Stiff Silkworm

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan.

Slightly cylindrical, often curly and wrinkled. Long 2~5cm, diameter 0.5~0.7cm. Externally grayish-yellow, covered with white powdery frost-like aerial mycelium and conidia. Head is relatively round-shaped, with 8 pairs of legs, obvious body joint rings, tail has two slight branches. Hard and brittle texture, easily broken, fractured surface is smooth, outer layer is white, middle has bright brown or black 4 silk gland rings. Slightly fishy odor, slightly salty taste.

Superior medicinal material has hard texture, white color, thick strips.

Salty, acrid; neutral.

Dispels wind, calms fright, resolves phlegm, disperses binds. Apply to convulsions and hyperspasmia, throat swelling pain, submaxillary lymphadenitis, facial nerve paralysis, skin itching.

Fried jiang can: fry the cleaned jiang can by the way of bran-fry process, till outer surface yellow. Moderates the nature of unprocessed pieces, corrects the bias.

‘Silk gland rings’: this refers to the fractured surface of jiang can, which generally has 4 shiny brown or shiny black silk gland rings. “Mouth sticking to the mirror surface”: jiang can medicinal material is hard but brittle in texture, and it is easily broken, the fractured surface is even and the outer layer is white and clearly powdery, while the center is dark brown and shiny like a mirror.