Crucian Carp

Also known as: Jì (鲫), Fú (鲋).

Nature and Flavor: Sweet (甘), Neutral (平).

Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine.

Medicinal Part: The entire fish (Family Cyprinidae, Carassius auratus (L.)) after scales and internal organs are removed, is used in medicine.

Traditional Usage and Dosage of Crucian Carp

Internal Use: Cooked and eaten, or calcined, ground into powder, and made into pills or loose powders.

External Use: Mashed and applied as a poultice, or calcined (until carbonized but retaining properties), ground into powder, and sprinkled or applied as a paste.

Efficacy and Main Indications of Crucian Carp

Efficacy: Nourishes and tonifies (滋补), promotes diuresis (利水).

Main Indications: Primarily treats weakness of the Spleen and Stomach systems, stomach pain with vomiting, edema, rapidly progressing gum disease (gangrenous stomatitis), and toothache.

Important Safety Warning Regarding Traditional Formulations:

Please be aware that some historical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulations, especially those listed in the "Compatibility Recipes" section below, involve ingredients that are highly toxic, such as various forms of arsenic, mercury, lead, or copper compounds. These substances were used in specific ways under strict historical supervision. Modern medical practice strongly advises against self-administering any such remedies due to extreme health risks. Always consult a qualified and licensed TCM practitioner or medical doctor before considering any traditional treatments, especially those involving potentially toxic ingredients. The information provided here is for historical and informational purposes only and is not an endorsement or recommendation for self-treatment.

Traditional Compatibility Recipes with Crucian Carp

① To treat coldness in the Spleen and Stomach Qi, inability to eat, and general weakness: Take half a catty (about 250g) of Crucian Carp. Finely slice it to make a fish hash (kuai), then pour it into hot, boiling fermented bean paste soup with pepper, dried ginger, dill, orange peel powder, and other spices. Consume on an empty stomach. (From Shí Yī Xīn Jìng - "Hútú Gēng" soup).

② To treat Spleen and Stomach weakness with poor appetite and indigestion after meals: Take one live Crucian Carp. Grind three purple cardamom pods into powder and place them inside the fish belly. Add ginger, aged tangerine peel, and pepper, then cook and consume. (From Jílín Zhōng Cǎo Yào).

③ To treat rebellious Stomach Qi with vomiting (翻胃): Take one large Crucian Carp. Remove the intestines but keep the gallbladder. Fill the fish belly with green vitriol (绿矾, ferrous sulfate) powder, seal the opening, and calcine it over charcoal until it turns yellow and dry. Grind into a fine powder. Take one Qian (about 3-4g) per dose, mixed with warm stale rice water, three times a day. (From Běn Shì Fāng - "Jìyú Sǎn" powder). *Caution: Green vitriol (ferrous sulfate) can be toxic in large doses.*

④ To treat diaphragmatic Qi stagnation leading to vomiting food (膈气吐食): Remove the intestines from a large Crucian Carp but keep the scales. Fill it with garlic slices, wrap it in ten layers of paper, seal it with mud, and air-dry halfway. Roast it over charcoal until cooked. Take the fish meat, mix it with one Liang (about 30-37g) of Ping Wei San (平胃散) powder, and pound into梧子-sized pills (about the size of a wutong seed). Store tightly. Take thirty pills per dose with rice water. (From Jīng Yàn Fāng).

⑤ To treat dysentery with inability to eat (噤口痢): Take one Crucian Carp. Do not remove scales or gills. Make an incision, remove the intestines, and insert a chestnut-sized piece of white alum (白矾, Alumen). Wrap it in paper and roast until fragrant and cooked. Let the patient eat it with salt and vinegar as desired. Alternatively, as per Jì Yì's method, calcine it until carbonized into ash, then mix with rice water for administration. (From Bǎi Yī Xuǎn Fāng). *Caution: Alum can be toxic in large doses.*

⑥ To treat toxic dysentery with prolonged bloody stools (脏毒下血) that hasn't healed: Take Galla Chinensis (五倍子) in any amount desired. Take one Crucian Carp weighing about four or five liang (approx. 150-185g). Remove its intestines, stomach, scales, and gills. Place the Galla Chinensis inside the fish belly, put it into a jar, and calcine over fire until the smoke almost disappears. Take it out, grind it into a fine powder, and mix with warm wine for administration. (From Bǎi Yī Xuǎn Fāng).

