Fish-based remedies in Spanish ethnomedicine: a review from a historical perspective

José Ramón Vallejo 1 and José Antonio González2

Abstract

Background

Fish-based therapeutics is fundamentally based on a dietary use, but these vertebrates have also been employed in the treatment of infectious and parasitic diseases, during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum and to deal with diseases of the different systems.

Methods

An overview of the ethnomedical and historical Spanish literature has been carried out. Automated searches in the most important national and international databases have been performed. All related works have been thorough examined.

Results

We examine the historical use of 54 medicinal fish species, 48 marine and six from inland waters. As useful, in Ancient times 39 species have been recorded (of which only 21 have been collected in subsequent periods), seven in the Middle Ages, 18 in Modern times and 17 in the contemporary period. Anguilla anguilla, Engraulis encrasicolus or Scyliorhinus canicula are species that have survived over time as an ingredient in Spanish folk remedies. Most remedies used in the last century and currently are empirical remedies based on the humorism theory and the principle of contraria contrariis curantur (74%), and the rest (26%) are magical type remedies that complete the popular therapeutic arsenal.

Conclusions

In the last century we find a progressive decrease in the number of fish species used in ethnomedicine. Only seven taxa have been documented as surviving therapeutic resources since centuries ago. The existence of a dynamic Spanish ethnomedicine has also been detected which has managed to generate new therapeutic resources in recent times. It is important to validate the remedies by ethnopharmacology and evidence-based medicine. In order to recover as much data as possible, it will be necessary to draw up an inventory of ethnoichthyological uses.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025190/

Out of curiosity, I found that Chinese medicine uses chicken gizzard lining (Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli) to treat urolithiasis.

Chicken gizzard lining is called jī nèi jīn 雞內金, lit. "the gold within chickens", or pi chi li huang pi 膍胵裏黃皮, lit. "the yellowish skin of the gizzard"; thus, f.ex. in Bencao gangmu ch. 48: 1715f.

A first overview may be found here:

HE, Xiao (2012) Traditional Chinese Medicine for Treatment of Urinary Stones, in: Talati, Jamsheer J.; Tiselius, Hans-Göran; Albala, David M.; Ye, Zhangqun (eds.) 2012: Urolithiasis: Basic Science and Clinical Practice. London: Springer, pp. 539-541. DOI 10.1007/978-1-4471-4387-1_67

[Abstract: This chapter describes the use of traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of patients with urinary stones. The diagnosis and treatment of urinary stone disease has a long history in China. The disease is classified into six types by Liqiang [recte Li Qiang]. The chapter describes the pharmacological mechanism of Lysimachia christina and some commonly used clinical medicines. Keywords: Traditional Chinese medicine, Urolithiasis, Shi Lin, Lysimachia christinae, Desmodium styracifolium (Osh.) Merr., Glechoma longituba (Nakai) Kupr., Niao Shitong, Pai Shi, Spora lygodii, Semen plantaginis, Folium pyrroslae, Talcum Chingma abutilon seed flavonoids, Triterpenoids, Urolithiasis, Urolithiasis.]

HE 2012: 541 reports two kinds of granules in current practice of which chicken gizzard lining is an ingredient:

(a) Niao Shitong Soluble Granules

"This medicine is mainly composed of Lysimachia christinae, Spora lygodii , endothelium corneum gigeriae galli, radix Paeoniae rubra , radix Angelicae sinensis , and radix astragali."

(b) Pai Shi Granules

"The most important components of this medicine are Lysimachia christinae , Spora lygodii , herba dianthi, Chingma abutilon seed, talcum, Folium pyrroslae , endothelium corneum gigeriae galli, amber, radix curcumae, spica prunellae, processed carapax trionycis, and herba plantaginis."

A pubmed search for 'Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli' does yield only 4 articles. However, searching CNKI, China Academic Journals Full-text Database, shows a considerable amount of works in Chinese language:

CNKI chicken gizzard lining (Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli) = jī nèi jīn,

searching ‘雞內金’: Total: 1779 articles.

searching ‘雞內金’ combined with ‘石淋’ (shí lín): Total: 47 articles.

Examples of recent studies with abstracts:

JIN, Lingjia 金伶佳; JIA, Tianzhu 賈天柱 (2015) Ji nei jin de butong paozhipin zhong duotang hanliang bijiao 雞內金的不同炮製品中多糖含量比較 – Comparison of the Polysaccharide Content in Different Processed Products of Inner Membrane of Chicken Gizzard,  in: Zhongguo zhongyiyao xiandai yuancheng jiaoyu  中國中醫藥現代遠程教育 - Chinese Medicine Modern Distance Education of China 13(20): 146-147, 2 tables.

[Abstract: Objective: To study the determination method of polysaccharide of inner membrane of chicken gizzard, and to compare polysaccharide content in different processed products. Methods: The polysaccharide content in different processed products of inner membrane of chicken gizzard was analyzed and compared by phenol- sulfuric acid colorimetry. Results: The total polysaccharide content of different processed products of inner membrane of chicken gizzard of heated with sand was more than raw products which was more than microwave processed products. Conclusion: The total polysaccharide content of sand hot processed products was more than raw product and microwave processed products.

Keywords: 雞內金; 多糖; 苯酚-硫酸比色法; 中藥炮製; inner membrane of chicken gizzard; polysaccharide; phenol-sulfuric acid colorimetry; processing.

Institution:  遼寧省大連市衛生計生培訓中心Health Family Planning Training Center.]

XU, Haohui 許浩輝; FENG, Songjie 馮松傑 (2015) Ji nei jin zhiliao shilin zhi tantao 雞內金治療石淋之探討 – Investigation of Using Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli to Treat Urolithiasis, in: Sichuan zhongyi  四川中醫 - Journal of Sichuan of Traditional Chinese Medicine 33(4): 36-38.

[Abstract: Objective: To explore the mechanism and application about the treatment of urolithiasis with endothelium corneum gigeriae galli. Methods: Papers from 2003 to 2013 journals and professor FENG Songjie about treatment of urolithiasis with endothelium corneum gigeriae galli were retrieved and analyzed. Results: According to relevant papers, professor FENG used endothelium corneum gigeriae galli to treat urolithiasis on the base of high dose of lysimachia chiristinae hance for resolving dampness and removing calculi. Conclusion: Urolithiasis treated by Endothelium corneum gigeriae galli is effective and safe, it is worth further study.

Keywords: 雞內金; 石淋; 化濕消堅; 馮松傑; Endothelium corneum gigeriae galli; Urolithiasis; Resolving dampness and removing calculi; Professor Feng Songjie;

Institution: Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 南京中醫藥大學; 江蘇省中醫院.]

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