Shui Niu Jiao

Botanical Name: Bubali Cornu

Shui Niu Jiao

Category: Clear Heat, Cool the Blood

Dosage: 30-120g in decoction; 6-15g as a powder

Cautions & Contraindications:

• Use with caution in those with cold from deficiency in the middle burner.

Actions & Indications:

• Clears heat, resolves fire toxicity, and cools the blood: for warm-heat pathogen diseases accompanied by extreme heat signs, and for very high fever affecting the nutritive or blood levels with chaotic movement of hot blood, including erythema, purpura, nosebleed, vomiting of blood, or convulsions and delirium.
• Clears heat and arrests tremors: for warm-heat pathogen diseases when the heat enters the nutritive or blood levels with such symptoms as unremitting high fever, loss of consciousness, delirium, convulsions, or manic behavior.

Commentary:

Shui Niu Jiao is the modern substitution for Rhinocerotis Cornu (xi jiao) which should no longer be use due to endangered status.  While both have similar actions, those of Shui Niu Jiao are much weaker, and a larger amount is necessary.

Shui Niu Jiao enters the nutritive and blood levels, clearing intense heat from the Heart, Liver, Stomach, and Sanjiao, while also cooling the blood and resolving toxicity.  Most often used in cases of warm heat pathogen disease, it effectively clears heat from the Heart channel and resolves heat toxicity in the blood.  It is used for high fever, clouded consciousness, convulsions and spasms which are caused by pathogenic heat entering the Heart and nutritive levels.  May be used for jaundice or rashes due to warm pathogen toxicity in the blood, or heat causing the blood to move chaotically, leading to epistaxis or blood in the stool or urine.