What it is:
This herb is the hairy, non- ossific young horn of a stag of Cervus nippon Temminck or Cervus elaphus Linnaeus (family cervidae). The drug is produced in north-east China, north- west China, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and the mountainous areas of south-west China. The pilose antler of a stag is sawed off in summer and autumn, dried in shade or baked dry after processing, sliced or ground to powder for use.

Property:
Sweet and salty in flavour, warm in property, acting on the liver and kidney channels.

Effects:
Reinfor-cing the kidney-yang,tonify- ing the vital essence and blood and streng- thening the bones and muscles.

Used for:
1. Syndromes of insufficiency of the kidney-yang and consumption of the vital essence and blood characterized by aversion to cold, coldness in the ex- tremities,impotence, spermatorrhea, steri- lity due to uterine coldness, frequent urination, soreness of the loins and knees, dizziness, tinnitus, listless- ness, etc. Its powder can be used alone for internal use, or used together with ginseng, prepared rehmannia root , wolfberry fruit,etc., as in Bolus of Gin- seng and Pilose Antler for Consoli- dating the Constitu- tion (Shen Rong Guben Wan).

2. Deficiency of both kidney and liver manifested as flaccidity of ex- tremities, infantile maldevelopment, de- layed walk and dentition, and infantile metopism. It is often used along with prepared rehmannia root , chinese yam and dogwood fruit, as in Rehmannia Bolus with Additional Ingredi- ents (Jiawei Dihuang Wan).

3. Metrorrhagia and metrostaxis due to coldness and de- ficiency of the Chong and Ren channels and profuse leucorrhea due to inconsolidation of the Dai channel. For the former, it can be used together with donkey-hide gelatin and cuttle- bone, as in Powder of Pilose Antler (Lurong San); for the latter, it can be used with cibot rhizome and ampe- lopsis. Besides, in the treatment of a deep-rooted carbuncle of yin nature, or protracted ulcera- tions without heal- ing, it has the effects of warming and tonifying yang and promoting pus drainage.

Dosage and administration: 1-3g, ground into dine powder to be swallowed, three times a day, or prepared in bolus and compound powder.

Precautions:
This drug is warm in property, so it should not be used in cases of hyperac- tivity of yang due to deficiency of yin, intense heat in the blood, excessive stomach fire, cough due to phlegm- heat in the lung, or epidemic febrile diseases caused by exopathogen. This drug should be given to patients in small dosage at the beginn- ing rather than large dosage.