Deer Horn is the ossified antler of the sika deer or various male deer of the Cervidae family. Cervi Deer-Horn Glue is a gelatinous substance made by boiling and concentrating Deer Horn. It is mainly produced in the northeast, northwest, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and southwestern mountainous regions, and is now also artificially farmed. The original animals live in forests, prefer to live in groups, are good at jumping, have sensitive senses, exhibit seasonal vertical migration habits, and have a wide-ranging diet. Deer Horn tastes salty and is warm in nature. It belongs to the liver and kidney meridians. Its effects are similar to Pilose Antler but with weaker medicinal potency. Cervi Deer-Horn Glue tastes sweet and salty, and is warm in nature. It belongs to the liver and kidney meridians. Its functions include tonifying the liver and kidneys, replenishing essence and blood, and stopping bleeding. The clinical name is Cervi Deer-Horn Glue.
bubble_chart Compendium of Materia Medica
Shennong Bencao Jing: It has a sweet and neutral taste, is non-toxic, and is used to treat internal injuries, exhaustion, lumbago, emaciation, tonifying the middle and replenishing qi, amenorrhea and infertility in women, relieving pain, and calming the fetus.
Rihuazi Bencao: Deer Horn is used to treat sores, abscesses, heat toxins, etc., by grinding it with vinegar and applying it externally. It also treats nocturnal emissions, hematuria, and nightmares by grinding it with water and taking it orally. For children with tongue carcinoma or thrush, it is roasted and applied as a compress.
Kaibao Bencao: It tastes salty and is non-toxic. It relieves acute pain in the lower abdomen, pain in the waist and spine, and bad blood from fractures, and tonifies qi.
Bencao Gangmu: When used raw, Deer Horn disperses heat and promotes blood circulation, reduces swelling, and wards off evil. When cooked, it tonifies the kidneys, replenishes deficiency, strengthens essence, and invigorates blood. When refined into frost or glue, it is specifically used for nourishing.Bencao Jingshu: Beautiful steetgum resin is made by boiling Deer Horn, hence it tastes sweet and has a neutral qi. Bielu: It is warm and non-toxic. It has a thin qi and a thick taste, descending more than ascending, and is yin within yang. It enters the foot Jueyin and Shaoyin, and the hand Shaoyin and Jueyin meridians. The classics say: Overwork causes panting and sweating, leading to internal and external exhaustion, and the middle qi is depleted. Therefore, for those who overwork, the middle qi is damaged, causing pain in the limbs, excessive sweating, or hematemesis and bloody stools, all of which are due to liver and heart disorders. This medicine, with its sweet taste and warm qi, enters these two meridians and can tonify the middle and replenish qi, thus harmonizing injuries, benefiting the limbs, stopping bleeding, and reducing sweating. For injuries and fractures, it promotes blood circulation and tonifies, thus healing the injuries. For women with amenorrhea and infertility, excessive menstruation, fetal pain, lumbago, and emaciation, all of which are signs of blood deficiency and insufficient liver and kidney, warming the liver, tonifying the kidneys, and replenishing blood will alleviate these symptoms and nourish the fetus. When blood and qi are generated and true yang is sufficient, long-term use can lighten the body and prolong life. It also treats hematuria, nocturnal emissions, sores, ulcers, swelling, and fistula disease with red and white discharge. Long-term use by women can promote fertility.
