Wind heat cold, sore throat treated with TCM cicada molting

What is cicada molting(Chan Tui)? Cicada molting refers to the periodic shedding of the outer skin in cryptotympana pustulata Fabricius. They love perching on trees like poplar, willow, elm, and pagoda, etc. For medicinal purpose, they are usually collected during summer and autumn.

Cicada molt looks like living cicada, empty, slightly curved, about 3.5cm long, 2cm wide, yellowish-brown, semi-transparent, glossy, and with a pair of big prominent compound eyes on the head. And it contains plenty of chitin, protein, amino acid, and organic acid, etc.

What is cicada molt used for?
From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is sweet and cold in nature and covers meridians of lung and liver. Main functions are to dispel wind to promote eruption, relieve fever, relieve sore throat, remove nebula, and relieve spasm. Main uses and indications are wind-heat cold, sore throat, celostomia, unerupted measles, itching caused by rubella, red eye and slight corneal opacity, infantile convulsion, and tetanus. And usual dosage is 3 to 6 grams.

Medicinal effects
Lab studies have shown that cicada molt has medicinal effects as follows:
1. Anticonvulsant effect. Its medicinal liquor can prolong the average survival of rabbit suffering from experimental tetanus and alleviate the convulsions from tetanus. Besides, it can fight against the deadly seizures in mice induced by central stimulants like strychnine, cocaine, and nicotine, etc. By the way, in terms of anticonvulsant effect, the body part is better than the legs and head

2. Sedative action. It inhibits the spontaneous activity in mice and shows sedative action when used along with benzodiazepines;

3. Aritipyretic effect. The head and legs are better than the body.