What it is:
This herb is the stones in the gallbladder or biliary ducts of Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin (family Bovidae).When a cow is slaughtered and stones in the gallbladder are found, the stones should be taken out immediately after draining off the bile. The stonesare wound with rush-pith or ricepaper pith and then wrapped with writing paper made from bamboo or with white cotton cloth. The parcel with the stones in it is hung in a shady, cool and draughty place till the stones are dried. The stones are later ground intopowder for use.

Property:
Bitter in flavour, cool in property, acting on the liver and heart channels.

Effects:
Checking endogenous wind to relieve convulsion, resolving phlegmto induce resuscitation and clearing away heat and toxins.

Used for:
1. Epidemic febrile disease with symptoms of high fever, unconsciousness, spasm and convulsion, or acute infantileconvulsion. It is often used with cinnabar, scorpion and uncaria stem with hooks, as in Cow-bezoare Powder (Niuhuang San).

2. Unconsciousness and delirium caused by invasion of intense heat intothe pericardium in epidemic febrile diseases, or apoplexy, infantile convulsion and epilepsy due to retention of phlegm-heat in the interior.It is often used with musk, borneol, capejasmine fruit and coptis root, as in Cow-bezoare Bolus for Resurrection (Angong Niuhuang Wan).

3. Sore throat, ulcers in the throat, canker sores in the mouth and on the tongue, carbuncles, boils and other pyogenic skin infections due to accumulation of toxic heat. It is oftenproscribed with scutellaria root and realgar, as in Cow-bezoare Antitoxic Bolus (Niuhuang Jiedu Wan). To treat breast carcinoma and scrofula, it can be used with musk, frankincense and myrrh, as in Pill of Rhinoceros Horn and Cow-bezoare(Xihuang Wan).

Dosage and administration:0.2-0.5g,mixed into bolus or powder, not to be decocted; proper amount for external use. Precautions: Cow-bezoare should be cautiously used for women in pregnancy and should not be used for patients without heat syndrome of excess type.