Bovine bile is recorded in the "Shennong's Materia Medica". It is the bile of bovine species such as Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin or Bubalus bubalis Linnaeus. It is mostly collected from slaughterhouses, where the bile is obtained by hanging and drying the gallbladder or by cutting it open and pouring the bile into a container, which is then sealed and stored, or heated to dry it.
[Processing Method] "Prepare as needed." Currently, the original medicinal material is taken and any ash or impurities are removed. It is then ground into a fine powder.
[Characteristics of Prepared Medicinal Material] Fresh bovine bile is a slightly translucent liquid that is green-brown or dark brown in color, with a slight stickiness. When slightly dried, it becomes thick and viscous. Completely dried, it becomes a solid green-brown substance that can be crumbled into a powdery texture. It has a strong foul odor and a bitter taste.
[Processing Effects] Bovine bile has a bitter and cold nature. It enters the liver, gallbladder, and lung meridians. It has the functions of clearing the liver and improving vision, promoting bile flow, detoxification, and reducing swelling. It is used for wind-heat-related eye diseases, jaundice, constipation, diabetes mellitus, infantile convulsions, boils, and hemorrhoids. It can be combined with black soybeans to calm the liver and improve vision ("Theory of Medicinal Properties"); it can be made into a powder with the effects of improving vision, calming the mind, promoting black hair growth, nourishing the lower body, nourishing the marrow, dispelling wind and dampness, and invigorating the spirit ("Various Wonderful Health-Preserving Recipes"); it can be combined with bitter ginseng, bitter gallbladder, and apricot kernel to treat jaundice caused by liver and gallbladder diseases and chronic constipation ("Modern Practical Chinese Medicine"); it can be combined with hedgehog bile and musk to treat hemorrhoids ("Experiential Prescriptions"); and it can be used together for the treatment of ulcers caused by metal ("Essential Compendium of Materia Medica"). Processing removes impurities and improves the cleanliness of the medicinal material.
[Processing Research] Bovine bile was already being processed into powder during the Song Dynasty ("Theory of Medicinal Properties"). Currently, the main method of processing is purification.
