Gecko, also known as Shou Gong, Scorpion Gecko, and Tianlong, is a type of lizard. It is a member of the Gekko family, including Gekko swinhonis Guenther, Gekko japonicus (Dumeril et Bibron), and Gekko subpalmatus Guenther. It is captured in summer and autumn, with its internal organs removed. It is then cleaned and stretched out with bamboo sticks to flatten and straighten its body. It can be dried naturally or by heat.
[Processing Method] 1. Gecko: "Pound into powder" (from "Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang"). "Remove the feet" (from "Sheng Ji Zong Lu"). Currently, the original medicinal material is taken, the head, feet, and scales are removed, and it is cut into small pieces.
2. Roasted Gecko: "Dry roasted" (from "Yi Xue Gang Mu"). Currently, the clean gecko is roasted with talcum powder until it becomes foamy and crispy and releases a fragrant aroma. It is then taken out and cooled.
[Medicinal Properties] Gecko is a flattened and shriveled piece. Its body is grayish-brown. The vertebral bones are prominent, and the rib bones are neatly arranged at an angle. The chest and abdomen are grayish-yellow or brownish-yellow with scale marks. It has a slight fishy odor. Roasted gecko resembles a gecko in appearance, with a deep yellow surface and a soft and crispy texture.
[Processing Effects] Gecko has a cold and slightly toxic nature. It belongs to the Liver meridian. It has the functions of dispelling wind, calming convulsions, detoxifying, and dispersing masses. It is used for conditions such as wind-induced joint pain, tetanus, and epilepsy. For example, it is used together with wind-expelling, blood-activating, meridian-opening, and pain-relieving medicines in Musk Pills (from "Sheng Ji Zong Lu"). It is used for paralysis, pain in the extremities in Shensu Jiu Ku Dan (from "Yi Xue Zheng Chuan"), and long-standing epilepsy in Shou Gong Gao (from "Qi Xiao Liang Fang"). Roasting gecko with talcum powder makes it crispy and enhances the extraction of active ingredients, thus improving its therapeutic effect.
[Processing Research] Ancient methods of processing gecko included roasting, soaking in alcohol, baking, and duplicating.
