Cockroaches, also known as large shiny hard insects or dung cockroaches, are mentioned in the "Shen Nong's Herbal Classic". They are dried whole insects of the beetle species Catharsius molossus (Linnaeus). They are captured by light traps in the evenings from June to August, boiled in boiling water, and then dried by charcoal fire or sunlight.
[Processing method] According to the "Lu Xin Jing": "Remove the legs and wings." According to the "Tai Ping Holy Prescriptions": "Remove the head, wings, and legs." According to the "Classified Compendium of Herbal Medicine": "Grind into powder." According to the "Complete Collection of External Diagnosis and Treatment": "Grind into fine powder." According to the "Medical Outline": "Roast and dry on a new tile, and grind into powder." According to the "Changsha Pharmacology": "Fry until dry and store, grind into fine powder." Currently, the raw material is taken, impurities are removed, washed with water, dried, and sifted to remove ash debris.
[Characteristics of the medicinal material] They are oval-shaped, about 3-4 cm long and 1.8-3 cm wide. They are blackish-brown and shiny. The male cockroach is slightly larger than the female, with a fan-shaped head that is easily detached and a central protrusion measuring about 6 mm. The pronotum is crescent-shaped with transverse ridges on the top, and there is one protrusion on each side. The mesothorax covers about half of the body length. The female cockroach does not have protrusions on the sides of the central part of the head and the transverse ridges of the pronotum. The fore wings are leathery, blackish-brown, with 7 parallel longitudinal stripes, and the hind wings are membranous, yellow or yellow-brown. They have 3 pairs of legs, which are hard and have a foul smell.
[Processing properties] Cockroaches have a pungent and cold taste, and are toxic. They belong to the liver, stomach, and large intestine meridians. They have the functions of promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, calming convulsions, promoting bowel movements, dispersing masses, and detoxifying and eliminating decay. They are used for
