The sea sparrow, also known as sea moth, sea dragonfly, and sea tengu, is mentioned in "Chinese Medicinal Marine Organisms". It refers to the entire family of the fish species Pegasus Laternarius Cuvier and its related species. It can be caught throughout the year, and after removing the internal organs, it can be used fresh or dried.
[Processing Method] Take the original medicinal material, remove the ash debris and impurities, wash it, and dry it.
[Characteristics of Medicinal Pieces] The body of the sea sparrow is disc-shaped, with a large width and a small length. Its snout protrudes. There are raised bones on both sides and the back, with fine serrations on the back, large eyes on the side of the body, a small mouth, and no teeth. The tail is short and quadrangular. The body is scaleless, completely covered with bone plates, and cannot move. The dorsal fin and tail fin both have greenish-brown spots of different sizes. It has a fishy smell and a slightly salty taste.
[Processing Effects] The sea sparrow has a sweet and neutral taste. It has the functions of phlegm elimination, cough suppression, and dispersing lumps. After processing, the medicinal material becomes clean, which is conducive to modulation and formulation. It is used for pediatric phlegm cough, goiter and phlegm nodules, diarrhea, etc. For example, sea sparrow can be decocted and taken to treat pediatric bronchitis; when boiled with a moderate amount of lean pork until well-cooked, the meat juice can be consumed to treat thyroid enlargement (from "Chinese Animal Medicine").
[Processing Research] When processing sea sparrow, the original medicinal material is often used, and after removing ash debris and impurities, it is washed. After processing, the medicinal material becomes purer, and the content of the components remains basically unchanged.
