ge jie (gecko) 蛤蚧

Translated and edited by: Joe Hing Kwok Chu

Pharmaceutical name: 英文药名：	Gecko
Zoological name: 拉丁動物學名：	Gekko gecko; Phrynosoma cornuta Horned toad
Pron. in Japanese: 日語發音：	gokai
Pron. in Korean: 韓語發音：	hapkae
Pron. in Cantonese: 粤語發音：	gap3 gaai3
Common Name: 英文名：	gecko
Distribution: 分佈：	Guangxi, Guangdong, Shanxi, Yunna, Jiangsu provinces of China. Vietnam, Thailand and other parts of Indo-China, and Indonesia. Geckos  from Guilin of Guangxi are considered the best. 廣西，廣東，山西，云南，江蘇等省，越南，泰國 與其他中南半島地區。廣西桂林産的認為最好。
Properties (characteristics)	salty, neutral, slightly toxic 性 咸 ， 平 。 有 小 毒 。
Channels (meridians) entered:	lung, kidney 入 肺 、 腎 經 。
Actions & Indications:	tonifies kidneys and the lungs: in wheezing, consumptive cough or cough with blood in sputum, impotence, correct shenyangxu (kidney deficient). 補肺，腎。用於百日咳，肺 痨咳嗽，咳痰有血，陽萎，腎陽 虚。
Medical Function:	to be loaded
Chemical ingredients:	Meat contains: 肉含： carnosine 肌肽 choline 膽鹼 carnitine 肉毒鹼 guanine 鳥嘌呤 protein 蛋白質 fat 脂肪 Liver contains: 肝含： metyl thiophosphorsäureester 甲基對硫酮 methyl　parathion GSH S-methyl transferase 還原性谷胱甘肽-S-甲基轉移 酶 glutathion 谷胱甘肽 Thyroids contain: 甲狀腺含： thyroxine 甲狀腺素 iodotyrosine 碘酪氨酸
Dosage: 用量：	3 to 7 g as powder; 9 to 15 g in decoction. 粉剤：3∼7克。湯剤：9∼15克。
Samples of formulae: 處方舉例：	to be loaded
Modern Research: 現代研究：	It has a weak androgen effect  on the prostates and testes of mice;  and increase the weight of testes and their mating period. 對小鼠有雄激素作用於前列腺，睾丸。增加睾丸重量。延長交尾期。
Cautions: 禁忌：	not to use in case of wheezing and coughing from cold or flu infection due to acute infection. See below on counterfeits. 有 熱 症 兼 火 盛 忌 用 。 市場上所賣的很多是假貨。【1】

【1】http://www.yxlw.org/html/yao/fangji/20090906/23284.html

Pharmacognostic Identification of Gecko (Gekko gecko ) and
Its Counterfeits on Characteristics of Crude
Drug and Original Animal of 18 Samples

Zhu Hua
Guangxi College of TCM, Nanning 530001 China Ren Renan
Nanjing University of TCM, Nanjing 210029 China

Abstract　Objective: To identify medicinal material Gecko and its counterfeits. Methods: The commodity Gecko were investigated and 18 samples of different kinds commercial Gecko were collected from markets in China . Their characteristics of crude drug and original animal were measured and compared. Results: Of all the 18 samples, 2 were Gecko (Gekko gecko L.) and 16 were its counterfeits. Conclusion: There are many Gecko counterfeits in the markets of China. They can be identified by examining their appearance, characteristic of crude drug and original animal, according to the above results of studies.
Key Words: Gecko; Gekko gecko; Identification; Counterfeit Material; Pharmacognosy; Gecko Characteristic