Shui Zhi - 水蛭 - Hirudo - Leech

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Hirudo
Common English:	Leech

Category

Herbs that Regulate the Blood: Herbs that Invigorate the Blood

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Salty Bitter	Neutral Slightly Toxic	Liver Bladder	1-6g Powders and Pills: 0.3-0.6g Cancers: 6-9g 3-6g (d), 0.3-0.6g (p) (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Breaks up and drives out Blood Stasis and reduces fixed masses	Amenorrhea and fixed uterine and abdominal masses due to Blood Stasis and/or traumatic injury
Clears the water passages
Induces abortion	Abortion

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Sm. Persicae Tao Ren Tabanus Meng Chong (Rx. et Rz. Rhei) (Da Huang)	Rz. Sparganii San Leng Rz. Curcumae E Zhu Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui	Rx. Notoginseng San Qi
Blood Stasis in the lower abdomen with amenorrhea and masses.	Palpable, fixed abdominal masses.	Trauma-induced pain, swelling and bruising.
Sargassum Hai Zao	Natrii Sulfas Mang Xiao Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang	Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang Sm. Pharbitidis Qian Niu Zi
Palpable, fixed masses of the throat as in esophageal carcinoma.	Fever, delirium, abdominal distention, urinary incontinence and, in severe cases, a dull dusky-yellow discoloration of the skin from Blood Stasis due to Invasion of Heat.	Pain and swelling from trauma.
Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang	Tabanus Meng Chong	Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang
Regulates Yin and Yang to quickly attack and break up Blood Stasis.	Resolves severe Blood Stasis with mania, and abdominal masses or severe Blood accumulation following trauma.	Amenorrhea due to Blood Stasis in Deficiency.
Sm. Persicae Tao Ren Tabanus Meng Chong
Abdominal pain and hardness with black tarry stools.

Notes

1. It has an inhibitory effect on cancer cells.
2. It removes Blood Stasis without harming fresh Blood.
3. Carbuncles and poisonous swellings are treated with it.
4. It is used for menopause, uterine masses and abdominal masses.
5. For metrostaxis (spotting), bake it and grind it to a powder to take orally: 3g with wine, twice a day, until the Blood stops.
6. Shui Zhi and Rz. Sparganii San Leng both break up Blood Stasis and enter the Blood level of the Liver channel. San Leng is bitter and neutral and also enters the Spleen and the Qi Level. It attacks and breaks up accumulation more strongly and quickly, but readily injures normal Qi. It also relieves Food Stagnation.
7. Shui Zhi and Tabanus Meng Chong both enter the Blood level of the Liver to forcefully break up Blood Stasis and accumulation. Shui Zhi is neutral, and its action is gradual, stable and consistent. Meng Chong is slightly cold and somewhat toxic, and its action is sudden and strong but short-lived.
8. Shui Zhi, Meng Chong and Eupolyphaga Tu Bie Chong are all very powerful substances for breaking open severe Blood Stasis, and improper use can easily injure Qi. Where necessary, tonic herbs should be added to prevent such damage. Meng Chong is the strongest, then Shui Zhi, then Tu Bie Chong.
9. Talc-fried Leech, Hua Shi Chao Shui Zhi, is less toxic and better suited to powders and pills.