Unexpected medicinal uses of cicada carcasses.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, cicada shells have a sweet and salty taste, a cooling nature, and are effective in dispelling wind-heat... They are used as medicine to treat several common ailments very well.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, medicine made from cicada shells is called "thuan thoai" or "thuan xac." Cicada shells are usually collected in the summer, washed clean, and dried. This medicine is only used for people with a hot constitution, experiencing hot flashes, irritability, headaches, red eyes, pain in the flanks, or those who are pensive, melancholic, and have irregular eating and sleeping habits.
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In traditional Chinese medicine, medicine made from cicada shells is called "thuan thoai" or "thuan xac". |
- Treats bronchitis and hoarseness:Take 3g of *Thuyền thoái* (a type of herb), 5g of *Cát cánh* (a type of herb), 10g of *Ngưu bàng tử* (a type of herb), and 3g of licorice root. Add 500ml of water, decoct until 300ml remains, and divide into portions to drink throughout the day.
- Treating urticaria in children:When a child has a high fever, initially feeling hot followed by chills, sneezing, runny nose, flushed face, nausea, and after about a day of fever, a rash appears, sparser than measles, and this rash does not appear on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. When it disappears, it leaves no scars. Use 8g of *Thuyền thoái* (a type of herb), 8g of *Kim ngân hoa* (a type of honeysuckle), 8g of *Bồ công anh* (a type of dandelion), 8g of *Xích thược* (a type of red peony), 6g of *Bạc hà* (a type of mint), and 2g of *Kinh giới* (a type of perilla) decocted with 500ml of water until 300ml remains, divided and drunk throughout the day.
- Treating measles:Use 6g of *Thuyền thoái*, 12g of *Cát căn*, 8g of *Liên kiều*, 6g of *Xích thược*, 4g of *Bối mẫu*, 6g of *Kinh giới*, and 2g of *Cam thảo*. Boil these ingredients in 500ml of water until only 300ml remains. Divide this into portions and drink throughout the day.
- Treating nighttime crying in children:For babies who cry at night, also known as colic, use: take 7 to 9 cicada carcasses (remove the heads and legs) and 2 sprigs of perilla leaves, put them in a small bowl and steam them in a double boiler or steam them with rice, then give the resulting liquid to the baby to drink.
- Treats headaches and dizziness:The remains of cicadas are roasted, then ground into a powder. Take 4g of this powder with wine or warm water each time.
- Treatment for convulsive seizures:Cicada shells, *Tian Nan Xing* (a type of herb), licorice, fresh ginger, jujube, 3g each; whole scorpion 1.5g. All ingredients are dried, powdered, and taken in 2-3 doses throughout the day.
- Treating dry, hot, itchy skin:Cicada shells and honeycomb (freshly harvested wax layer) in equal amounts, roasted until golden brown, then ground into a powder. Take 4g three times a day with wine.
- Treats colds, bronchitis, and hoarseness:3g of cicada shell, 3g of licorice, 5g of burdock, 5g of balloon flower root. Boil all ingredients with 400ml of water until only 100ml remains, drink throughout the day.
- Treating children with coughs and rapid breathing:Cicada shells and turmeric root, in equal amounts, are finely ground and sieved into a fine powder. Take 8-16g with milk each time. It can also be prepared as a decoction.
- Treatment for generalized edema:Cicada shells, pine bark, juniper roots, perilla branches, in equal amounts. Boil these ingredients to make a bathwater for daily use.
- Newly developed boils on the head and face:
- Eye with pterygium:3 g each of *Thuyền thoái* (remove head and legs), *Xà thoái*, *Xuyên khung*, and *Chích thảo*; 12 g each of *Bạch tật lê*, *Phòng phong*, and *Xích thược*; 8 g each of *Thương truật* and *Đương quy*; and 20 g of *Thạch quyết minh*. Decoction for oral administration. Alternatively: 160 g of *Cam thảo*, 40 g each of *Chúc hoa*, *Huyền tinh thạch*, and *Thuyền thoái*; 20 g each of *Khương hoạt* and *Thạch quyết minh*. Grind into powder and take 8-12 g daily with a decoction of *Mạch môn*.
- Night blindness, internal obstruction of the eye:40g each of *Dạ minh sa*, *Đương quy*, *Mộc tặc*, and *Thuyên thoái*, and 160g of *Dương can* (goat liver). Grind into powder (except for the liver). Remove the tendons and membranes from the goat liver, cook with water, mash thoroughly, mix with the powder, and form into pills.
- Helps women have an easier delivery:Take 5 pieces of boat-shaped root, 40g each of snake-shaped root and pangolin scales; roast until almost burnt, then grind into a fine powder. Mix with 40g of Luc Nhat Tan powder, add 3 sprigs of green onion, boil, and take about 300ml of liquid. Take a handful of hair, add oil (sesame, coconut, etc.) and cook until the hair curls up and turns black. Remove the hair, crush it, mix with the above liquid, boil, and drink.
- Helps with childbirth and expels dead fetuses:Take a handful of atractylodes rhizome, 14 pieces of boat-shaped root, and 60g of snake-shaped root, grind them into a powder. Take 9-12g each time.
- Swollen, red, and painful eyes (acute conjunctivitis):The prescription includes: 4 g each of *Thuyền thoái* and *Đăng tâm thảo*; 12 g each of *Kim ngân hoa*, *Long đảm thảo*, *Thảo quyết minh*, *Sinh địa*, and *Cúc hoa*; and 10 g of *Liên kiều*. Decoct and drink.
Furthermore, according to folk tradition, cicada nymphs are also used as medicine. Cicada nymphs, also known as cicada pupae, are underground larvae with a round, plump body, lacking wings and legs, full of colostrum, and light brown in color. They are used by coating them in flour and frying them until crispy, or soaking them in medicinal wine for several days before drinking. Cicada nymphs are considered a tonic for all ages. Middle-aged men who consume cicada nymphs find their bodies become more vigorous, their energy levels higher, and their spirits stronger.
However, when using this remedy, one should also be aware of certain cases, such as those with a weak constitution or pregnant women, in which case it should not be used.
According to GDVN - NT