Caution: Deer is a celestial animal, a pure yang substance. It is a sacred medicine for treating overwork, emaciation, tonifying the kidneys, replenishing essence, warming the waist and knees, nourishing blood vessels, strengthening bones and tendons, and aiding yang. However, it should not be used by those with kidney deficiency and fire, as it is biased towards tonifying yang. It should also not be used by those with phlegm heat in the upper energizer or fire in the gastrointestinal system, as it is hot and sticky, making it difficult to digest. It should not be taken by those with hematemesis or bloody stools due to yin deficiency and excessive fire.Deer Horn: Deer, a mountain beast, belongs to yang. At the Summer Solstice (10th solar term), the shedding of antlers symbolizes the rise of yin and the retreat of yang. Elk, a marsh beast, belongs to yin. At the Winter Solstice (22nd solar term), the shedding of antlers symbolizes the rise of yang and the retreat of yin. Therefore, elk velvet tonifies yin, while pilose antler tonifies yang. The same applies to their horns. Initially, the horns are soft and tender, known as velvet, embodying robust health, hence they can drastically tonify the true yang energy of the kidneys. When boiled into a beautiful steetgum resin, it has a sweet and mild flavor, capable of circulating blood throughout the body. Raw horns taste salty and are warm in nature, only effective in dispersing heat, promoting blood circulation, reducing swelling, and warding off malign qi. The salty taste can enter the blood to soften hardness, and the warmth can circulate and disperse evil, thus it is used to treat malignant sores, abscesses, expel malign qi, and address stagnant blood in the yin regions, acute blood stasis in the lower abdomen, fractures, and malignant blood stasis. Liver and kidney deficiency leads to pain in the waist and spine; the salty and warm properties enter the kidney to tonify the liver, hence it treats pain in the waist and spine. Qi belongs to yang, and tonifying yang also tonifies qi. According to Rihuazi: Ground with water and taken, it treats spermatorrhea, hematuria, and nocturnal emissions. Ground with vinegar, the juice is applied to sores, ulcers, abscesses, and heat toxins. Heated by fire, it is used to warm and treat children's tongue cancer and thrush. Meng Shen said: Roasted with honey, ground into powder, and taken with wine, it lightens the body, strengthens the bone marrow, and tonifies yang, healing severe injuries. It also treats women who dream of intercourse with ghosts; taking a pinch with wine expels ghostly essence. Burning it to ash treats women with residual blood in the uterus who are near death, utilizing its ability to enter and move blood, disperse heat, reduce swelling, tonify yang, and ward off evil.
Contraindications: Not to be used in cases of static blood stasis. Contraindicated in cases of yang exuberance and yin deficiency. Also not suitable for toothache caused by stomach fire.Yaojian: Warm in nature, bitter and salty in taste, thin in qi and thick in flavor. Promotes the production of essence and blood, secures the essence, stops menorrhagia, relieves pain in the waist and spine, and is a tonic for deficiency and exhaustion, a holy medicine for blood disorders. When used with Sichuan Lovage Rhizome, it tonifies the blood of the head and face. When used with Peony Root and Chinese Angelica, it tonifies the blood of the spleen and stomach, protecting them from pathogenic influences. When used with Prepared Rehmannia Root, it tonifies the yin of the kidneys. When used with Scutellaria Root and Japanese Pagodatree Pod, it tonifies and cools the blood of the large intestine. It tonifies wherever it goes. I once treated a person with bloody defecation and dysentery, which did not respond to other medicines, using Cervi Deer-Horn Glue. After taking one jin, the patient recovered. When asked why, I explained that although the large intestine is rich in blood, it is also rich in qi. The patient had suffered from blood disorders for several months, leading to a deficiency of blood and an excess of qi, with pathogenic fire scorching the true yin. How could herbs and tree barks cure this? Therefore, Cervi Deer-Horn Glue was used as the main ingredient, with human milk as an adjuvant, and cooling blood herbs as a major supplement, to generate blood to match the qi, preventing the qi from forcing the blood to act recklessly, thus stopping the disorder. The formula includes Cervi Deer-Horn Glue one jin, Fleeceflower (red) six liang, processed in three ways: soaked in Yerbadetajo Herb juice, glossy privet fruit juice, and mulberry fruit juice; Chinese Angelica six liang processed similarly, white qi two liang, Sichuan Lovage Rhizome one liang, self-produced lacquer one liang, fetal lacquer one liang, sun-dried Prepared Rehmannia Root five liang, Poria with Pine four liang, milk-soaked for better effect, one set of Hun Dun skin, all ground into fine powder, mixed with honey and glue to form pills. Long-term use prevents various diseases, greatly blackens beard and hair, beautifies complexion, strengthens spirit, fills marrow, and secures kidney essence. Adding home-grown white chrysanthemum processed with milk improves vision and clears the heart. This is an essential medicine for generating water from heaven. For smallpox heat syndromes, it is used in cooling blood and removing toxin medicines to save children. When heat toxin is excessive, it scorches the true yin. Once the true yin is damaged, the heat toxin becomes even more intense. Many practitioners use toxin-removing decoctions alone, which only saves a moment of crisis without addressing the true yin deficiency, allowing pathogenic heat to return immediately. I often use this formula in cooling blood and removing toxin medicines to nourish yin, as nourishing yin is the way to reduce yang. Those who understand will grasp this. It is also excellent for those with spleen diarrhea. After taking the medicine, do not eat venison, as venison is incompatible with pheasant meat.
