She Fu Zi (Agkistrodon halys (Pallas))

☯ TCM Properties

Category: wind-damp_dispelling

Temperature: warm

Taste: sweet

Meridians: spleen, liver

Functions:

Disperses Wind; Unblocks the Channels and Collaterals; Alleviates Pain; Resolves Toxicity

Botanical Description

She Fu Zi (also Bai Hua She or Qi She depending on tradition) is the dried body of the Pallas pit viper, Agkistrodon halys (Viperidae, subfamily Crotalinae), a venomous pit viper native to grasslands and rocky slopes from the Caspian region through Mongolia, Siberia, and northern China. Adults reach 50-80 cm in length, with a stocky body, broad triangular head, vertically elliptical pupils, and a heat-sensing pit between eye and nostril. Dorsal coloration is grey-brown with dark transverse bars. After capture the venom glands are excised, the snake is gutted, coiled, and dried. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, She Fu Zi is sweet, salty, and warm, entering the Liver channel, used to expel wind, unblock channels, and arrest spasms in stubborn bi syndromes and stroke sequelae. (Sources: Wikipedia; Chen Chinese Medical Herbology)

Dosage

Form	Amount	Frequency	Duration	Population	Notes
decoction	9-15g	Daily	—	—	—

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional Chinese Uses

She Fu Zi (Pallas pit viper) is a warm, toxic animal-derived substance used in Chinese medicine for deep-seated, stubborn joint and muscle pain from Wind-Cold-Damp bi obstruction. It is used when the pathogen has penetrated deeply into the channels and sinew, causing severe pain, numbness, and restricted movement that resists plant-based herbs. It also addresses chronic scaly skin conditions and scrofula from Wind-Damp-Cold obstruction in the channels. Due to its toxicity, it is used in small doses as a medicinal wine or dried powder under professional supervision.

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

She Fu Zi