Ye Ming Sha夜明砂
Vespertilionis Faeces · Bat Faeces · Bat Guano · Tian Shu Shi
Overview
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Dried bat droppings, which appear in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing under the older name. Acrid and cold, entering the Liver alone. Look closely at the material and it is largely the indigestible remains of insects — chitin fragments and the compound eyes of moths and beetles — and the classical name, 'night-bright sand', reflects both the animal that produced it and the use it was put to.
Its one specialty is the eyes. It clears Liver heat and brightens the vision, and it was the standard herb for night blindness and for the child who cannot see at dusk — an indication that, read with modern eyes, describes vitamin A deficiency. It also disperses stasis and reduces childhood malnutrition-with-accumulation. It is faeces from a wild animal, so its sourcing and handling need saying plainly, and this entry does that below.
Nature & Flavor
Acrid · ColdChannels
LiverTypical Dosage
3–10 g in decoction, wrapped — the material is fine and gritty and will cloud the decoction otherwise. External use in appropriate amounts, ground fine.Actions
3 core actions
- Clears the Liver, brightens the eyesNight blindness and failing vision at dusk; red, swollen, painful eyes; corneal opacity and visual obstruction in the classical categories and. The link is not mysterious — the classical picture of corresponds closely to vitamin A deficiency, which is treated today by correcting the deficiency.
- Disperses stasis, reduces accumulationChildhood malnutrition with abdominal distension, and scrofulous nodes. Its stasis-dispersing quality is the reason the pregnancy caution below exists.
- Interrupts the malarial cycleRecorded in the classics for intermittent fever. Malaria is diagnosed by blood testing and treated with artemisinin-based therapy; this is the historical indication, not an option.
In Formulas
Formulas containing Ye Ming Sha
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Night blindness and poor vision at dusk (investigate the cause, including vitamin A deficiency)
- Red, swollen, painful eyes and visual obstruction
- Childhood malnutrition with abdominal distension
- Scrofulous nodes
- Intermittent fever, in the classical record only
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
Ye Ming Sha is the faeces of a wild animal, and the hygiene and infection issues are the main safety story here.
- Bat droppings carry a specific fungal risk. Histoplasma capsulatum grows in soil enriched by bat and bird droppings, and inhaling the spores from disturbed guano causes histoplasmosis, a lung infection that can be serious and occasionally disseminates in people whose immunity is impaired. The danger is in the dust — sweeping, sifting or grinding raw guano in an enclosed space is the classic exposure.
- Bats also carry viruses. Bats are reservoirs for rabies-related lyssaviruses and coronaviruses. Handling live or dead bats, or entering a roost, is not something to undertake to obtain a herb.
- Therefore: never collect it yourself. Not from a cave, a roof space, a barn or an abandoned building. Buy only processed, pharmacopoeia-grade material from a licensed supplier who can document its origin and treatment. Store it sealed, grind it with a mask and eye protection, and do not raise dust.
- It must be processed before use. The material is cleaned of sand and debris and roasted or otherwise heat-treated. Raw, untreated guano is not a medicine.
- Use with caution in pregnancy — it disperses stasis, and that is a reason to avoid it.
- Cold, and not for everyone. Avoid in Spleen and Stomach cold-deficiency and with loose stools. It is a herb for Liver heat; eye problems from deficiency without heat call for something else.
- Eyes need an examination. Sudden visual loss, eye pain, a red eye that does not settle, or progressive dimming of vision all need an eye examination. Night blindness in particular has treatable causes — vitamin A deficiency, retinal disease — that a herb will not identify.
- Import restrictions. Many countries restrict or prohibit the import of animal-derived medicinal material, and unprocessed animal faeces is exactly the category that gets stopped. Check before ordering from abroad.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: Use with caution in pregnancy, and in practice avoid it: it disperses stasis, and the hygiene considerations that apply to any animal faeces apply with more force in pregnancy. Avoid while breastfeeding as well.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain), where it appears as 天鼠屎.
2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
3. Provincial 中药材标准 carry 夜明砂 at 3–10 g, wrapped; it is not a national pharmacopoeia monograph.
4. Histoplasmosis acquired from disturbed bat and bird droppings is described in standard infectious disease references; the risk is from inhaled spores.
5. Bats are recognised reservoirs of lyssaviruses and coronaviruses in public health guidance on wildlife contact.
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.