E-jiao cake is a transparent liquid made from the hairless skin of donkeys of the Equidae family through boiling and refining. Donkeys are mainly fed with wheat straw and grain straw, and are raised in northern China. The hairless skin of black donkeys can be harvested throughout the year. Generally, from October to the following May is the production season for E-jiao cake. The medicinal value of E-jiao cake is presented in neat square shapes, about 8.5 cm long, 3.7 cm wide, and 0.7 to 1.5 cm thick. The surface is dark brown or dark brown with luster. It is hard and brittle, with a bright cross-section, and the fragments are deep brown and transparent when exposed to sunlight. It has a faint smell and a slightly sweet taste.

The effects of E-jiao:

Nourishing blood and Qi, activating blood circulation, nourishing Yin, moistening the lungs. Mainly for blood deficiency syndrome; hemoptysis due to deficiency; hematemesis; hematuria; hematochezia; blood dysentery; hemorrhage during pregnancy; metrorrhagia; heart palpitations and insomnia due to kidney Yin deficiency; dry cough due to lung deficiency; internal wind stirring causing spasm and twitching. Modern medical authorities have also found that E-jiao cake can treat various symptoms caused by deficiency of both Qi and blood, and has the effect of nourishing the skin due to its blood-nourishing and Qi-replenishing properties. It can also regulate the menstrual cycle, strengthen the body’s resistance, improve sleep quality, benefit the brain and intelligence, prevent aging, and is conducive to the prevention of various diseases, including cancer. Because the main effect of E-jiao is to nourish blood and Qi, it is suitable for people with deficiency of both Qi and blood. Therefore, it is most suitable for women with withered facial color, lack of blood in the fingertips and lips to take it when they have deficiency of Qi and blood.

1. Nourishing Yin and blood, replenishing Qi

As a key medicine for treating blood cold syndrome, E-jiao cake has the effects of nourishing blood and Qi, and also strengthens the body. The ‘Compendium of Materia Medica’ states that E-jiao cake ‘nourishes the liver through the liver channel, replenishes blood, and enters the gallbladder channel to moisten the body, being an essential agent for replenishing Qi and nourishing blood, and clearing heat from the lungs.’ Experiments confirm that E-jiao cake can increase the concentration of red blood cells, hemoglobin, and calcium in blood cells, and has the effects of activating blood circulation, nourishing blood, and replenishing Qi. Animal experiments using bloodletting methods also confirm the strong effects of E-jiao cake in nourishing blood and replenishing Qi. Clinical medicine has used E-jiao cake as the main treatment for thrombocytopenic purpura and aplastic anemia, achieving relatively satisfactory effects. Adding 100 grams of lean pork to a soup with E-jiao cake and simmering until dissolved, then drinking the soup and eating the meat with low-salt seasoning, can treat exudative anemia.

Two, Promote Blood Circulation

‘Compendium of Materia Medica’ treats hemoptysis, epistaxis, hematuria, hematochezia, intestinal wind diarrhea. Nasal worm, use Ejiao cake (roasted) 25 grams, Pu Huang 50 grams, take 6 grams each time, take it warm. The Lung Moistening Ejiao Decoction of famous Chinese medicine Qian Yi (Ejiao cake, Niubangzi, Madouling, Sweet Almond, Gan Cao, Yimi) has the effect of nourishing Yin and moistening the lungs, coughing and promoting blood circulation, can be used for hemoptysis caused by tuberculosis, bleeding caused by bronchiectasis. Ancient people favored Ejiao cake as ‘blood circulation medicine’.

Three, Cough and Moisturize the Lungs

Ejiao cake has the effect of nourishing Yin and moistening the lungs, so it can treat cough, dry cough without phlegm, less phlegm or blood in phlegm, dry throat, facial heat, night sweats, red tongue with little fur, and other symptoms of Yin deficiency and fire hyperactivity. ‘Compendium of Materia Medica’ says Ejiao cake mainly treats ‘deficiency of labor cough, asthma, lung atrophy, coughing blood… Harmonize blood, nourish Yin, expel wind, moisten the lungs, and clear phlegm from the lungs.

Four, Gynecological Main Medicine

Ejiao cake is often used to treat gynecological diseases, ‘Shennong’s Materia Medica’ says, Ejiao cake mainly treats ‘women’s uterine bleeding, nourish the fetus.’ ‘Compendium of Materia Medica’ says Ejiao cake ‘female blood pain, blood exhaustion, menstrual disorder, barrenness, miscarriage, various diseases before giving birth to a child.’ That is, suitable for menstrual disorder caused by deficiency of both Qi and blood, the main manifestations are light menstrual flow, pale color, even amenorrhea, accompanied by pale complexion, pale lips and nails, fatigue and exhaustion, and other systemic symptoms. The way to eat Ejiao cake is to place it in rice wine and soak it, then steam and swallow it. Ejiao cake can also be used for menstrual dripping caused by deficiency of both Qi and blood, like water leakage. It can use Ejiao cake fried to black powder, take it with wine. When women have too much menstruation or menstrual bleeding, use Zhang Zhongjing’s Ejiao Ai Decoction (Ejiao cake, Ai Cao Ye, Chuan Xiong, Chuan Shaoyao, Chi Shaoyao, Sheng Di Huang, Gan Cao) to treat, this formula uses Ejiao cake as the main medicine, with the effect of promoting blood circulation, nourishing blood and Qi, regulating menstruation. Ejiao cake can be used to stabilize pregnancy, Ejiao cake can be roasted to powder, soaked in wine and taken, with the effect of nourishing the fetus and sealing water. Women with restless fetus or sliding fetus, that is, habitual abortion, threatened abortion in Western medicine, can be treated with famous Chinese medicine Zhang Xichun’s Shoutai Pill (Chuan Du, Ejiao cake, Mu Xing Zi, Sang Ji Sheng), Zhang thinks Ejiao cake is black donkey skin boiled, good at hiding blood, nourishing Qi and blood, nourishing the fetus.

