leech

　　Leeches are the dried bodies of leech Whitemania pigra Whitman, Hirudo nipponia Whitman and willow leech W. acranulata Whitman. It is produced in most parts of the country and is mostly wild. It is caught in summer and autumn. After catching, wash them, scald them with boiling water, cut them into sections and dry them in the sun or at low temperature. They can be used raw or scalded with talcum powder before use.

　　【Medical properties】Salty, bitter, flat. A little poisonous. Returns to liver meridian.

　　[Efficacy] Promotes blood circulation and stimulates menstruation, removes blood stasis and eliminates symptoms

　　【application】

　　1. Blood stasis, amenorrhea, and mass accumulation. This product is salty and bitter and enters the blood. It has strong power to break blood and remove blood stasis. It is mainly used for blood stagnation, amenorrhea, mass accumulation and other symptoms. It is often used in conjunction with horseflies, and is also often used with Trigonella, Curcuma, peach kernel, safflower and other medicinals, such as Dandang Decoction ("Treatise on Febrile Diseases"); if the patient is also physically weak, it can be used with ginseng, angelica and other qi and blood replenishing medicines, such as Huazheng Huisheng Dan ("Febrile Disease Treatise").

　　2. Injuries from bruises and pain in the stomach and intestines. Taking advantage of its ability to break blood and remove blood stasis, this product is also often used for injuries caused by bruises. It can be used with hematoxylin, natural copper and other medicines, such as Jie Huo Long Dan ("Pu Ji Fang"). To treat internal obstruction due to blood stasis, abdominal pain, and constipation, combine rhubarb and morning glory seeds, such as Duoming Powder (Jisheng Prescription).

　　[Usage and Dosage] Decoct and take, 1.5-3g; grind into powder and take, 0.3-0.5g. It is suitable to take it as pills, powder or powder. Or place it freshly on the swollen area to absorb blood and eliminate blood stasis.

　　[Usage Note] Pregnant women and those with heavy menstruation should not use this product.

　　[Abstract from ancient books]

　　1. "Shen Nong's Materia Medica": "It is mainly used to expel evil blood, blood stasis, closed moon, break blood and expel blood stasis, eliminate childbirth, and benefit water channels." ”

　　2. "Bielu": "Abortion. ”

　　3. "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Cure broken wounds. ”

　　【Modern Research】

　　1. Chemical composition: mainly contains protein. Saliva contains hirudin, as well as heparin, antithromboxane and histamine-like substances.

　　2. Pharmacological effects: Leech decoction has a strong anticoagulant effect and can significantly prolong the coagulation time of fibrin. Leech extract and hirudin have a significant inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation, inhibit thrombosis in rats, and have a good therapeutic effect on disseminated intravascular coagulation. Leech decoction improves hemorrheology. It can lower blood lipids, reduce atherosclerotic plaques, increase myocardial nutritional blood flow, and resist arrhythmias or obvious T wave and ST segment changes caused by pituitary hormone. Promote the absorption of cerebral hematoma, reduce the inflammatory reaction and edema of surrounding brain tissue, relieve the increase in intracranial pressure, improve local blood circulation, and protect brain tissue from damage. It also has a significant inhibitory effect on subcutaneous hematoma. Leech decoction has a significant protective effect on renal ischemia, can reduce serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, and can significantly reduce elevated serum tumor necrosis factor. Hirudin also has inhibitory effects on tumor cells. In addition, leech decoction also has the effect of terminating pregnancy.

　　3. Clinical research: Take leech tablets (each tablet contains 0.75g of crude drug), 2-4 tablets each time, 3 times a day, to treat 100 cases of coronary heart disease and angina pectoris. Results: 34 cases were markedly effective, 56 cases were improved, 9 cases were ineffective, and 1 case was worsened. Among them, the electrocardiogram returned to normal in 15 cases, improved in 44 cases, and was ineffective in 37 cases (Tianjin Medicine, 1980, (4): 238). Raw leech powder capsules (each capsule containing 0.25g crude drug) were used to treat 150 cases of hyperlipidemia, 4 capsules each time, 3 times a day, taken after meals, 4 weeks as a course of treatment. Results: The average serum bile gallbladder dropped from 5.398±1.084mmol/L to 4.953±0.923mmol/L (p<0.01); the average serum triglyceride dropped from 2.214±0.902mmol/L to 1.612±0.601mm0l/L (Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1989, (1): 21). Leech oral liquid (containing 3g of crude drug per 10ml), treated 50 cases of cerebral infarction. Results: 10 cases were cured, 28 cases were markedly effective, 11 cases were effective, and the total effective rate was 98% (Jiangsu Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1987, 8(4): 11). Leeches are also used to treat hemiplegia, cor pulmonale, bronchial asthma, cirrhosis, kidney disease, polycythemia vera and some male diseases.

　　4. Adverse reactions: On the 7th to 11th day of pregnancy, mice were given leech decoction 0.5 and 1.0g/kg every day, which could cause the weight of fetal mice to decrease, and it had an obvious causative effect. The proportion of stillbirths and resorbed fetuses increased, and the abortion effect was significant.