powder, and let it cool.
[Characteristics of the Medicinal Material] Gou Shen is in the form of round segments or thin slices, with a length of 5-10mm and a yellow-brown surface; the thin slices are slightly transparent, yellow-brown, and have cracks in the middle. The texture is moist and tough. It has a fishy smell and a slightly salty taste. Blanching Gou Shen is in the shape of segmented Gou Shen, swollen, with a gray-brown surface, and a crispy and loose texture.
[Processing Effects] Gou Shen has a warm and tonic nature. It belongs to the Kidney meridian and has the function of strengthening yang and nourishing essence. It is used for impotence, nocturnal emission, infertility, cold and damp scrotum, deficient-cold leukorrhea, sore and weak lower back and knees, and postpartum weakness. When combined with Donkey Whip and Deer Antler, it can treat impotence, nocturnal emission, and infertility; when combined with Morinda Root, Cistanche, and Dodder Seed, it can treat kidney deficiency, cold and damp scrotum, and leukorrhea in women. Gou Shen itself has a fishy smell and is generally not used in raw form. After blanching with talcum powder, the texture becomes loose and crispy, making it easy to crush and decoct. At the same time, it corrects the fishy smell, making it easier to take orally.
[Research on Processing] Huang Gou Shen has been processed with different additives and methods since the Song Dynasty. In recent years, the most commonly recorded method in the processing standards across the country is blanching with talcum powder. Some also use wine-frying, believing that wine can promote blood circulation and dispel wind, and treat cold and painful joints. In recent years, there has also been a method of wine-frying, believing that it can promote blood circulation and dispel wind, and treat cold and painful joints.
