Blood Eel

Blood Eel

　　The blood eel of Qukou Town (Qiongshan)

　　The blood eel, being of the same family as the common eel, naturally shares its characteristics. Traditional medicine regards the eel as a warming and tonic food, known to invigorate the middle energizer and boost qi, nourish blood and consolidate collapse, warm yang and benefit the spleen, strengthen essence and stop bleeding, nourish liver and kidney, dispel wind and unblock collaterals. It is suitable for conditions such as internal hemorrhoid bleeding, qi-deficiency prolapse of the anus, postpartum weakness, women’s overstrain injuries, uterine prolapse, kidney-deficiency lower back pain, limb weakness, rheumatic paralysis, and facial and eye deviation. The *Dian Nan Ben Cao* (Materia Medica of Southern Yunnan) states: “Eel enhances essence and marrow, strengthens sinews and bones.” The *Sui Xi Ju Yin Shi Pu* (Dietary Guide of Sui Xi Ju) says: “Eel is sweet and warm, supplements deficiency and boosts strength, effectively dispels wind, cold, and dampness, promotes blood circulation, and benefits sinews and bones.” The *Ben Cao Gang Mu* (Compendium of Materia Medica) records: “Eel has a sweet taste, is very warm, and non-toxic. It is mainly used to supplement the middle energizer and nourish blood, tonify deficiency, treat postpartum lochia discharge, blood and qi disharmony, emaciation, stop bleeding, eliminate cold in the abdomen, intestinal rumbling, and dampness-paralysis qi.”