The original animal of the Chi Xi is the Red Horned Owl, also known as the Strange Owl, Great Eagle, Horned Owl, Wheels Eagle, Night-Eating Eagle, Cat Owl, Ghost Pigeon, Night Cat, Cross Tiger, and Old Rabbit. The Chi Xi in Chinese medicine refers to the meat and bones of the Red Horned Owl, a species of owl in the Strix genus. Let's take a detailed look at the morphological characteristics and uses of the Chi Xi.
【Morphological Characteristics】
The Chi Xi is a small owl. It weighs about 75g and has a total length of about 18cm and a tail length of about 6.5cm. Its head resembles that of a cat, with a gray-brown facial disc, mixed with fine black lines. The facial disc is surrounded by a not very obvious light brown collar. The ear feathers are raised, with brown feathers at the base and the same color as the top of the head at the feather tips. The eyes are white in front, with black markings on the feather tips. The beak is dark green, with a creamy yellow color at the tip of the lower beak. The upper body, including the wings and tail, is gray-brown. The top of the head to the back is mixed with brown and white spots. The outer shoulders feathers have brown and white markings, with black-brown feathers at the tips. The outer flight feathers also have brown and white markings. The flight feathers are black-brown, except for the outermost ones. The rest of the flight feathers have brown and white markings, and the markings connect to form horizontal bands. The chin is brown and white. The lower body is mostly gray-white, with dark and fine horizontal markings and thick black-brown feather veins. It is also scattered with chestnut-brown spots. The abdomen is white, with not very obvious black-brown markings near the base. The underwing coverts are pure white. The under-tail coverts are gray-white, with a brown block on each feather and brown fine markings at the tips. The lower leg feathers are light brown, densely scattered with brown spots. The toes are gray and the claws are dark grayish-brown.
【Distribution】
The Chi Xi is found in areas such as Qingyang, Pingliang, Tianshui, and Longnan. It inhabits tall deciduous forests at elevations of 700-1300m. It is dormant during the day and active at night, lurking near villages and towns at dusk and perching on tall trees. Its main diet is insects. It nests in tree holes. It is distributed in provinces and regions such as Northeast China, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taihe, and Xinjiang. During winter migration, it passes through the southeastern coastal areas. The type specimen was collected from Italy.
【Collection and Processing】
The Chi Xi is a second-class protected animal and hunting is prohibited. Its meat can be consumed fresh, and its bones can be burned and stored for medicinal use.
【Properties and Functions】
It has a sour and slightly salty taste, is cold in nature, and slightly toxic. "Ben Jing Feng Yuan": "Sour and slightly salty, slightly toxic." "Ben Cao Qiu Yuan": "Sour and salty, cold."
It has the functions of nourishing yin and supplementing deficiency, treating malaria, dispelling wind, calming tremors, and detoxifying. It is used to treat dizziness, epilepsy, scrofula, malaria, and dysphagia.
1. "Ben Cao Gang Mu": "Treats malaria." 2. "Ben Jing Feng Yuan": "Treats fatigue and tuberculosis." 3. "Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Detoxifies, calms tremors. Treats rat ulcers, noisy eating, and sheep scabies."
【Clinical Applications】
(1) Wind-Deficient Dizziness: Cook and consume Chi Xi, burn and store the bones. Grind into powder, and take with wine, as described in "Convenient Food Therapy".
(2) Malaria: Consume fresh Chi Xi meat, deep-fried. Internal use. Cook and consume. Or burn and store, grind into powder. Or use in pill or powder form.
【Dosage】
Internal use: Cook and consume or burn and store, grind into powder, 2-3 qian (about 6-9 grams); or bake, grind into pills or powder.
