The silkworm moth, also known as the original silkworm moth or evening silkworm moth, is the male adult of the silkworm moth species Bombyx mori Linnaeus. It is collected in the summer and the male moths are selected, boiled in hot water, and dried.
Processing Method:
1. According to the "Emergency Gold Prescription": "Dry in the shade, remove the head, legs, and feathers, grind into powder." According to the "Classified Materia Medica": "Grind finely." Currently, the impurities and legs and wings are removed.
2. According to the "Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica": "Roast and grind into powder." According to the "Taiping Holy Prescriptions": "Slightly stir-fried." According to the "Universal Salvation Prescriptions": "Stir-fry on a tile until yellow." According to the "Extraordinary and Effective Prescriptions": "Stir-fry lightly with paper in between." According to the "Essential Compendium of Materia Medica": "Stir-fry and remove the silk." According to the "Art of Cannon and Roasting": "Stir-fry and remove the wings and legs." According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Stir-fry and remove the head, legs, and wings." Currently, the clean silkworm moths are placed in a pot and stir-fried until they turn slightly yellow, then taken out and cooled.
Appearance of Medicinal Material:
The silkworm moths are a dirty white color, covered with white scales. They are approximately 2cm long, with a small head, a pair of black, semi-circular compound eyes, and degenerate mouthparts with tiny whiskers. The abdomen is relatively narrow and slightly pointed at the end, with a brittle and fragile texture and a faint fishy odor. The stir-fried silkworm moths resemble the appearance of silkworm moths and have a slightly yellow color.
Processing Properties:
The silkworm moths have a warming and tonifying nature. They belong to the Liver and Kidney meridians. They have the functions of tonifying the liver and kidney, strengthening yang, and securing essence. They are used for impotence, seminal emission, turbid discharge, bloody urine, wounds, ulcers, burns, sore throat, oral ulcers, abscesses, sores, frostbite, and snake bites. For example, they are used in the miraculous pill for men with weak kidney qi, impotence, and inability to have an erection (from "Imperial Pharmacy Formula"). They are used in the solid true pill for treating seminal emission (from "Essence of National Medicine"). They are used in the silkworm moth powder for treating knife wounds (from "Comprehensive Records of the Holy Savior"). After stir-frying, the medicinal properties are milder, making it easier to formulate and consume. For example, the evening silkworm moth powder is used for treating mouth ulcers in infants from 100 days old to 2-3 years old (from "Taiping Holy Prescriptions"). The divine communication powder is used for treating intestinal abscesses (from "Dan Tai Yu An"). The stone weaver powder is used for treating pressure ulcers on the jade pillow (from "Comprehensive Records of the Holy Savior"). The original silkworm moth powder is used for treating the pain of Bai Hu Feng that wanders day and night (from "Comprehensive Records of the Holy Savior").
Processing Research:
In the Song Dynasty, there were methods such as cutting, stir-frying, roasting, burning into powder (from "Classified Materia Medica"), soaking in alcohol, and alcohol roasting (from "Health Treasure Mirror"). In the Yuan Dynasty, there were methods of cleaning and making it crispy (from "Health Treasure Mirror"). In the Ming Dynasty, the stir-frying method and crispy method were continued (from "Universal Salvation Prescriptions"). In the Qing Dynasty, on the basis of removing the wings and legs in the Yuan Dynasty, the head was also removed, and the roasting method was continued (from "Chuanyawei Bian"); a new method of fermentation was added: "Seal and dry with paper, mix with pepper, and store it tightly" (from "Compendium of Medicinal Materials"). Currently, the stir-frying method is commonly used for processing.
