Zoological substancesWind-extinguishingPheretima

Di Long (Earthworm)

A practical guide to Di Long: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.

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Last reviewed Oct 13, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin NamePheretima
Chinese Name & Pinyin 地龍 · Di Long
Medicinal PartZoological substances
The herbDi Long is the dried body of the official Pheretima earthworms. Use qualified pieces. Gou Teng and Quan Xie are different official drugs. Do not collect it yourself.
Nature and channelsSalty, cold. Enters the Liver, Spleen, and Bladder. Saltiness softens hardness and unblocks collaterals. Cold clears heat, settles fright, calms wheeze, and promotes urine.
Pharmacopoeia lineClears heat and settles fright. Unblocks the collaterals. Calms wheezing. Promotes urination. Used for high fever with a clouded spirit, fright-epilepsy and convulsions, joint painful obstruction, Lung-heat wheezing cough, scant urine and edema, and hypertension.
Pattern cuesHigh fever and convulsions. Numb limbs and hemiplagia. Lung-heat wheeze. Edema with scant urine.
In this articleDi Long versus Gou Teng, Tian Ma, and Quan Xie. Why emergencies need a clinic first. Why a weak spleen should skip it. Why “hypertension” is not a drug claim. Who should skip it.

What Is Di Long?

Di Long (地龙; Dì Lóng; Latin: Pheretima; English: earthworm / pheretima) is the dried body of Pheretima aspergillum (E. Perrier) or related earthworms. In Chinese medicine it calms the Liver, extinguishes wind, clears heat, and unblocks the collaterals. It is salty and cold, enters the Liver, Spleen, and Bladder channels, and its core actions are to clear heat and settle fright, unblock the collaterals, calm wheezing, and promote urination. Use qualified dried pieces only. Do not collect worms and put them in a pot. It is not Gou Teng. Uncaria is light, extinguishes wind, and is added late. Di Long is salty-cold. It more broadly clears heat, unblocks collaterals, calms wheeze, and promotes urine. It is not Quan Xie. Scorpion more fiercely extinguishes wind and stops spasm, and is toxic. High fever with a clouded spirit, and convulsions, are emergencies. Seek care first. A cold weak spleen is a caution.

It is used most often for three patterns:

  • High fever with clouded spirit, fright-epilepsy and convulsions — emergency care first
  • Collateral obstruction — joint painful obstruction, hemiplagia
  • Lung-heat wheezing cough, scant urine and edema

The usual decoction dose is 5–10 g. Salty, cold, and sinking, it is not a daily “collateral earthworm.” Cold-damp bi with no heat, loose stools, and icy limbs get worse if more cold is added.

When extreme heat stirs wind, or enduring disease enters the collaterals, convulsions, hemiplagia, and heat wheeze are common. Di Long is salty-cold. It clears, unblocks, and calms wheeze, which is why it appears in Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang–type collateral formulas. It cools and unblocks more than it warms. A sallow face, fear of cold, and a pale tongue with white coating get more stagnant if more cooling is added.

Di Long is not a catch-all wind or collateral worm. In deficiency-cold with no heat, using it alone can cool and injure the middle. The pharmacopoeia line on hypertension is a traditional extension, not a replacement for antihypertensive care. Whether it belongs in a formula should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Di Long Earthworm

Di Long: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Pheretima

Botanical Origin

The dried body of Pheretima aspergillum (E. Perrier), Pheretima vulgaris Chen, Pheretima guillelmi (Michaelsen), or Pheretima pectinifera Michaelsen. (Megascolecidae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material has large strip and thick flesh.

