Wu Ling Zhi (Trogopterus xanthipes Milne-Edwards)

☯ TCM Properties

Category: regulating_blood

Temperature: warm

Taste: bitter, sweet, salty

Meridians: liver, spleen

Functions:

Invigorates Blood and Alleviates Pain; Dispels Stasis and Stops Bleeding; Resolves Accumulation; Resolves Toxicity

Botanical Description

Wu Ling Zhi is the dried excrement of Trogopterus xanthipes (Milne-Edwards), the complex-toothed flying squirrel, a nocturnal arboreal rodent endemic to the mountainous forests of northern and western China. The squirrel deposits its droppings in characteristic latrines in rocky crevices or beneath roosting trees, where they harden into dark brown to blackish irregular masses or pellets. These are collected year-round, picked free of debris, and either left raw or processed by dry-frying or with vinegar before use. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wu Ling Zhi is bitter, sweet, and warm in nature, entering the Liver channel; it invigorates blood, dispels stasis, alleviates pain (especially abdominal and menstrual pain from blood stasis), and is the classical pairing with Pu Huang in Shi Xiao San.

Dosage

Form	Amount	Frequency	Duration	Population	Notes
decoction	6-15g	Daily	—	—	—

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional Chinese Uses

Wu Ling Zhi (squirrel or flying squirrel droppings) is a warm, Blood-activating herb used in Chinese medicine to invigorate Blood, disperse stasis, and stop pain. It is used for menstrual pain and irregularities from Blood stagnation, postpartum abdominal pain from retained Blood, and the pain of traumatic injuries. When charred, its hemostatic properties are enhanced for stopping bleeding while still dispersing stasis. It is frequently combined with Pu Huang (cattail pollen) in the classical pain-relieving formula Shi Xiao San.

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Wu Ling Zhi