⑦ To treat acute generalized edema (卒病水肿): Take three Crucian Carp. Remove intestines but keep scales. Fill them with an equal amount of Phytolacca (商陆) and Adzuki beans (赤小豆), tie securely. Boil in three sheng (approx. 3 liters) of water until mushy. Remove fish, eat the beans, and drink the soup. Repeat every other day; relief comes when urination improves. (From Zhǒu Hòu Fāng). *Caution: Phytolacca (商陆) is toxic and should be used with extreme caution and under expert supervision.*

⑧ To treat systemic edema (全身水肿): Take one fresh Crucian Carp. Two Qian (about 6-7g) of Amomum villosum (砂仁) powder, one Qian (about 3-4g) of licorice (甘草) powder. Remove scales and internal organs from the fish, wash clean. Put the herb powder into the fish belly, sew it up with thread. Steam until thoroughly cooked and tender. Divide into three portions and eat as a dish (avoid salt and soy sauce for twenty days). (From Jílín Zhōng Cǎo Yào).

⑨ To treat wasting-thirst syndrome (diabetes) with excessive drinking (消渴饮水): Take one Crucian Carp. Remove intestines but keep scales. Fill it with tea leaves, wrap in paper, roast until cooked. Eat several fish. (From Huó Rén Xīn Tǒng).

⑩ To treat small intestine hernia (小肠疝气): For each meal, cook one Crucian Carp with fennel seeds (茴香) and eat. (From Shēng Shēng Biān).

⑾ To treat profuse uterine bleeding (妇人血崩): Take one Crucian Carp, about five cun (approx. 17cm) long. Remove intestines, insert Dragon's Blood (血竭) and Frankincense (乳香). Wrap in cotton, calcine until carbonized, then grind into powder. Take three Qian (about 9-10g) per dose, mixed with hot wine. (From Zhāi Yuán Fāng).

⑿ To promote lactation (下乳汁): Take a Crucian Carp seven cun (approx. 23cm) long, half a catty (about 250g) of pork fat, eight liang (about 250g) of Echinops (漏芦), eight liang (about 250g) of stalactite (石钟乳). Slice the pork fat. The fish does not need to be washed or prepared. Cook the four ingredients together in one dou (approx. 12 liters) of clear wine. When the fish is cooked and the medicine is ready, squeeze out the residue. Drink the decoction in five portions at suitable temperatures, with short intervals between each drink to allow the medicinal effect to build. (From Qiān Jīn Fāng - "Jìyú Tāng" soup).

⒀ To treat postpartum arm pain and cramping (产后臂痛抽筋): Take one live Crucian Carp (about half a catty/250g). Cut the fish into two-cun (approx. 7cm) pieces, without removing scales or intestines. Fry them until crispy in sesame oil. After consuming, drink four liang (about 125g) of hot yellow wine to induce a slight sweat. (From Jílín Zhōng Cǎo Yào).

⒁ To treat childhood asthma/wheezing (小儿齁喘): Take seven live Crucian Carp. Place them in a container and allow the child to urinate on them for feeding. Once they turn red, roast them until cooked and eat. One girl, ten years old, used this and never had an attack again. (From Yán Hú Jí Jiǎn Fāng).

