Blog
Centipede (Wu Gong)
⚠ Not for home use. Centipede (Wu Gong) is toxic in the wrong dose. In Chinese medicine it is used only after special processing and only on a licensed practitioner’s prescription. Do not buy, prepare, or take it on your own. This page is kept for reference.
蜈蚣
Centipede (Wugong)
Pharmaceutical Name: Scolopendra
Zoological Name: Scolopendra subspinipes mutilams L. Koch
Common Name: Centipede
Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing
Part Used: The centipede is caught in spring, and then it is boiled, dried and pounded into powder, or fixed to bamboo slats to dry.
Natural Properties & Taste: Pungent, warm and toxic
Meridians: Liver
Therapeutic Effects:
1. To subdue endogenous wind and stop spasms;
2. To dispel toxins;
3. To clear collaterals and stop pain
Indications:
1. Acute and chronic convulsions or tetany manifested as spasms, convulsions of the limbs and ophisthotonos. Centipede (Wugong) is used with Scorpion (Quanxie), White-stiff silkworm (Baijiangcan) and Uncaria stem (Gouteng).
2. Stubborn headache and rheumatic pain. Centipede (Wugong) is used with Scorpion (Quanxie), Gastrodia tuber (Tianma), White-stiff silkworm (Baijiangcan) and Chuanxiong rhizome (Chuanxiong).
Dosage: 1-3 g; 0.6-1 g for powder
Cautions & Contraindications: This substance is toxic. Overdosing should be avoided. This substance is contraindicated during pregnancy.
Traditional use is not proof of safety or effect. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using any herb if you are pregnant, nursing, or take medicine.