Macroscopic Features

Pheretima aspergillum (E. Perrier): Long strip-shaped, curved, slightly curved at the edges, 15~20cm long, 1~2cm wide. Whole body has ringed segments. Back side is dark brown to purple-gray, front side is light yellowish-brown. The 14 th -16 th segments are reproductive clitellum, also called ‘white neck’, relatively lustrous. Slightly pointy apex of body, tail is blunt and round, rigid ring is rough and hard with pale color. Male reproductive hole is on the raised hole of 18 th segment of front side, outer edge has numerous circular shallow wrinkles, rigid pile of inner side is raised, front two lines have small mastoids, each side has 10~20. 2 pairs of spermathecal pores on the oval protrusion of 7/8 to 8/9 intersegments, taking about 5/11 of the segment perimeter. Light and slightly leathery, difficult to break; fishy odor; slightly salty taste. Hu di long: 8~15cm long, 0.5~1.5cm wide. Whole body has segments; back side is brown to yellowish-brown; front side is pale yellowish-brown; 3 pairs of spermathecal pores at the 6/7 to 8/9 intersegments. The 14 th -16 th segments are reproductive clitellum, relatively lustrous, male reproductive hole is on the raised hole of 18 th segment of front side. Usually the male mating chamber of Pheretima vulgaris Chen can totally turn out, appears cauliflower-like or penis-like; the male mating chamber of Pheretima guillelmi (Michaelsen) appears longitudinal crack-like; the male mating chamber of Pheretima pectinifera Michaelsen has one or more mastoids on the inner side.

3 Authentic Sourcing and Quality Identification

Traditionally, high-quality Di Long (Earthworm) is sourced from Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian provinces. Quality is influenced by the specific species, harvest time, and processing methods.

  • Appearance: Premium quality appears as curled, cylindrical shapes with a brownish-grey color and distinct body segments.
  • Texture and Scent: It has a slightly flat abdomen, a mildly salty taste, and a slight fishy odor. Sheng Di Long (Raw Earthworm) is brittle and snaps easily, while Jiu Di Long (Wine-processed Earthworm) is darker, more flexible, and has a reduced fishy smell.
  • Cautions: Inferior or improperly processed batches often have indistinct segments, a pungent smell, and are prone to molding or insect damage.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Salty; ColdLiverSpleenBladder

1. 2 Historical Herbological Records

This herb has a rich history in classic TCM literature:

  • Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: Listed it for eliminating parasites and addressing internal masses.
  • Ming Yi Bie Lu: Noted its use for clearing trapped heat in the abdomen, chest fullness, and panting.
  • Ben Cao Gang Mu: Highlighted its ability to unblock collaterals, treating headaches, red eyes, stiffness, and severe spasms.
  • Zhong Hua Ben Cao: A modern comprehensive compilation confirms its use for clearing heat, calming fright, unblocking meridians, relieving asthma, and promoting urination.

2. 3 Evolution of Medicinal Understanding

Over centuries, TCM practitioners have refined the clinical application of Di Long (Earthworm).

  • Early focus was heavily on clearing heat and calming severe fright (like high fevers and spasms).
  • Later practitioners emphasized its powerful ability to unblock meridians, using it for chronic joint stiffness and limb numbness.
  • Others utilized its lung and bladder properties for heat-induced asthma and fluid retention. This evolution ensures it is used specifically for targeted syndromes rather than as a cure-all.

Di Long Earthworm

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Clears heat, settles fright, frees the network vessels, calms panting, promotes urination. Apply to coma due to high fever, frightening epilepsy and convulsion, joint impediment, numbing limbs, hemiplegia, dyspnea due to lung heat, oliguria and edema, hypertension.

1. 1 First Primary Action: Unblocking Meridians and Collaterals

The traditional core function of Di Long (Earthworm) is unblocking the body's meridians and collaterals, which helps relieve joint blockages and improves poor Qi and blood circulation.

  • Common Symptoms: It is frequently used for joint stiffness, numbness, limited mobility, or limb weakness following a stroke.
  • Common Pairings: It is often paired with Huang Qi (Astragalus Root) and Dang Gui (Chinese Angelica Root) to replenish Qi and blood, ensuring the "unblocking" action doesn't drain the body's energy. It is also paired with Niu Xi (Achyranthes Root) to guide the herbal effects downward for lower body blockages.
  • Caution: Do not use this herb if you have a "deficiency-cold" constitution (often feeling cold, cold hands and feet) without any heat signs. Pregnant women and those with severe allergies should avoid it.

