Crab claws, also known as crab pincers, are mentioned in the "Compendium of Materia Medica". They are the claws of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis H.Milne-Edwards) and the Japanese mitten crab (Eriocheir japonicus de Haan), both of which belong to the family Portunidae. They are caught in the autumn, steamed, and then the claws are taken and the meat is removed and dried. Generally, when processing or consuming crabs, the claws are taken, washed clean, and dried.
Processing Method:
1. Crab claws: Take the raw medicinal material, remove impurities, wash clean, dry, and crush when needed.
2. Calcined crab claws: Take clean crab claws, place them in a calcining container, calcine and store, and grind into powder.
Appearance:
The crab claws are flat and round, mostly curved, gradually pointed at the top, with many small spines on the lower side. The surface is yellowish-white, hard in texture, easy to break, and has a slight fishy smell and a strong taste. The calcined crab claws are crispy in texture and easy to break.
Processing Effect:
Crab claws have the functions of promoting blood circulation, resolving stagnation, and promoting childbirth. They are used for postpartum stasis and abdominal pain, masses, and difficult labor. This product is mostly used in its raw state, such as in the prescription "Crab Claw Powder for Removing Fetus" in the "Qianjin Yaofang", which is used to treat pregnant women who want to remove a fetus: "Treat difficult labor, fetal movement, and the spirit-made soup for a fetus that dies in the abdomen" (from the "Emergency Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold"); "Treat women in labor with weak contractions, delayed rupture of the fetal membrane, or fetal death in the abdomen, and residual placenta. Take the crab claws with yellow wine or rice vinegar, decoct them in water, and take orally" (from "Medicinal Food and Convenient Prescriptions"); "Treat infants with cranial fractures with crushed live crab legs" (from the "Emergency Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold"). After calcination, it is easier to grind into powder and use in formulations.