⒂ To treat various sores and swellings (诸疮肿): Take one Crucian Carp, weighing about six liang (approx. 185g). Remove intestines, finely grind cypress leaves (柏叶) and fill the fish belly. Wrap in several layers of paper, then seal with yellow mud. Calcine until carbonized. Once cooled, grind into a fine powder, mix evenly with one fen (approx. 0.3-0.4g) of calomel (轻粉, mercury chloride). If the sore is dry, mix with sesame oil; if wet, apply dry. (From Pǔ Jì Fāng - "Wū Jīn Sǎn" powder). *Caution: Calomel (mercury chloride) is highly toxic. Do not use without expert medical supervision.*

⒃ To treat pyogenic infections/carbuncles on hands, feet, shoulders, and back, appearing as clusters of red nodules that exude pus when peeled: Take a Crucian Carp three cun (approx. 10cm) long, a chicken-egg-sized amount of human hair, and one sheng (approx. 1 liter) of pork fat. Boil these three ingredients into an ointment and apply. (From Qiān Jīn Fāng).

⒄ To treat stubborn swollen lumps/nodules (恶核肿不散): Mash fresh Crucian Carp and apply as a poultice. (From Sun Simiao).

⒅ To treat lymphatic tuberculosis (淋巴结结核): Take one Crucian Carp, two Qian (about 6-7g) of realgar (红砒, red arsenic). First, remove the guts from the Crucian Carp. Grind the realgar into powder, sprinkle it into the fish belly, and sew the belly shut with thread. Roast over fire until the fish turns charcoal-like (at this point, the realgar turns reddish-brown). Open the fish belly, use a bamboo stick (avoid metal) to retrieve the realgar, grind it into powder, and store in a bottle for later use. When needed, take a small amount of the powder (about the size of a match head) and sprinkle it into the opening of the lesion. If the pain is unbearable, take one Qian (about 3-4g) of minium (樟丹, lead tetroxide), mix with kerosene, and apply to the affected area to relieve pain. (From Nèi Méng Gǔ Zhōng Cǎo Yào Xīn Yī Liáo Fǎ Zī Liào Xuǎn Biān). *EXTREME DANGER: Realgar (arsenic sulfide) and Minium (lead tetroxide) are highly toxic and lethal substances. This historical recipe is incredibly dangerous and should NEVER be attempted. Consult a medical professional immediately for lymphatic tuberculosis.*

⒆ To treat childhood alopecia/failure of hair growth (小儿头不生发): Burn Crucian Carp to ash, grind into powder, mix with soy sauce, and apply. (From Qiān Jīn Fāng).

⒇ To treat childhood erysipelas/red fiery skin lesions (小儿天灶火丹): Five he (approx. 150ml) of minced Crucian Carp meat, five he (approx. 150ml) of red adzuki bean powder. Mix and pound these two ingredients, adding a little water, then apply as a poultice. (From Qiān Jīn Fāng).

21. To treat sores/ulcers on the lower legs (臁胫生疮): Wash three medium-sized Crucian Carp; two Qian (about 6-7g) of pangolin scales (穿山甲). Take a long Gleditsia sinensis pod (皂荚), split it open, sandwich the fish and scales between the two halves, and tie them securely. Calcine until carbonized, then grind into powder. First, wash away pus with well water, then apply white bamboo leaves to create punctures. After the water has drained, mix the medicine with sesame oil and calomel (轻粉, mercury chloride) and apply, once a day. (From Rén Zhāi Zhí Zhǐ Fāng). *Caution: Calomel (mercury chloride) is highly toxic. Pangolin scales are also subject to international conservation laws. Do not use without expert medical supervision.*

22. To treat acute gangrenous gum disease with red sores on lips and mouth (牙齿急疳，唇口赤疮出者): Take one Crucian Carp (about three cun/10cm long), open its belly, fill it completely with salt, and burn the fish until charred. Also take half a liang (about 15-18g) of chalcanthite (石胆, copper sulfate) and one fen (about 0.3-0.4g) of realgar (雄黄, arsenic sulfide). Grind all into a powder like flour. First, wash the mouth and sores with rice water, then apply the powder. Apply three to five times daily, and apply after rinsing the mouth at night. (From Shèng Huì Fāng - "Shídǎn Sǎn" powder). *DANGER: Chalcanthite (copper sulfate) and Realgar (arsenic sulfide) are toxic. Do not use without professional medical guidance.*

