She Tui (Pi)

She Tui (also She Pi) is an animal-derived substance, not a plant: the shed epidermal skin (slough) of various non-venomous Chinese colubrid snakes, most commonly Elaphe taeniura Cope, Elaphe carinata (Günther), and Zaocys dhumnades (Cantor) (Colubridae). The slough is a thin, translucent, silvery-grey to pale yellow, semi-cylindrical, paper-like membrane often retaining the imprint of the original scale pattern, with conspicuous diamond-, hexagonal-, or oval-shaped scale outlines along the body and complete head and eye-cap impressions when intact. Sloughs are collected entire from snake habitats or breeding facilities, freed of dirt, and sun-dried; pieces are brittle, slightly lustrous, and odorless. In TCM, She Tui is used to dispel wind, relieve spasm, and remove screens (eye opacities); it is included in formulas for childhood convulsions, tetanus, and pruritic skin conditions. Sourcing should respect wildlife protection laws.