Identification & Quality Standard
Bovis Calculus
Botanical Origin
The dried gallstone of Bos Taurus domesticus Gmelin. (Bovidae). If a gallstone is discovered when a cow is slaughtered, the bile is immediately filtered out and the gallstone is collected, its thin outer membrane is discarded and then it is dried in the dark.
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Beijing, Tianjin, Gansu, Inner Mongolia.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is intact, brownish-yellow, clear lines of fractured surface.
Macroscopic Features
Often oval, sub-spherical, triangular or cubed shaped, uneven size, 0.6~3 (4.5) cm diameter, few tube-like or crushed pieces. Externally yellowish-red to brownish-yellow, sometimes has black lustrous external membrane; sometimes rough, with verrucous protrusions, sometimes with cracked lines. Light, brittle texture, easily peeled by layers, fractured surface is golden yellow, can see thin and dense concentric layers, sometimes has a white center. Clear aroma, bitter and then sweet taste, with clear feeling, easily broken, when chewed it is not sticky to the teeth.