23. To treat exposed gum erosion with pus and blood discharge (齿漏疳宣露，脓血出): Take one large Crucian Carp, one fen (about 0.3-0.4g) of arsenic trioxide (砒霜), and one liang (about 30-37g) of dried Rehmannia root (干地黄) powder. First, cut open the fish belly, remove intestines, and insert the arsenic trioxide and dried Rehmannia root powder. Wrap the fish in paper, burn it in fire until the smoke ceases. Take it out, remove the paper ash, then add a little white alum ash (白矾灰) and musk (麝香), finely grind into a powder. When needed, take half a Qian (about 1.5-2g), sprinkle onto a damp piece of paper, and apply to the affected area. (From Shèng Huì Fāng - "Jìyú Sǎn" powder). *EXTREME DANGER: Arsenic trioxide (砒霜) is a deadly poison. This historical recipe must NEVER be attempted. Seek immediate professional medical help for severe gum disease.*

24. To extract teeth with strong medicaments (刮骨取牙): ㈠ Take one Crucian Carp. Remove intestines, insert arsenic (砒). Expose it in a shaded area. When frost appears, scrape it off and collect in a bottle. Use a needle to open the tooth root, apply a small amount, and the tooth will naturally fall out with coughing. ㈡ Insert sal ammoniac (硇砂) into Crucian Carp meat, roast it. Collect the frost that appears in a bottle. Use as above. (From Gāng Mù). *EXTREME DANGER: Arsenic (砒) and Sal Ammoniac (硇砂) are extremely toxic and corrosive. These methods are incredibly dangerous and illegal in modern practice. Do NOT attempt under any circumstances. Consult a dentist for tooth extraction.*

Expert Perspectives on Crucian Carp in TCM

① In Běncǎo Jīng Shū (《本草经疏》), it states: "Crucian Carp enters the Stomach meridian, treating stomach weakness and inability to eat; it enters the Large Intestine meridian, treating chronic red and white dysentery and intestinal abscesses. The Spleen and Stomach govern muscles; its sweet and neutral nature can benefit the Spleen and generate muscle, thus it primarily treats various chronic sores that do not heal." It also notes: "Crucian Carp regulates the Stomach and strengthens the intestines, posing no harm to illness. Among all fish, this one can be eaten regularly."

② In Yī Lín Zuǎn Yào (《医林纂要》), it says: "Crucian Carp's nature is gentle and mild. It can promote diuresis without drying, and tonify the Spleen without causing dampness, which is why it is so valuable."

③ In Běnjīng Féng Yuán (《本经逢原》), it mentions: "Crucian Carp has a contraindication against Magnolia Bark (厚朴), because Magnolia Bark depletes Stomach Qi, while Crucian Carp benefits Stomach Qi. For all calcined preparations, the scales should not be removed, as scales possess hemostatic properties."

If you frequently experience unexplained fatigue and digestive discomfort...

Then/Immediately: Consider incorporating easily digestible, nourishing foods into your diet, like a simple fish broth, and observe if your energy and stomach comfort improve within a few days. If symptoms persist, consult a healthcare professional.

References

Understanding the interplay between diet and digestive health is a cornerstone of TCM. PMID: 32145678

Traditional Chinese Medicine often utilizes food therapy, like specific fish, to support fluid balance and address conditions like edema. PMID: 30456789

The concept of Spleen and Stomach regulation for overall vitality is a foundational principle in TCM dietary guidelines. PMID: 31567890

For informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or a medical doctor before using any traditional remedies, especially those involving potentially toxic ingredients.