Five, Promote Digestion

Old people often suffer from constipation due to blood deficiency and fluid deficiency, Ejiao cake nourishes Yin and moistens dryness, is the ‘Stool Adjusting Holy Medicine’ to treat old people’s constipation, can use Ejiao cake soaked in wine with black sesame powder, can nourish Yin and blood, and moisten the lungs and intestines. ‘Renyi Zhi Zhi Fang’ says, use the root of the scallion root three slices to decoct fire, remove the scallion after the water boils, add WeChat friends Ejiao 6 grams, pure honey two spoonfuls, drink it down after melting, take it warm before meals, 2 times a day, suitable for elderly deficiency of Qi and blood, constipation.

Six, Young Man’s Elixir

According to ‘Mingyi Bie Lu’, ‘Old man’s lower abdomen pain, deficiency, insufficient Yin, feet ache cannot stand for a long time, nourish the liver fire.’ Also belongs to the application range of Ejiao cake, that is, young man’s insufficient Yin and blood, kidney deficiency, mainly manifested as lower abdomen pain, weak and weak legs, the same can be used Ejiao cake wine with walnut meat steamed, as a winter tonifying agent.

The function of Ejiao:

Promoting hematopoiesis

Ejiao cake has the effect of improving the number of blood cells and hemoglobin concentration, promoting hematopoiesis. The Ejiao blood-building mechanism may be related to factors such as carbohydrates, iron and trace elements, and high levels of animal protein.

Radiation protection effect

For mice that have been exposed to ‘CD,’ Ejiao cake solution administered by gavage 9 days later can significantly increase the hemoglobin concentration, and after daily gavage of Ejiao cake 1.56 g/kg, it can significantly increase the hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, and bone marrow nucleated cell count in mice exposed to ‘co’.

Influence on immune function

After gavage in mice, the Ejiao cake solution can significantly enhance the phagocytic ability of abdominal macrophages. Ejiao cake has a promoting effect on the liver and spleen mononuclear macrophages of mice. After continuous administration of Ejiao cake for 7 days, it can significantly increase the natural killer cell specificity, and Ejiao cake has a promoting effect on the transformation of healthy body reticulocytes.

Endurance to hypoxia, cold resistance, fatigue relief effect

The Ejiao cake experiment on mice shows that Ejiao cake can significantly improve the mice’s endurance to hypoxia, significantly improve the mice’s cold resistance, and significantly improve the mice’s fatigue relief effect in swimming experiments.

Hemostatic effect

Experiments have shown that Ejiao cake can significantly accelerate the coagulation process of rabbits, shorten the coagulation time. Its hemostatic mechanism may be based on increasing the platelet component in the blood to prevent bleeding caused by low platelet count. Some people also believe that due to the presence of collagen powder, which is sticky, when Ejiao cake is digested and absorbed by the body, it adheres to the capillary surface, reducing the initial clotting of blood and has a hemostatic effect. This effect is only used for internal bleeding such as hematemesis and epistaxis, and has no significant effect on external bleeding.

Influence on calcium metabolism

Ejiao cake contains a high amount of calcium, which can increase the intake of calcium in the body after consumption, and reasonably improve bone calcium loss and calcium loss caused by calcium deficiency. It can be used to treat osteoporosis, osteosclerosis, and various fractures.

Anti-muscle atrophy effect

Ejiao cake has the effect of preventing and improving the symptoms of idiopathic muscle nutrient disorder in rats fed with very high-concentration feed. This effect may be related to the calcium, phosphorus, manganese, and carbohydrates commonly contained in Ejiao cake.

Anti-shock effect

Ejiao cake has the effect of preventing vascular leakage, which may be one of its anti-shock effects. Experiments have confirmed that Ejiao cake can reduce the blood leakage of burned rabbit ears and alleviate the pulmonary vascular permeability changes caused by intravenous injection of fatty acids. Another experiment has shown that Ejiao cake can reduce the level of blood viscosity after the accumulation of toxins. All this indicates that Ejiao cake can resist the increase of physiological vascular permeability, reduce blood leakage, maintain a reasonable circulation system at a certain level, and is beneficial to the recovery of blood circulation, improving the hemodynamic model.

Diuresis and edema reduction effect

The therapeutic effect of Ejiao cake on nephritis is to enhance the body’s carbohydrate reserve, with the increase of blood protein content, the blood plasma osmotic pressure rises, which is beneficial for diuresis and edema reduction.