Calculus bovis
Encyclopedia
Calculus
bovis
, niu-huang or ox bezoar
s are dried gallstone
s of cattle
used in Chinese herbology
, where they are claimed to remove toxins from the body. In Asian countries calculus bovis are harvested when cattle (Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin) are slaughtered. Their gall bladders are taken out, the bile is filtered, and the stones are cleaned and dried. In western countries they are usually discarded.
Calculus bovis have a color varying from golden yellow to brownish yellow. The shape of a stone is variable and depends on how it was formed, becoming spherical, oval, triangular, tubular or irregular.
Since natural calculus bovis are scarce they can be very expensive. There are artificial calculus bovis used as substitutes. These are manufactured from cholic acid derived from bovine bile , but it is said that the effect may not be the same.
Calculus (medicine)
A calculus is a stone that forms in an organ or duct of the body. Formation of calculi is known as lithiasis...
bovis
Bovis
Bovis may refer to:* Bovis Homes Group, a national British housebuilding company* Bovis scale, a concept used by dowsers and adherents of geomancy* Bovis Lend Lease, an international construction management company and subsidiary of Lend Lease Corporation...
, niu-huang or ox bezoar
Bezoar
A bezoar is a mass found trapped in the gastrointestinal system , though it can occur in other locations. A pseudobezoar is an indigestible object introduced intentionally into the digestive system....
s are dried gallstone
Gallstone
A gallstone is a crystalline concretion formed within the gallbladder by accretion of bile components. These calculi are formed in the gallbladder, but may pass distally into other parts of the biliary tract such as the cystic duct, common bile duct, pancreatic duct, or the ampulla of...
s of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
used in Chinese herbology
Chinese herbology
Chinese Herbology is the theory of Traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in Traditional Chinese medicine ....
, where they are claimed to remove toxins from the body. In Asian countries calculus bovis are harvested when cattle (Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin) are slaughtered. Their gall bladders are taken out, the bile is filtered, and the stones are cleaned and dried. In western countries they are usually discarded.
Calculus bovis have a color varying from golden yellow to brownish yellow. The shape of a stone is variable and depends on how it was formed, becoming spherical, oval, triangular, tubular or irregular.
Since natural calculus bovis are scarce they can be very expensive. There are artificial calculus bovis used as substitutes. These are manufactured from cholic acid derived from bovine bile , but it is said that the effect may not be the same.