Golden-head centipede

Golden-head centipede

　　Also known as the "hundred-leg insect" or "thousand-leg insect," it belongs to the arthropod class Chilopoda. The "Golden-head centipede" produced in Yichang is famous both at home and abroad. The medicinal product is the dried body of the adult insect, possessing the functions of calming wind and relieving convulsions, dispelling wind and detoxifying, dispersing nodules, unblocking meridians, and relieving pain. It is used to treat conditions such as infantile convulsions, spasms, stroke-induced speech impairment, hemiplegia, tetanus, stubborn rheumatic conditions, sores and ulcers, scrofula, and venomous snake bites. The main producing areas include Zhijiang County, Yichang County, Dangyang City, Zhicheng City, and Yuan’an County, with those from Hutington being the most renowned. The city’s annual production is approximately 7.5 million centipedes. (Yichang)