Jingyue Quanshu: Sweet and salty in taste, warm in nature. Greatly tonifies deficiency and exhaustion, benefits blood and qi, fills essence and marrow, strengthens bones and muscles, beautifies complexion, and prolongs life. Treats hematemesis, bloody urine, spermatorrhea, hematuria, and women's flooding and spotting, red leucorrhea, blood deficiency infertility, relieves pain and calms the fetus, also treats injuries, sores, ulcers, and swelling. Excellent for assisting yang within yin, it is the most important medicine for tonifying yin.
Bencao Beiyao: Salty and warm. When used raw, it disperses heat, moves blood, and reduces swelling; when ground with vinegar, it is applied topically for swelling and toxins; taken as a powder with wine, it treats fractures. "Medical Remnants" states: For chronic shank ulcers with redness, swelling, and pain, if cooling medicines like Coptis Rhizome do not cure, warm medicines should be used, such as Deer Horn ash, hair ash, frankincense, etc., reflecting the principle of yin-yang and the alternation of cold and heat. It wards off evil and treats dreams of intercourse with ghosts. Taking a pinch with wine expels ghostly essence and drives out pathogenic qi and evil blood from the yin. When refined into frost or boiled into glue, it is solely for nourishing. Li Shizhen said: The deer is an immortal beast, pure yang and long-lived, able to connect the governor vessel, and feeds on good grass, so its horn and meat are beneficial and harmless when eaten.
Benjing Fengyuan: Deer Horn, when used raw, disperses heat and moves blood, reduces swelling and wards off evil; when boiled into glue, it benefits yang, tonifies the kidneys, strengthens essence, and activates blood, all within the scope of connecting the governor vessel and tonifying the life gate. However, the glue's effect is slightly slower than the horn's vigorous force. Comparing the two, we understand that the horn has the function of connecting the yang link vessel, while the glue has the effect of harmonizing the thoroughfare and conception vessels. However, without the assistance of cinnamon to open yang, it cannot relieve cold and heat, fright, and epilepsy. Without the combined use of turtle and deer glue, it cannot connect the conception vessel and treat emaciation and lumbago; without the support of Chinese Angelica and Rehmannia, it cannot enter the thoroughfare vessel and treat women's blood block and vaginal bleeding during pregnancy. As for the glue treating injury and exhaustion, it is the same as the horn treating fistula disease and evil discharge; the glue's ability to tonify the middle and replenish qi is the same as the horn's ability to tonify qi and strengthen will. Reviewing Bielu, "Waitai," "Qianjin," and other formulas, most are for dispersing blood and removing toxins, unlike the modern trend of solely warming and tonifying, which greatly deviates from the sages' transmitted principles.
Bencao Chongyuan: Pilose Antler is shaped like sprouting foxtail millet, symbolizing the initial rise of yang. Deer Horn is shaped like swords and halberds, embodying the strong and sharp nature of yang. When boiled into glue, it has a sweet and neutral flavor, unlike the sweet and warm nature of Pilose Antler. It primarily treats injuries and exhaustion caused by the middle qi being harmed by the seven emotions, and the Jingmai being depleted due to overwork. Deer glue, being sweet and neutral, moistens and nourishes, thus it can treat these conditions. For treating lumbago and emaciation, deer moves along the Du meridian, thus lumbago can be treated. The glue can benefit the marrow, thus emaciation can be treated. Tonifying the middle refers to tonifying the middle energizer. Tonifying qi refers to benefiting kidney qi. For treating women's blood stagnation and infertility, deer, being purely yang in nature, with horns that are firm and strong, and glue that moistens and purges, can initiate the growth of yang, move stagnant blood, harmonize the Jingmai, and thus promote pregnancy. For relieving pain and calming the fetus, it further harmonizes the Jingmai and promotes childbirth.
