腽肭脐溯源

Looking for the roots of Wa Na Qi

腽肭脐为一味传统的补肾壮阳药,通过本草考证、香港及内地市场及生产厂家的调查,南极半岛及南设得兰群岛海域的实地考察,提出以下结论:腽肭脐(海狗肾)在历史上其实是一个比较笼统的概念,主要指源自海狗、海豹类几种海洋动物的外肾。腽肭脐一词,属于古代的外来语,其读音贴近海狗肾来源之一的海象Walrus一词。因为海象的肥耎,汉语中出现了一个音译词"腽肭"。最初宋代的《本草图经》与明代的《本草品汇精要》描述的原动物为海豹类。《本草纲目》(金陵版)所绘者与有鬃毛的海狗(毛皮海狮)的特征比较符合。《补遗雷公炮制便览》及此后本草书中,加入了主观臆想成分,进而以讹传讹。通过在南极周边海域的实地考察,了解到历史上腽肭脐可能源自海狗(毛皮海狮)及海豹类,这与现今药材市场海狗与海豹两大种群基本吻合。经对现今中国内地与香港市场品种实地考察,以海狗肾之名售卖者,包括海狗、海象、海豹类外生殖器。

Wa Na Qi(腽肭脐),is a traditional-curing male impotence medicinal.We have made several conclusions through a field investigation to Antarctica,material medica literature research,and current market investigation.Throughout history,Wa Na Qi(also known as海狗肾haigou shen)was a word of vague connotation which was not the meaning of a specific product.However,the most common meaning of Wa Na Qi was the penises of several different species of seals.The name Wa Na Qi was adapted from a foreign word,and it is believed to sound like walrus,which has also been credited as a source for Wa Na Qi.In Chinese,Wa Na was a reference to the roundness of the walrus but eventually became a general description of heaviness.Later,it became a name for fur seals.The Song Dynasty Materia Medica Bencao Tujing(本草图经,Illustration of Materia Medica)and the Ming Dynasty Materia Medica Bencao Pinhui Jingyao(本草品汇精要,Collected Essentials of Species of Materia Medica)both had animal illustrations resembling fur seals.The illustrations in the Compendium of Materia Medica,or Bencao Gangmu,Jinling edition also had characteristics of a fur seal.However,in the Buyi Leigong Paozhi Bianlan(补遗雷公炮制便览,Lei Gong's Guide to Drug Preparation with Addenda)and later materia medica works,the animal illustrations became distorted and almost myth-like.After a field investigation in Antarctica,we learned that historically,name Wa Na Qi probably originated from seals,such as fur seals.This information matches the current medicines available on the market.