The Screech Owl is a strange bird, resembling an owl in size, with horns on its head. It comes out at night to search for food and hides in caves during the day. It is also known as the Cat Owl, Horned Owl, Strange Owl, Old Rabbit, Wheel Hawk, and Night-Eating Eagle. The Screech Owl can be eaten and used for medicinal purposes. When fried, it can be used to treat malaria. When roasted and powdered, it can treat conditions such as rat fistula epilepsy and loss of appetite.
[Introduction to the Screech Owl]
When it stays in one place, it is harmless to humans. However, if you hear its call, which sounds like laughter, you must leave immediately. According to the ancient text, the Screech Owl is black and yellow with spots, with a head like a cat and two ears. The sound it makes resembles an old person speaking. In the beginning, it sounds like it is calling someone, but later it sounds like it is laughing. Wherever it goes, it brings bad luck.
The chin is brown and white; the rest of the body is gray and white, with scattered gray-brown fine stripes. The chest and flanks are also marked with black-brown feathers, interspersed with brown-chestnut color. The underwing coverts and underwing feathers are pure brown and white. The leg feathers are light brown, densely covered with brown spots, and the toes are gray. There are incomplete brown and white stripes on the tail.
[Medicinal Properties and Flavors]
Property and Flavor:
1. "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Sour, slightly salty. Slightly poisonous."
2. "Origin of Materia Medica": "Sour, salty, cold."
[Clinical Applications]
Medicinal Use:
The Screech Owl is an inauspicious creature and is rarely used in ancient formulas. In recent times, it has been used to treat wasting and tuberculosis, specifically targeting the taste of Yin poison to kill Yin toxic insects. Its effects are similar to that of otter liver. Taoist priests use it to cook in the evening and at night to gather ghosts and demons. Therefore, it attracts Yin spirits with its taste and lures Yin creatures.
Efficacy: Expels wind, calms tremors, and detoxifies.
Indications: Epilepsy, dizziness, scrofula, malaria, dysphagia.
1. "Outline of Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Used to treat malaria."
2. "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Used to treat wasting and tuberculosis."
3. "Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Detoxifies, calms tremors, treats scrofula, dysphagia, and sheep epilepsy."
Dosage: Internal use: Cook or burn and grind into a powder, 6-9g, or roast and grind into pills or powder.
[Clinical Applications]
Medicinal Use:
① "Food Therapy for the People": "Used to treat wind-weakness, dizziness: remove the feathers of the eagle, cook and eat it. Burn the bones and take them as a tonic with alcohol."
② "Outline of Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Used to treat malaria: take one Screech Owl, remove the feathers and intestines, deep fry and eat it."
3. "Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Used to treat sheep epilepsy: take one Screech Owl, mix it with clay and thicken it. Smoke it in the stove for 100 days, then take it out and grind it into a fine powder. Take 9g each time, twice a day."
④ "Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Used to treat lymph node tuberculosis (scrofula): take one Screech Owl and eat it roasted."
5. "Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Used to treat dysphagia: take two young Screech Owls without feathers, wrap them in yellow clay, roast and grind them into a fine powder. Take it with warm wine, 6g each time, twice a day."
Food Therapy:
"Compendium of Materia Medica": "Used to treat wasting and tuberculosis: cook the Screech Owl with eel and cook it until it is soft. Mix it with 500g of Chinese yam and grind it into pills. Take it on an empty stomach with alcohol, 9g each time."