Bencao Qiuzhen: [Comment] Warming and tonifying kidney yin to unblock the Chong and Ren meridians.
Deer glue specifically enters the liver. It is made by boiling deer antlers. The text records that it tonifies yang, benefits yin, strengthens essence, and activates blood circulation, all of which are related to its function of unblocking the Du meridian and tonifying the life gate. However, the glue is mild in nature and sweet in taste, and it does not have the strong potency of velvet antler, as velvet antler has the function of unblocking and connecting the Yang Wei meridian. The Yang Wei meridian originates from the meeting point of all yang meridians and maintains the yang meridians. The glue has the function of connecting and harmonizing the Chong meridian. The Chong meridian originates from the uterus and is the sea of all meridians. If the glue is not used with cinnamon to unblock yang, it cannot eliminate cold and heat or treat fright epilepsy; if the glue is not used with turtle shell glue, it cannot reach the Ren meridian to treat emaciation and lumbago; the Ren meridian runs along the midline of the abdomen and is the governor of all yin meridians. If the glue is not used with Rehmannia and Chinese Angelica, it cannot be guided into the Chong meridian to treat women's blood stasis and vaginal bleeding during pregnancy. As for the glue's ability to treat internal injuries and extreme fatigue, it is similar to the velvet antler's ability to tonify qi and strengthen the will; the glue's ability to lighten the body and prolong life is similar to the velvet antler's ability to promote the growth of teeth and prevent aging. However, it is only suitable for those with a balanced constitution. If taken by those with pure yin and no yang, it may cause stagnation in the diaphragm, leading to abdominal distension and fullness.
Depei Bencao: Avoid Rhubarb Rhizoma.
Sweet, salty, and warm. Enters the foot Shaoyin meridian's blood aspect. Tonifies the yang within yin and unblocks the blood house of the Du meridian. Strengthens bones and tendons, treats uterine bleeding and leukorrhea. It is an essential medicine for women with cold deficiency, fetal cold, and abdominal pain.
When combined with Fossil Bone, it treats night sweating and seminal emission; when combined with Poria, it treats frequent urination.
If taken by those with true yin deficiency, the fire will become even more depleted. It is contraindicated for those with phlegm heat and blood disorders.
Bencao Jing Jie: Cervi Deer-Horn Glue has a neutral qi, inheriting the metal qi of autumn harvest, and enters the hand Taiyin lung meridian; it has a sweet taste and is non-toxic, inheriting the earth flavor of central harmony, and enters the foot Taiyin spleen meridian. Its qi and flavor are more descending than ascending, and its substance is rich and thick, making it yin in nature.
The middle refers to the spleen earth. Those with spleen deficiency who overwork and damage vital qi will find their yin qi source dried up and yin exhausted. The glue's sweet taste benefits spleen yin, thus treating this condition.
Lumbago and emaciation occur because the spleen is the source of yin qi and is externally connected to the muscles of the body. Spleen yin deficiency leads to kidney yin deficiency, causing lumbago and muscle wasting. The glue's sweet taste can tonify the spleen, and its neutral qi can benefit the lungs and nourish the kidneys.
Tonifying the middle refers to tonifying the spleen's middle qi; tonifying qi refers to the lungs governing qi, and the neutral qi can benefit the lungs.
The spleen controls blood. Women with blood stasis and infertility have spleen blood that is not regulated. The glue's sweet taste benefits spleen yin, thus treating this condition. Insufficient spleen blood leads to dryness and pain, and the sweet taste nourishes blood, thus relieving pain. Sufficient blood ensures fetal stability, hence its ability to calm the fetus.
Shennong Bencao Jingdu: Beautiful steetgum resin is made by boiling deer antlers into glue. Why Benjing considers beautiful steetgum resin as a superior product and Pilose Antler as a middle-grade product? Because Pilose Antler's warming and tonifying effects are too strong, it is not as valuable as the sweet and neutral beautiful steetgum resin. Their functions are similar, so no further explanation is needed.
