What it is:
This herb is the dried whole body of Mylabris phalerata or Mylabris cichorii (family Meloidae) distributed in Henan and Guangxi. It is caught in early morning when dew remains in July and August. It is scalded to death, then picked out and dried in sunlight for preparation.

Property:
Flavour and channel tropism: pungent in flavour, cold in property, strongly poisonous, acting on the large intestine, small intestine, liver and kidney channels.

Effects:
Detoxicating, removing blood stasis and promoting pus drainage.

Used for:
1. Chiefly for carcinomas of the liver, esophagus and stomach, especially for hepatocarcinoma, also for carcinomas of the lung, colon and breast. It inhibits growth of tumour cell by seriously interfering its synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein in experiment.

2. Lingering and chronic hepatitis, tuberculosis of the bone and cervical lymphnode, rheumatism, psoriasis, neurodermatitis, leukoplakia of vulva, etc.

Precautions:
It is strongly poisonous. Be careful in oral administration. External application may cause nephritis and cystitis through absorption of skin.