2. 2 Second Primary Action: Relieving Asthma and Promoting Urination

Di Long (Earthworm) is also highly valued for clearing lung heat, easing asthma, and promoting urination to clear fluid retention.

  • Common Symptoms: Coughing and wheezing caused by lung heat, or edema (water retention) and difficult urination.
  • Common Pairings: For asthma, it is often combined with Ma Huang (Ephedra) and Xing Ren (Apricot Seed). For fluid retention, it is paired with Fu Ling (Poria) and Ze Xie (Alisma Rhizome) to enhance urination.
  • Caution: Avoid if you have a weak Spleen and Stomach (frequent abdominal pain or diarrhea), a cold-type cough, or underlying liver and kidney issues.

3. 3 Common Single Herb Pairing: The Herb Pair

A classic and highly effective pairing is Di Long (Earthworm) and Huang Qi (Astragalus Root).

  • Di Long unblocks meridians and promotes fluid metabolism, while Huang Qi tonifies Qi and drives blood circulation.
  • Together, the Qi-boosting power of Huang Qi helps Di Long clear blockages more effectively without exhausting the body. This combination is excellent for chronic joint stiffness with fatigue, or post-stroke weakness with mild swelling. Always use under professional guidance.

Di Long Earthworm

Modern Research

Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.

1. 1 Main Chemical Components

Modern laboratory analysis shows that Di Long (Earthworm) contains lumbrofebrin, lumbrotoxin, various amino acids, trace elements, and polysaccharides. While lab tests observe certain enzyme-regulating activities, these are foundational studies and do not directly translate to clinical treatments for specific human diseases.

2. 2 Modern Pharmacological Research Directions

Current scientific interest is primarily focused on a few basic areas:

  • Blood Rheology: Animal studies suggest potential effects on regulating blood viscosity.
  • Respiratory Support: Laboratory observations hint at mild bronchial relaxation properties.
  • Fluid Metabolism: Animal tests show it may promote increased urine output.

3. 3 Limitations of Modern Research

It is important to view modern research with a balanced perspective:

  • Lab Results ≠ Human Efficacy: Animal and test-tube studies do not account for human biological complexity and cannot be directly applied to human health.
  • Extracts vs. Traditional Preparation: Clinical trials often use concentrated, isolated compounds, which differ vastly from the traditional boiled decoctions of Di Long (Earthworm).
  • Holistic Synergy: TCM relies on the whole herb and its interaction with other herbs in a formula. A single chemical component cannot represent the overall traditional medicinal effect.

Di Long Earthworm

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. 2 Similarities with Comparable Herbs

Di Long (Earthworm) is often compared with Jiang Can (Silkworm).

  • Both are excellent at unblocking collaterals.
  • Both are used for limb discomfort caused by wind or meridian blockages (like numbness and stiffness).
  • Both require careful dosage and are not for everyone.

2. 3 Core Differences

  • Nature and Flavor: Di Long is cold and salty, focusing on clearing heat. Jiang Can is neutral, salty, and acrid, focusing on dispersing wind.
  • Clinical Focus: Di Long specializes in unblocking meridians, relieving asthma, and reducing swelling. Jiang Can is a star herb for extinguishing wind, stopping spasms, and relieving itching.
  • Target Symptoms: Choose Di Long for heat-type blockages (e.g., stiff joints with a dry mouth and yellow urine). Choose Jiang Can for wind-type blockages (e.g., numbness accompanied by an aversion to wind or skin itching).

3. 4 One-Sentence Summary

Di Long (Earthworm) uses its cold nature to clear heat, unblock meridians, and relieve asthma, while Jiang Can (Silkworm) uses its neutral nature to disperse wind and stop spasms.

