Table 1 Ancient and current traditional medicinal uses of Muricidae opercula.
Country/Ancient Scholar | Source species# | Preparation | Pharmaceutical properties (Treatment/curing) | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ancient Greece/Dioscorides and Galen | Hexaplex trunculus, Bolinus (Murex) brandaris, Stramonita (Thais) haemastoma | Crushed and mixed with oil and vinegar | Hearing loss, swollen spleen, depression, menstrual cycle abnormalities and after labour for placenta removal | |
Medieval Eastern Mediterranean Genizah | Chicoreus virgineus (Murex anguliferu) | Blatta byzantine Opercula drug | Rheumatism or arthritis, stomach ulcer, skin diseases, teeth problems, eye and ear diseases, tumors, epilepsy, paralysis, purgative and treatment of uterine diseases. | |
Kingdom of Bahrein. Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al-Ghafiqi | Chicoreus ramosus (Murex inflatus) | Fumigation. Smell the smoke produced while placing the operculum on slowly burning charcoal. | Atresia of the uterus | |
Central Europe and Middle East | Hexaplex trunculus | 1) Fumigation. 2) Ashes of opercula. 3) Operculum medicine (Blatta byzantine) mixed with vinegar. | 1) Dislodge the placenta after labour. 2) Wound healing. 3) Reduced swollen spleen | |
Chinese traditional medicine | Rapana bezoar | Decoct* the operculum (10–20 g) and ingest; Ustulate$ the shell, grind into powder and apply externally. | Clear heat, expel toxins, remove dampness through diuresis, used to treat strangury (painful & frequent urination), swelling and ulcers on the body surface, hepatic coma, eye diseases and dysentery. | |
Southern India ancient Sanskrit medical texts | Muricidae opercula | “Nakhi” used in incense and medicinal oil heated in clarified butter or cooked with honey | Destroys poison, destroys certain types of skin diseases, remove phlegm. When used in incense it is said to be like a “prostitute” or “market place charmer” | |
Modern India | Muricidae opercula | Opercula oil “Choya Nakh”. Dry distillation of the roasted opercula mixed with a base oil, usually cedarwood oil | Mix a few drops of opercula oil with other incense ingredients. Inhalation of incense smoke to cure stomach pain, liver ailments, epilepsy and irregular menses. |
