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Can Sha蚕砂

Bombycis Faeces · Silkworm Droppings

Herbs that Dispel Wind-Dampness 祛风湿药

Overview

The dried droppings of the silkworm larva — an unglamorous material with a well-defined place in the wind-damp group. Sweet, acrid and warm, entering the Liver, Spleen and Stomach channels, it dispels wind-damp and frees the channels for heavy, aching limbs, and it has a more distinctive second role: separating and transforming turbid damp in the middle burner, which is why it appears in prescriptions for damp turbidity with vomiting, diarrhea and cramping calves. Being a fine, light material, it is tied in cloth before decoction.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet, acrid · Warm

Channels

Liver · Spleen · Stomach

Typical Dosage

5–9 g in decoction, wrapped
蚕砂Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Dispels wind-damp, unblocks the channelsWind-damp painful obstruction with heavy, aching, stiff joints and numbness of the limbs.
  • Harmonizes the middle, transforms turbid dampTurbid damp blocking the middle burner with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and cramping of the calves — the Can Shi Tang pattern.
  • Dries damp, relieves itchingDamp, weeping, itchy skin eruptions, used within prescriptions and also as an external wash.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Can Sha

No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Wind-damp joint pain with heaviness and numbness
    - Turbid damp with vomiting, diarrhea and muscle cramping
    - Damp, itchy skin eruptions

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

ArthritisGastroenteritisMuscle crampsEczema

Contraindications

Cautions

Warm and drying, so it is unsuitable where blood is deficient without damp, or where yin deficiency with heat is the picture. As an insect-derived material it can provoke a reaction in sensitive people — stop it if a rash or itching appears. Always wrap it for decoction so the fine particles do not irritate the throat.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Use only under practitioner supervision in pregnancy.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. 《中华人民共和国药典》(Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. Chen & Chen. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.