Witnessed by: TCM · Unani
Egg yolk (Gallus gallus domesticus), of the Phasianidae (Aves) family. The domestic fowl, kept for eggs; the drug is the yolk of the egg; native range: wherever the domestic fowl is kept. Globally recognized as ji zi huang (雞子黃) in Chinese, zardi-e-baiza-e-murgh in Arabic, and egg yolk in English. The part used is the fresh yolk, separated from the white and used raw. A soft round yellow to deep-orange body held in a thin membrane, heavy and unctuous, bland-rich on the tongue; it thickens and sets with heat, so the formulas keep it off the fire.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
EGG YOLK
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- egg yolk
- Scientific name
- Gallus gallus domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Family
- Phasianidae (Aves)
Form
- Part used
- the fresh yolk, separated from the white and used raw
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- sweet (甘)
- Unani
- oily (dasim, bland and rich)
Temperature
- TCM
- neutral (平)
- Unani
- hot & moist (1st degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Heart · Kidney
- Unani
- heart · liver · brain
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- nourishes the yin and the blood, moistens dryness, and calms the spirit — enriching the Heart and Kidney yin so that fire and water speak to each other again
- Unani
- muqawwi-e-badan (general tonic), muwallid-e-dam (blood forming), murattib (moistener), mughalliz-e-mani, mundamil-e-qurooh (heals ulcers), muqawwi-e-qalb (cardiac tonic)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- weak digestion with damp, poor appetite or loose stool — the yolk is heavy and cloying
- Toxicity
- low; the raw yolk carries a Salmonella risk, which is the modern qualification on every formula that calls for it uncooked
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