What it is:
This drug is the horn of Saiga tatarica L. (family Bovidae) which is produced chiefly in Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai provinces. When an antelope is captured, the horn is cut off and plained to thin shavings or filed to get the filings for use.

Property
Flavour and channel tropism: salty in flavour,cold in property, acting on the liver and heartchannels.

Effects:
Calming the liver to check endogenous wind, clearing away heat from the liver to improve acuity of vision and clearing away heat and toxins.

Used For:
:1. Epilepsy induced by terror and convulsion induced by up-stirring of endogenous wind due to intense heat in the liver. It can be used with uncaria stem with hooks, chrysanthemum flower and dried rhemannia root, as in Decoction of Antelope's Horn and Uncaria Stem (Lingjiao Gouteng Tang)

2. For the treatment of dizziness and blurred vision due to hyperactivityof the liver-yang, it can be used with chrysanthemum flower and abalone shell.

3. For headache and blood-shot eyes due to flaring-up of liver-fire, it is often used with cassia seed, scutellaria root and gentian root, as in Powder of Antelope's Horn (LingyangjiaoSan).

4. For the treatment of epidemic febrile diseases with symptoms of high fever, unconsciousness, delirium and madness, or skin eruptions due to toxic heat, it can be used with rhinoceros horn and gypsum, as in Purple Snowy Powder (Zixue San).

Dosage and administration: 1- 3g, boiled alone to get a decoction to mix with the decoction of other drugs for oral use; it can also be ground fine with water to get a liquid, or filed to powder for oral use, 0.3-0.5g each time.

Precautions: It should not be used for patients who have no pathogenic fire of excess type in the interior.