Di Long Earthworm

Classical Formulas Containing Di Long

Formulas vs. Single Herbs

  • Synergy is Key: A formula is a balanced team. The healing power comes from how the herbs interact, so a single herb cannot simply replicate a full formula's effects.
  • Holistic Balance: The exact dosage and combination in a formula affect the entire body. Never try to mix or alter these formulas at home based on internet articles.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. 1 Home Tea or Dietary Application

  • Di Long and Huang Qi Tea:
    • Ingredients: 3g Di Long (Earthworm), 5g Huang Qi (Astragalus Root), 2 slices of fresh ginger.
    • Method: Rinse the herbs quickly. Place in a teapot, add 500ml of boiling water, and steep for 15 minutes.
    • Use Case: Helpful for mild joint stiffness, fatigue, and slightly yellow urine, especially during seasonal changes.
    • Usage Limit: 1 to 2 times a week. Not for daily consumption.
    • Caution: Buy properly processed medicinal herbs from a pharmacy. Never catch wild earthworms, as they carry parasites and impurities. Not for pregnant women, those with cold digestive systems, or allergy sufferers.

2. 2 Preparation Differences

  • Raw vs. Wine-Processed: Sheng Di Long (Raw Earthworm) is colder and smells fishier, making it better for strong heat conditions. Jiu Di Long (Wine-Processed Earthworm) is milder, less fishy, and much better for home cooking and teas.
  • Cooking Rules: It can be boiled directly with other herbs. For decoctions, soak in water for 30 minutes, bring to a boil, and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes.

3. 3 Dosage and Usage Cycle

  • Dosage: Clinical prescriptions usually range from 5 to 10 grams. For home teas, stick to 2 to 3 grams.
  • Usage Cycle: Do not use continuously for more than 2 weeks. If symptoms persist, see a doctor.
Di Long Earthworm

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. 1 Not Suitable For

  • Cold Constitutions: People with weak digestion, frequent diarrhea, or those who are always cold.
  • Special Populations: Pregnant and nursing women, young children, and the elderly should avoid self-medicating.
  • Organ Impairment: People with liver or kidney dysfunction should only use this under strict medical supervision.
  • Allergies: Anyone allergic to annelids (like getting itchy or swollen when handling soil) should stay away.

2. 2 Drug Interactions and Dietary Notes

  • Medication Interactions: Di Long may enhance the effects of blood thinners (increasing bleeding risk) and blood pressure medications (causing blood pressure to drop too low).
  • Consult a Professional: Always disclose your herbal use to a doctor if you are on prescription medications.

3. 3 Adverse Reactions and Risks

  • Side Effects: Overuse can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or allergic skin rashes.
  • Seek Immediate Help: If you experience severe vomiting, breathing difficulties, or a sudden rash, stop use immediately and go to a hospital. Always stick to the recommended dosage.

