[knak]

Examples of Wildlife Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Associated Press
Published: Mar 27, 2004

Sampling of animal and plant parts sold by a typical apothecary catering to traditional Chinese medicine:

-BEAR: Fat, brain, spinal cord and other parts used to treat everything from cancer to general pain. Gall bladder "milked" for bile, which made into medicine for liver disorders. Meat also prized, with paws sometimes cut off while creature still alive. Bears sometimes boiled alive in vats of water.

-TIGER: Another "walking drug store," with almost every part used as powder, balms, pills or meat to be eaten. Penis used as aphrodisiac, bones for arthritis and muscular atrophy, claws against insomnia, fat to fight leprosy, brain to clear pimples. Tiger on black market can fetch up to $10,000.

-SLOW LORIS: Fur of this big-eyed, tree-dwelling primate believed to accelerate healing of wounds. Extract from eyeballs turned into love potion.

-CIVET CAT: Anal scent gland used in potion to induce abortion. Used in Dragon, Tiger and Phoenix soup, for fighting arthritis, stimulating blood flow, pepping up libido.

-RHINOCEROS: Decimated over centuries in belief that horn can cure fevers, convulsions, delirium, headaches, heart and liver problems, toothaches, snake bites. Horn more valuable by weight than gold; other rhino parts also highly prized.

-DENDROBIUM ORCHIDS: Stems of wild golden yellow or pink flowers processed for medicine and tonics to replenish bodily fluids, ease stomach pains, mouth sores, sunstroke. Balms said to make skin soft, moist, beautiful.

-WILD GINSENG: Tonic from root believed to slow aging, enhance vitality, build up resistance to psychological and physical stress, generally strengthen immune system.

[3catsanadog]

Bet we will never see PETA running over there to protest this slaughter. They are full of bravery when protesting Americans eating chicken.

When it comes to Asian countries, they are a bunch of sissies.

[sergeantdave]

This the tragedy of the commons, where everyone and no one owns the land. The resources get abused, mis-used and used up.

The solution is private property. When a person has a personal or financial interest in a resource, it is protected, nurtured and propagated.

When the buffalo was near extinction, entrepreneurs moved in and gathered about a dozen animals. They were given a home in a zoo, where they flourished. The result is that tens of thousands of buffalo exist today.

[talleyman]

"Very strong. It can fight with a tiger, so it's good for sex,"

Medical wisdom at it's finest - just ask Sigfried & Roy...

[Khurkris]

Education! Education! Education! Education!

As more and more of the Asians groups learn how to substitute items that can be replenished instead of these rare endangered items this will slow and stop.

They must be educated.

Good post. Thank you.

[avg_freeper]

-CIVET CAT: Anal scent gland used in potion to induce abortion

I believe that this is the cat used to make the "cat __it" coffee. I'm wondering if expectant mothers put their selves at risk when they drink this coffee.

Not that any woman who pays hundreds of dollars to drink something that came out of the back side of a cat would ever care. They probably couldn't imagine lowering their selves to such an un-progressive¹ idea as child birth.

 

¹ I guess the hip term is "regressive"

[Map Kernow]

The Chinese should go back to eating dogs. Then they all could eat up the Communist Party leadership.

[Syncro]

You seem to have a knak for posting interesting articles...

A while I was sitting on the Dock of the Bay with Roy Orbison (...OK he wasn't there) and they were unloading large containers of Sea Urchins.

I asked them do people eat those? And their answer was that they shipped them to Asia and the people there eat the reproductive organs.

Yuk