Snake slough, also known as Shen Tui in Chinese, is the dried skin membrane shed by various species of snakes, such as the black-browed krait, krait, or Chinese cobra. It is produced in Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan, and other regions of China. Snake slough has the functions of dispelling wind, calming convulsions, detoxifying, and clearing eye opacity. It is commonly used in the treatment of infantile convulsions, spasms, eye opacity, throat obstruction, carbuncles, and itching skin.
Dispelling Wind and Calming Convulsions
Snake slough is sweet and slightly salty with a neutral property, and it primarily enters the liver meridian. According to the book "Ming Yi Bie Lu," it states: "It is used to treat tongue trembling and head shaking in adults with delirium caused by the Five Evils." Therefore, snake slough has the effect of dispelling wind and calming convulsions, and it is commonly used in the treatment of infantile epilepsy.
Clearing Eye Opacity
In the book "Ming Yi Bie Lu," snake slough is described as "clearing the eyes." The book "Yong Yao Xin Fa" also mentions that it can "remove membrane opacity." The "Compendium of Materia Medica" also states: "It can clear eye opacity." With its sweet and slightly salty taste and its entry into the liver meridian, snake slough can alleviate eye opacity caused by liver and kidney deficiency, yin deficiency with damp-heat, or liver meridian wind-heat attacking the eyes. The symptoms include circular white opacity in one or both eyes without abnormalities in the appearance of the pupils. Snake slough can be selected to clear the opacity and improve vision.
Detoxifying and Reducing Swelling
Snake slough is sweet and slightly salty. Its sweetness can detoxify, and its saltiness can soften hardness, disperse stagnation, and enters the liver and spleen meridians to reach the blood division. Therefore, it has the function of detoxifying and reducing swelling. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica," it can "treat tongue ulcers, apply to infants with severe tongue protrusion, tight lips, relieve skull fractures, treat facial sores, moonlight sores, abscesses, and ulcers in adults."
Antiparasitic and Antifungal
The book "Yi Lin Zuan Yao" states that snake slough can "remove toxic heat and dispel wind and dampness." The "Compendium of Materia Medica" mentions that it can "boil in a soup to wash and treat various parasitic injuries." The "Annotations on the Classic of Materia Medica" states that it "is good at killing parasites." The "Qian Jin Fang" uses snake slough to treat tinea. Therefore, snake slough has the effect of killing parasites and treating fungal infections. It can be used internally or externally to treat various insect bites, tinea, and scabies.