Its ability to treat women's blood stasis, relieve pain, and calm the fetus is all due to its function of tonifying the Chong meridian, the Sea of Blood.
Shennong Bencao Jing Hundred Records: Sweet and neutral in taste. Treats internal injuries, extreme fatigue, lumbago, and emaciation, all symptoms of joint cold deficiency. Tonifies the middle and replenishes qi, tonifies blood so that middle qi becomes sufficient. Treats women's blood stasis and infertility, relieves pain, and calms the fetus. This is due to its function of tonifying the Chong meridian, the Sea of Blood. Long-term use lightens the body and prolongs life. Sufficient essence and blood lead to these effects.
The essential qi of the deer is concentrated in its antlers, which are connected to the Du meridian. Among all animals, the deer's antlers are the largest, indicating that the deer's Du meridian is the most robust, hence its ability to tonify the human Du meridian. The Du meridian governs all joints in the body, and the kidneys govern the bones, so it also tonifies the kidneys. The antlers are filled with blood, and the Chong meridian is the Sea of Blood, so it also tonifies the Chong meridian. When the Chong and Du meridians are strong and kidney qi is robust, all effects will naturally be achieved.
Benjing Shuzheng: Deer Horn is cut into inch-long pieces, the outer rough bark is removed, and the inner stagnant blood is cleaned out. After thorough soaking and washing, it is boiled and refined into glue. The aggressive and overbearing nature is transformed into a pure and gentle form, naturally consolidating and solidifying. Its function is to gather the scattered essence and blood, refining the pure and unadulterated original qi, thus forming the foundation of strength and the basis of transformation. For example, Benjing uses it to treat women's amenorrhea, while Bielu uses it to treat menorrhagia. To treat amenorrhea, it should promote flow; to treat menorrhagia, it should stop the flow. How can one substance both promote and stop flow? It is because the kidney governs water, gathering the essence of the five zang and six fu-organs and storing it. Thus, when the five zang-organs are strong, they can discharge; when they are strong but do not discharge, or when they are not strong but discharge, or when they are not strong and do not discharge, all are pathological conditions. Therefore, not discharging is precisely what enables discharging, and discharging must have the support of not discharging. Blood is related to water, and stopping menorrhagia is the initial step to promoting menstrual flow. How can it be said to do both? If it were to do both, then promoting flow and calming the fetus, treating lumbago and limb pain, excessive sweating and urinary leakage, hematemesis and bleeding, all could not have dual functions. It is only by pushing to the extremes that one can grasp the main principle. The fine texture can collect body fluids, and the sweetness can distribute the essence. When Deer Horn is refined into beautiful steetgum resin, it becomes sweet. The sweetness, with the fine texture as its foundation, ensures orderly distribution without exhausting the reserves. The fine texture, transformed by sweetness, ensures measured collection without being stingy. Consider the condition of internal injury: if one is already exhausted and emaciated, from where can one collect? Without collection, what can be distributed? Without distribution, how can emaciation be restored, and exhaustion be continued? Only by collecting to distribute, and distributing to collect, can the pathways be nourished, the central power be supported, and vitality be generated in the void, filling the skeleton with richness. Can tonifying the middle and replenishing qi be considered empty words? In essence, it is one substance. When mixed, it acts; when pure, it nourishes. One disease: mixed conditions are excess, pure conditions are deficiency. Even the evil blood, stagnant blood, and abscesses treated by Deer Horn, compared to the hematemesis, menorrhagia, and bleeding treated by beautiful steetgum resin, though they differ in purity and mixture, are all related to blood. Thus, the processing of materia medica, the duration of boiling, determines its specific efficacy, as seen here.
Bencao Fenjing: Salty, warm. Boiling to make glue and refining to produce frost, its function is specifically to nourish and supplement. It benefits the kidneys, strengthens bones, generates essence and blood, and can unblock the governor vessel. When used raw, it disperses heat, promotes blood circulation, wards off evil, and can expel pathogenic qi and stagnant blood from the yin, treating dreams of intercourse with ghosts.