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Also known as Jiaoli Jia (Pangolin Scales). Pungent, neutral in taste; slightly cold in nature; toxic. It dwells in burrows and feeds on water-dwelling organisms. Its nature is good at penetrating and it likes to pierce through mountains, hence its name. It enters the Foot-Jueyin, Hand-Yangming, and Foot-Yangming meridians. Due to its pungent dispersing property, it enters the Jueyin and Yangming meridians. Therefore, internally it treats fright crying and sorrow, and intestinal ants [a condition resembling fistula]; externally it treats muscle abscesses and swelling, promotes lactation, and aids in the eruption of smallpox, addressing diseases belonging to these three meridians. This is primarily due to its function of moving freely, circulating stasis, piercing collaterals, resolving abscesses, draining pus, promoting milk flow, and breaking summer-heat malaria. "Intestinal ants" refers to what is commonly called rat hemorrhoids forming a fistula, because it feeds on ants. Combined with Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Bai Zhi (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix), Jin Yin Hua (Lonicerae Japonicae Flos), Lian Qiao (Forsythiae Fructus), Zi Hua Di Ding (Violais Herba), Xia Ku Cao (Prunellae Spica), Niu Bang Zi (Arctii Fructus), Ru Xiang (Olibanum), Mo Yao (Myrrha), Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), Bei Mu (Fritillariae Bulbus), and Zao Jiao Ci (Gleditsiae Spina), it serves as a guiding agent for treating unruptured abscesses and swelling. To treat rat hemorrhoids forming sores with pain and swelling, use one qian of the tip of the Pangolin tail, preserved by calcination, one qian of Bie Jia (Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum) fried with butter, and half a qian of She Xiang (Moschus); grind into powder, take one qian each time with tea on an empty stomach. Yong Quan San (Surging Spring Powder) treats blocked lactation: use Pangolin scales, roasted and ground into powder, taken with wine, one cun bi per dose, three times a day; externally, comb the breast with hot oil to promote flow. For soft chancre or external carbuncle, use half a liang of Pangolin scales and two qian of Zhu Ling (Polyporus), both stir-fried with vinegar and ground into powder; take two qian with wine.

Pangolin scales mainly treat five types of evil spirits and phantoms, fright crying, heal intestinal ant-related ulcers, scabies, tinea, hemorrhoids, and fistulas; they search out wind and drive out phlegm, break blood stasis and move qi. They can be ground into powder and mixed with wine for oral administration. Or burned to ash, mixed with oil, and applied topically to swellings and toxins: if unformed, they dissipate; if formed, they rupture. For treating painful obstruction, if located above, it ascends; if below, it descends. Combined with Mu Tong (Akebiae Caulis) and Zi Ran Tong (Natural Copper), ground into powder and mixed with wine, it treats swollen and painful breasts (mastitis). Combined with Pi Dou Kou Ren (Amomi Fructus Rotundus), ground into powder and taken with decoction, it stops purulent discharge from qi-type hemorrhoids. It can also break summer-heat constrained malaria pathogens. This is all because it penetrates collaterals within the Ying (Nutrient) level, attacks and expels ding (hard) toxins, reduces swelling, drains pus, and facilitates the eruption of all carbuncles and sores. It is essential to use agents that penetrate collaterals, reaching everywhere without exception, directly arriving at the disease site to achieve success. If the lesion is in a specific location, use the scale from that corresponding part of the pangolin, which yields extraordinary effects. The scales from the tail and feet are more potent, but their nature is harsh and fierce, so they should not be overused.

Main Indications (Combined Analysis of Smallpox and Rash): Greatly capable of raising smallpox eruptions and detoxifying, but caution against drying out the throat. For cases where smallpox lesions are sunken or latent, reliance on this herb is necessary to raise them. For cases without sunken or latent lesions, do not use excessively, lest it consume Qi and Blood. It is advisable to take the scales from the mouth and claws, stir-fry them with old earth from the east wall until yellow, remove the earth before use, or stir-fry with human milk for better efficacy.