Frequently Asked Questions About Di Long

What is Di Long? Are Jiang Can, Quan Xie and Gou Teng the same?
Official Di Long (地龙) is the dried body of Pheretima aspergillum (Guang Di Long) or P. vulgaris, P. guillelmi or P. pectinifera (Hu Di Long). The pharmacopoeial name is Pheretima. Jiang Can is salty-acrid-neutral: extinguishes wind, stops spasm, dispels wind, stops pain, transforms phlegm and dissipates binds. Quan Xie is acrid-neutral and toxic: extinguishes wind, settles spasm, unblocks the network vessels, stops pain, attacks toxin and dissipates binds. Gou Teng is sweet and slightly cold: extinguishes wind, settles fright, clears heat and levels the Liver. Write Di Long. Use caution in Spleen-Stomach vacuity cold. Do not replace the drug with garden live earthworms by equal weight.
What are the TCM properties and traditional uses of Di Long?
According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Di Long is salty and cold, enters the Liver, Spleen and Bladder channels, and acts to clear heat and settle fright, unblock the network vessels, calm wheezing and promote urination. It is used for high fever with spirit clouding, fright-epilepsy and convulsions, joint painful obstruction, numbness of the limbs, hemiplegia, Lung-heat wheezing and cough, and edema with scant urine. Salty-cold and piercing, it suits extreme heat generating wind, heat obstruction and Lung-heat wheezing—not Spleen-Stomach vacuity cold or patterns without excess heat.
Does Di Long need special processing? How is the fresh worm used?
Wash, cut into sections and dry; add to a normal decoction. Powder swallowed is about 1–2 g per dose only as a practitioner names. Fresh material clears heat and settles fright more clearly but must be properly cleaned of viscera and mud; pharmacies mainly stock the dried drug. Wine-frying can reduce the fishy odor and aid unblocking the network vessels but is not a required pharmacopoeial grade.
What is the usual dosage? Can it be drunk daily as an antiwheeze network tea?
The pharmacopoeial decoction dose is 5–10 g. It is not a four-season “Di Long wheeze tea.” Without heat, cold only injures the Spleen. Hemiplegia and heat wheezing need a practitioner to name a short course; it does not replace stroke and asthma assessment.
What are the contraindications? Can it be used in pregnancy?
Use caution in Spleen-Stomach vacuity cold; pregnancy should avoid or use only under a practitioner. Watch for allergy. It has anticoagulant tendency; bleeding and anticoagulant drugs need a practitioner’s assessment. Stop if diarrhea, rash and worsening wheeze appear. High fever with convulsions and new stroke are emergencies.
Can Di Long clear heat, settle fright, unblock the network vessels, calm wheezing and promote urination?
It can help extreme heat generating wind and network-vessel stasis. Qi-vacuity blood stasis hemiplegia joins Angelica, Astragalus, Chuanxiong, red Peony, Peach kernel and Carthamus in Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang. Lung-heat wheezing, heat obstruction and edema with scant urine may enter a compound formula. It clears heat, settles fright, unblocks the network vessels, calms wheezing and promotes urination—not a specific for every asthma, every stroke or every hypertension.
Can Di Long be drunk daily as a blood-pressure, antiwheeze or stroke tea?
Heat obstruction with numbness, Lung-heat wheezing and qi-vacuity blood-stasis sequelae may enter a short formula; Spleen vacuity only grows looser as it cools. “Di Long lowers pressure and treats stroke” does not replace blood-pressure and neurologic assessment. Clearing heat, settling fright, unblocking the network vessels and calming wheezing should name Di Long 5–10 g.
How do you choose among Di Long, Jiang Can, Quan Xie, Gou Teng and Niu Xi?
Earthworm is salty-cold: clears heat, settles fright, unblocks the network vessels, calms wheezing and promotes urination—piercing, heat-clearing and network-unblocking. Bombyx is salty-acrid-neutral: extinguishes wind, stops spasm, dispels wind, transforms phlegm and dissipates binds. Scorpion is acrid-neutral and toxic: extinguishes wind, settles spasm, unblocks the network vessels and attacks toxin—fierce and dose-limited. Uncaria is sweet and slightly cold: extinguishes wind, settles fright, clears heat and levels the Liver—Liver-heat stirring wind. Achyranthes is bitter-sweet-sour-neutral: expels stasis, unblocks the channels, supplements Liver-Kidney, strengthens sinew and bone, promotes urination and conducts Blood downward. Extreme-heat convulsions favor Di Long or Gou Teng; wind-phlegm convulsions favor Jiang Can; stubborn network pain may use limited Quan Xie; lower-body stasis favors Niu Xi. They may be paired (Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang with Di Long); vacuity cold forbids large Di Long; do not overdose toxic Quan Xie.
Which herbs is Di Long combined with? What are the representative formulas?
Qi-vacuity blood-stasis hemiplegia joins Angelica, Astragalus, Chuanxiong, red Peony, Peach kernel and Carthamus in Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang. Write Di Long 5–10 g.
How do you choose and store Di Long?
Choose dry, thick-fleshed pieces free of mud, with a fishy odor and a slightly salty taste. Guang Di Long is long and sheet-like; Hu Di Long is shorter. Moldy, moth-eaten, muddy or putrid lots are discarded. Store ventilated and dry against mold and moths. Buy pharmacopoeial Di Long; do not replace clearing heat, settling fright, unblocking the network vessels and calming wheezing with live garden worms or an unidentified annelid by equal weight.

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Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.

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Di Long (Earthworm): Clear Heat, Stop Spasms, Unblock the Collaterals, and Calm Wheezing